GranolaBox

Let me just say, only slightly apologetically, that I’m a [tag]Pixar[/tag] whore. I love everything Pixar puts out. Admittedly there are some movies I like more than others, but on the whole Pixar’s never done wrong by me. That being said, [tag]Wall-E[/tag] is the best film Pixar has ever made. It’s also the last place I’d see a depiction, and almost a celebration of the end of the world as we know it.

I’ll try to give you the plot without giving too much away. This Robot named Wall-E and his giant roach-like friend are the last two remaining creatures on earth. All the humans have flown away to a giant corporate space condo since the earth is nothing but a huge, toxic dump.

One day a spaceship comes and dumps a probe Robot named Eve down to find any plant forms. Wall-E is immediately smitten by the newcomer, and dreams of holding her hand like the couple in Wall-E’s ancient video.
A classic romance with a Disnified touch of green right? No!

The execs at Disnee must have shit bricks when they saw this the first time. Writer [tag]Andrew Stanton [/tag]takes broad critical swipes at corporate America both pre- and post apocolypse. But he doesn’t stop there. The movie forces us to face the mirror and look our fat, lazy unsustainable-life-style-livin’ selves square in the eyes.

The Queen of My Universe tried to see the reactions of the general public as we made our way out of the theater, but everyone was pretty much silent. We wondered if some of the obese people in the theater, walking out with the remainders of their tub-o’ popcorn, super giant Regal club card bonus coca colas and milk duds had any moments of uncomfortable clarity during the movie.

It just so happens that the novel I’m reading, [tag]Earth Abides[/tag], is about the demise of the human race by a plague. The story is about one of the very few survivors… a guy named Ish. I’m only fifty pages into it, but it’s phenomenal so far. It’s the inspiration for one my favorite books as a teenager, Stephen King’s The Stand. I know… really cheery stuff right?

Wall-E, and no doubt Eath Abides will restore my incorrigible faith in humanity. All we need to do is get rid of our crippling institutions.

Filed under: EWAKI, General Observations on June 29th, 2008