WALL-E

It would take a brave man to stand up and argue that there is a greater animation studio than Pixar, over the past 12 years they have delivered nine feature films and on every single occasion have delivered a gem. Even the weaker outputs in their repertoire (most notably 2006's 'Cars') still stand up as fantastic films in comparison with those of their competitors. Every single one of their films has delivered financially and been embraced critically, therefore you may forgive the company for resting on their laurels and playing it safe, but not Pixar, they are risk takers and innovators. WALL-E presents their biggest risk to date, a sci-fi epic with an ecological subtext which is essentially a love story between two robots who do not speak. This is not a film you would expect a major studio to make, in an industry driven by revenues you sense that for any other studio the risk would be too big, but thank you Pixar, for what you have created with WALL-E is pure inspiration.

Andrew Stanton is the man at the helm this time around, his CV reads extremely well with screenplay writing credits on 'Toy Story', 'A Bug's Life', 'Toy Story 2', 'Monsters, Inc.' and 'Finding Nemo', and for all but 'Monsters, Inc.' he also came up with the story concept. To add to that he also directed 'Finding Nemo' (Pixar's best flick that didn’t feature Woody and Buzz), so yes it is pretty impressive and you sense that WALL-E might struggle to be in safer hands. Stanton, again responsible for the concept, writing and direction, tells the story of WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth Class) who is the last of his kind cleaning up Earth's un-recycled waste in the year 2815, 700 years after the humans left on executive starliners as the planet became uninhabitable. Our hero WALL-E is left with only a cockroach for company until EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) arrives and they embark on one of the greatest sci-fi/rom-com’s ever told.

The film is at it's best when on Earth, the animation is spectacular for a start but the real joy is watching WALL-E go about his day-to-day tasks of cleaning and collecting with his little cockroach friend. It is fascinating that so much character and personality is created in a little rusty robot that can only manage two or three words, he is without a doubt the cutest character Pixar have created to date. Ben Burtt deserves great credit for creating the sounds of WALL-E - he is of course famous for crafting the beeps of R2-D2 in those rubbish Star Wars films - they bring the little 'bot to life and are instrumental in the character's success. He is a fantastic creation as a robot and the animators make sure they capture every single one of his features for great comic effect in the child-friendly slapstick routines. WALL-E is certainly Pixar's cutest creation and this is clear from the get-go, but when EVE is introduced and our little hero becomes infatuated by her you simultaneously fall in love with WALL-E and want one for yourself.

The lack of dialogue is barely noticeable - and what an achievement that is in a children's film - and furthermore when Fred Willard becomes the first live action actor in a Pixar film you barely bat an eyelid, such is the reality of the world Pixar has created. When things take an inter-galactic turn and heads towards the human spaceship, ‘The Axiom’, the film initially lulls slightly and you fear that the classic you were watching is gone for good. It never does really returns to the heights it was at on Earth until the very last scene but that is because the start is so good it’s almost impossible to match. The introduction of the humans works well but they lack the charisma that the WALL-E does and only when we get past the transition stage in the narrative and the focus comes back to the robots does the film regain it's footing and delivers a fantastic adventure for Wall-E and his amore, complete with unadulterated excitement and heartbreaking emotion.

The environmental undertones are controversial and unexpected for a mainstream children’s film. On the one hand you may commend it for teaching the young viewers of our responsibility to our planet to treat it well and the value of a good diet and exercise, on the other you may criticise it for scare-mongering and leftist ideas that are arguably too dark and cynical for children. The world that is portrayed is one in which a huge organisation (Buy 'N' Large) has taken over every service on the Earth and after the mess they have created becomes too much they abandon it for a luxurious life in space. In space humans have become obese de-generates who are too fat to walk or even eat anything that hasn't come from a straw. However, the deft touch that Stanton has applied to these topics is key - they are there for the audience if you want to take notice...if not just sit back and enjoy the cute little robot. There is of course also the hypocrisy of the huge company that is Disney (who now own Pixar), lecturing us on the dangers of big business and obesity while they are taking hundreds of millions of dollars by sitting children in front of a screen - and this should not be forgotten.

Whether you agree with the film's underlying message or not, it will not affect your enjoyment. WALL-E is a masterpiece which is not only a front runner for next year's Best Animated Feature at the Oscars but also for Best Picture - it really is that good. The piece possesses a fantastic charm throughout and successfully bridges the gap between entertaining children and entertaining adults. There are some hilarious moments, some touching moments and by the time you're done watching you won't have many aww's left in your system. It is tough to say whether this is Pixar's greatest film to date, it is certainly their greatest triumph in animation and innovation terms, but the behemoths that are the Toy Story films are still a force to be reckoned with. Regardless, it’s my new favourite and a film which I plan to see again and again, the DVD is on my Christmas list already!

Verdict: Magical! If Pixar keep raising the bar at this rate the possibilities are frightening. It definitely whets the appetite for the next two on the schedule - 'Up' and 'Toy Story 3'!