Conversat-a-Review: Wall*E

We're trying out a new format this week. In lieu of a formal review we'll be posting a back and forth we had shortly after seeing the film. Hit the link our thoughts.

Henry: Hey Sam

Sam: fuck you

Henry: So we just saw Wall*E

Sam: we sure did

Henry: Fine. Here's a cool soccer goal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJhx2y2mHls&eurl=http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/

Sam: Haha you're right that was really cool, a bit sneaky

Henry: So anyway - Wall-E. Where would you rank it among the Pixar catalogue?
So we're talking Toy Story 1 and 2, Bug's Life, Monster's Inc, Nemo, Les Incroyables, Cars, and the Rat

Sam: Probably third, Nemo, Incredibles then Wall*E, then the rat

Henry: Fair. For me it doesn't get any better than The Incredibles...then maybe the first Toy Story, then Wall*E and Nemo tied for third

Sam: I Don't think Wall E was as good as Nemo, I mean I get it, he's a robot, but the not talking thing made the whole movie so much more simple than Nemo, for me it was a cute robot and cool animation

Henry: see I absolutely disagree, like strongly disagree. This was a far, FAR more sophisticated and interesting movie than Nemo.

Sam: I don’t know about that, I mean Nemo had more mature themes; loss, death, maturation of a child, Wall E has, boy meets girl, boy loses girl,boy chases girl, boy gets girl.

Henry: Well thematically...you're right to give Nemo its props. I forgot the really grim opening and all that. But I guess I was more referring to the manner in which the stories are told. Nemo, in the end, is a pretty basic narrative told in a paint-by-numbers way. It works because it is just very well done. Wall*E is a much harder story to tell for the very reason you knock it - the lack of dialogue

Sam: I suppose. That’s not to say that it's not great (Wall*E), Nemo just happened to be amazing

Henry: fair. Let’s get back to the movie at hand. So the opening sequence, before E.V.E. arrives, is not something you see very often in a kid’s movie. It has some humor but is also quite stark in some ways and was loaded with wide shots of what the earth has become. When I was watching it, even though I knew we still had 100+ minutes to go or whatever, like I was watching some kind of experimental short film or something

Sam: It was definitely different from the standard Disney opening; usually they set up a happy scene and then have something terrible happen which motivates the protagonist to go on a journey of sorts. I suppose the beginning to Wall E is just good old character development.

Henry: Yup. I was really impressed with the...balls this movie had to open like that. I thought his early interaction with E.V.E. was some of the best stuff in the movie. I thought him trying to impress her in his little home was the most charming scene in the movie.

Sam: Very charming indeed, although I think most of it is lost on the core audience. Lets be fair, those scenes were extremely well done, but they were also the scenes where the kids in the movie looked the most bored.

Henry: Well that's the one thing I said to you when we walked out. I think that the movie was kind of brilliant. And I absolutely see why basically every critic in America and London thinks it’s the best movie of the year so far. But I think it fails on one level: It really isn't that great a kid’s movie. I mean Wall*E is an incredibly cute character. and his relationship with E.V.E. is one of the best Disney romances (hm...maybe the best?) but as a kids movie it had too much dead space.

Sam: That’s true, but towards the end you could tell that someone in the studio had the same thought: cue thirty minutes of action. The whole movie had a bit of an odd composition, it was all plot development, then all mindless action, and then a little more plot at the end, I would have liked to see it blend more.

Henry: yup, but the story kind of called for that progression. Not disagreeing that it was a bit unevenly paced but the story also demanded that the first 40 minutes be more thoughtful than action packed or silly. And to be clear, I actually thought the second half was really fun. I thought the human characters were entertaining, the action bits were relatively original...the multiple acts of heroism E.V.E. and Wall*E both performed were better than what you see in some superhero movies....

You're right when you say that the movie is kind of two movies smushed together. Both are good...and while the first half really impressed me...I think I almost admired it more than I liked it. I really LIKED the second half.

Sam: They were both great, and honestly, the kids who see it won't care, they'll be bored by the first half but completely forget it after watching the last half of the movie.
It was also nice to see some things thrown in there for the adults. I have to commend Pixar for making all the people from the future extremely fat. I mean it's not like a 5 year old gets that people living in space having machines do everything for them would atrophy into gross fatties...excuse my terminology

Henry: well I mean...it’s not like this movie was as over-the-top with the message as something like Happy Feet...but its message was pretty clear. But that's fine...because I agreed with the message...you know, that people are lazy and rely on technology too much.

On a side note, there's not much to say about the voice acting (though they did nail the Wall*E voice) other than it was nice to hear Sigourney Weaver's voice as the Captain's computer. The music was relatively forgettable actually. But that's never been Pixar's strength (though I liked The Incredibles wacky score). And of course the animation was good but do you even notice great animation nowadays? I feel like all these movies look so good that I only notice when they look like shit like Madagascar or something

Sam: Good god...happy feet....sure fire way to get your kid nice and depressed, might as well tell him that grandma didn't go on vacation and fluffy is buried in the back yard. But back to the topic at hand, I'd say you're right. Do I really see the difference between Wall E and the Incredibles graphically, nope. I’m sure it's there, but it just doesn't have any bearing anymore, that is as long as it looks okay, but the difference between amazing and very good is too hard to see. As for the music, it was a non factor, especially since so much of the early parts of the film were without any. That’s where Disney could have helped out, but they're a bunch of jerks, so who knows, maybe they're saving all the good music for Disney solo projects

Henry: Haha. Well I have really have one more thought on the movie and this is one reason I really liked / respect the hell out of the movie. I really like it when a movie is able to create something iconic. For instance...I don't like the movie E.T.. Just don't like it that much. But I am really amazed at how Spielberg was able to take this....ugly creature and make this incredibly iconic movie around it. The bike/moon shot, the "phone home" business. I like it when, and excuse me while I get a little high-minded here, but i like it when we get real quality films that can enter our collective conscience. And whether Wall*E is the best kids movie ever or just a really good one is not important. I just think that the character, and some of the scenes of this movie, are right up there with the best kid's stuff ever done. And I just gotta tip my cap to Pixar for accomplishing that

Sam: Definitely a great movie, I'm probably going to see it again over the next couple of days, so we'll see if everything holds up okay. As I see it right now, it had an interesting plot, great animation, and lot's of fun scenes, as well as some tear jerkers...just about everything a good Disney movie used to have (Bambi, Pinocchio etc)

Henry: Yup. Definitely deserves an A grade. It is certainly the best made movie I've seen so far this year. It's as good as the critics say...everyone should see the movie


Sam: There will be blood....wait..that was last year..yeah it's probably the best.