Toon Talk: Wall-E
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Turns out that the head robot, the ship�s autopilot system (HAL 9000 in appearance and temperament), is following a different directive though, one that puts EVE -- and therefore WALL-E -- in danger. Through all of his adventures, WALL-E proves singularly minded in his mission of the heart: to simply be with the one he loves.
From the Tin Man of Oz to Data of Star Trek, human emotions have often been grafted onto automaton characters in fantasy fiction, but writer/director Andrew Stanton (Oscar winner for Finding Nemo) breathes fresh life into the concept. Most daring, some say, is his decision to tell a large portion of the story with little to no dialogue. Considering that animation is primarily a visual medium, and that, in this case, that idea certainly fits the circumstances of the characters and the story being told, such talk is reductive, as if animated movies in this day and age couldn�t exist without celebrity voice stunt casting. (The most famous name in the cast here is Sigourney Weaver, as the ship�s computer; John Ratzenberger, of course, is also heard, while Fred Willard is actually seen onscreen, as the CEO of BNL.)
Comparisons have already been made likening WALL-E to such silent cinematic forbearers as Harold Lloyd, Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and anyone who has actually seen the works of these masters of screen comedy will definitely see their influence here, most notably Lloyd�s, a genius of everyman stick-to-it-ness. More direct predecessors that could also be named would be the mute innocence of Dumbo, the love-struck heroism of Dopey and the yearning to live of a certain puppet named Pinocchio.
Through a series of cleverly timed teaser trailers, WALL-E has already charmed would-be ticket buyers of all ages in the months and weeks leading up to his film�s release, and they certainly won�t be disappointed once they see it. As usual with every Pixar feature presentation, be sure to arrive at the theater on time catch the accompanying short subject, Presto, a tale of a magician, a magic hat and a very hungry bunny rabbit, yet another character who wins your heart through very little words.
Toon Talk Rating: A
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AWARDS WATCH Disney cleaned up at this year�s Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror last week. Enchanted swept up three awards, more then any other movie: Best Fantasy Film, Best Actress for Amy Adams and Best Music for Alan Menken. Not to be left out, Ratatouille nabbed two prizes (Best Animated Film, Best Writing for Brad Bird) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World�s End won for its makeup. On the television side, ABC�s Lost led the way with four awards, including Best Network Series and acting trophies for stars Matthew Fax, Michael Emerson and Elizabeth Mitchell. |
Coming Soon:
- A special Toon Talk look at the American Film Institute�s top ten animated movies of all time.
- Batman is back and the Joker is on the loose in the eagerly awaited big screen return of The Dark Knight (Warner, June 18).
- The Jonas Brothers go to camp � Camp Rock, that is (Disney DVD, August 19).
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-- Kirby C. Holt
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Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ... In addition to his Toon Talk reviews, Kirby is the creator of Movie Dearest, a blog for movie fans.
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted June 30, 2008