Just got back from a trip to see Wall*E-- as the title might indicate fo those that have done similar-- and it's a fantastic film. I shan't be reviewing it or anything like that, except to gush enthusiastically and say anyone with the slightest desire to see it should go do so.
As a short point of background, I have a BFA in Visual Communications(Animation). So I'm a fan and student of animation, and sometimes I'm pretty critical of it. I was trained to be. But, all I really have to say about Wall*E can be summed up thusly: every Pixar film I've seen has made me wish I'd been able to work on it, and Wall*E made me wish I'd worked on it far more than any of the others to date. then again, it has an awful lot of stuff I really like on top of being a Pixar film.
It's Classical Science Fiction in terms of story genre-- meaning that while it's set in the future and such, it's not about the technology so much as it's about people and their relationship with technology and each other, and it extrapolates current trends, events, and concerns to a logical extreme in the future to make some very pointed commentary about it. And while the movie is pretty emphatic and not at all subtle in making its points, it manages to do so without feeling hackneyed or excessively preachy about it... and it has quite a ew things to say, besides.
On top of a great story with great presentation, all the things that usually make a Pixar film great are there. Top notch animation, great art direction, excellent blocking and composition and everything else... and as always, Pixar refuses to rest on its laurels and tries a whole battery of new things.
And on top of it, the requisite Pixar animated short leading into the film was great. Nice, snappy animation style, and a great little story concept to work with. As with a lot of the shorts, there wasn't any dialogue as such-- and with Wall*E being very dialogue-light as well, it made a really nice warm-up, even though he two stories have no other connection to each other.
Anyway, awesome movie. Sound off if you've seen it!