WALL·E
Just a little PSA for those who were considering checking out the new Pixar-flick, “WALL·E.”
We took our six- and four-year olds to see it yesterday. It was totally not what I expected.
For the most part, this one is not your run-of-the mill kiddie CG animation numbers. It looks and feels real out of the chute…until you start to see “human” characters…and then it takes on a more typical modern-day animated-feature feel. But, outside of the “people” in the film, it truly is an impressive visual for the eyes…especially up on the big screen.
Now, there are long wordless stretches in the beginning of WALL·E, and, this is where I thought, for sure, my kids would start to lose interest.
But, it didn’t happen – at all. The kids were locked into the film for the full hour-forty that it ran. And, while I can’t say that they found it to be silly and giggly – because it’s not a light-hearted diversion type of movie – they were into it.
Me? I was pretty impressed. In fact, my thoughts towards the end of it centered around “I would not be shocked if this one took home some awards, somewhere, when it comes time to start handing things out.”
Six months ago, we took the kids to see “VeggieTales – The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.” And, to be honest, while the kids had a ball watching it, I felt like it was 90-minute lobotomy. Seriously, I am sure that I lost a few IQ points that day because of watching that one. But, since the kids had fun, it was worth the price. (Yes, I’d rather be stupid and have happy kids than be smart and have joyless children, any day of the week.)
As a parent, you will not feel this way if you go see WALL·E. You’ll enjoy the movie as much as your kids – if not more. Go check it out.
I’d even go one further and say it’s not a kids movie. Kids will like it because the characters are cute and fun, but the message will be totally lost on most kids.
I’d even go one further and say it’s not a kids movie. Kids will like it because the characters are cute and fun, but the message will be totally lost on most kids.
————-
Having seen some of Pixar’s work, they do a good job of balancing kiddie and “adult” humor.
I guess I’ll provide the voice of dissent. The animation was impressive and the story was, ostensibly, OK, but did we really need that “message”? And what a daring one at that. A big corporation to blame? Wow. Way to go out on a limb and really break some new ground there. Nobody has anything to say about the environment, eating/exercise habits, and big corporations (the root of all evil) today. Thanks.
For kids, it was fine. And for adults, it was still OK. There were the usual points of humor and pop culture references and the details were quite well done, but if I want to be spoonfed politically correct crap, I’ve already got a newspaper, TV, and the rest of the world to fill me up.
hopbitters – maybe the “message” of the movie was one about love, between WALL·E and EVE, and the rest of the “stuff” was just a backdrop? Could that also be possible?
The love story was plot. The message had nothing to do with that and was about as subtle as Pete Rose meeting Ray Fosse at the plate.
Then again, you could say that the Simpsons Movie had the same plot then too, no, about toxic waste dooming a city….?
I probably could, if I had watched the whole thing. You should probably just ignore anything I say about movies – I hate 99% of them.