Wall-E review

Pixar is the cinematic equivalent of Tamla Motown, which, following an unprecedented run of success, became known as the "hit factory." Their ninth full-length feature, WALL-E maintains Pixar's record of producing hugely entertaining and inventive work. Testament to their skill is their ability to make even the most unlikely individuals endearing. Last time out it was rats. This time around it's WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class), a battered little robot who collects rubbish.

Written and directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), WALL-E was inspired by the question, "What if mankind had to leave Earth and someone forgot to turn off the last robot?" The film's stunning look, with its mix of apocalyptic landscapes and futuristic hi-tech, comes from Stanton's love of sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars. At times the lighting and depth of focus gives WALL-E more of a cinematic look than an animated one.

But for all its space-age sensibilities, at its heart WALL-E is that most traditional of films: a love story. Left behind on Earth when mankind abandoned its contaminated planet 800 years ago, WALL-E has continued to carry out the task for which he was designed. Diligently spending his days collecting the massive piles of rubbish man left behind, he compacts them into cubes that he stacks into towering piles. With only an indestructible cockroach for company, WALL-E spends his evenings going through the pile of strange items he finds, like a Rubik's cube and iPod, and watching an old videotape of Hello Dolly.

When the sleek and shiny robot EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) lands in search of organic life, WALL-E is smitten. Much of Pixar's genius is in imbuing their characters with such expressive personalities. The way WALL-E looks at EVE, his awkward manner in her presence and the surreptitious way he tries sidling up to her are as nuanced as the work of any actor.

The film's opening 20 minutes, where WALL-E and EVE meet and fall in love, possesses no dialogue but is all the more absorbing and creative for it. It's when EVE, with the love-struck WALL-E in tow, returns to the Axiom, the giant luxury spaceship man has been occupying until Earth is discovered to be safe enough to return to, that the film takes a more conventional path. And while it still has plenty of funny moments, an element of its magic disappears.

But such quibbles are minor and relative. Having set the bar so high, it's all but impossible for Pixar to keep raising it yet further. Considering the quantity of rubbish out there, WALL-E will deservedly clean-up.

Kevin Murphy