WALL-E

As an environmentally conscious person, I appreciate that Disney addressed one of the biggest issues plaguing our planet, pollution. The positives of WALL-E, as opposed to other Disney films, is that it applies to all of us regardless of race, gender or sexuality. The scariest and realist thing about the film is that if we continue down the path we are going with our fossil fuel and non-biodegradable use, our atmosphere and planet could sustain enough irreversible damage to make Earth no longer livable.

Several important issues were addressed in the film. Human carelessness which ultimately led to severe pollution was one of the main focuses. In the beginning of the movie, WALL-E’s reaction to the plant exemplifies the rarity of a simple thing we all take for granted. The dark and dirty scenery also shows the impact humans have made on their environment. Another key point that Disney addresses is human laziness and obesity. There is a stark contrast between WALL-E and humans. The humans seem complacent and callous, destroying their planet and expecting robots to fix it, and their ridiculous laziness (not even walking), whereas WALL-E is curious and caring. He has collections of things like spoons and forks (and sporks) and cares for other organisms like cockroaches. He rolled over one in the begging of the film and felt extremely bad (thought his facial expression), but it was okay because the roach was fine.

Wall-E’s desire for EVE’s love made me identify more with a robot than the actual humans in the film. Wall-E’s characteristics seemed more human those of the people in the film. Human laziness makes the views see the entire human race as the villain of the film. I read online that WALL-E and EVE were modeled after the concept of Adam and Eve; That furthers the idea of their love being able to transcend both technology and space/time.

The religious connotations employed in the film were surprising. There are rarely religious ideas in Disney films because their goal is to be non-controversial and inclusive; However, the religious themes were not overt nor imposing so I do not think it made a difference among people viewing the film.

The animation style and music choices also enhanced the film. The animation where WALL-E was floating in space was magical. That was my favorite scene because of the sheer expansiveness the animators were able to portray. Also, the marriage of old and new was present throughout the film, especially though music. The use of older jazz-esque music (Louis Armstrong) and newer, faster tempo music/sounds showed the contrast between older times (pre-pollution) and now (post-pollution/technology). But the ability for both types of music to apply in the film showed the union between the past and the future.  

WALL-E is a complex movie that has both action and romance plots. I don’t know if children are able to follow the plot of this movie like they would for another Disney film. Also, I didn’t find the first couple of scenes particularly action filled like other Disney films (Tarzan); So,  I doubt younger children were able to pay attention and comprehend what was going on.