Mr. Boyfriend and I went to see 'WALL-E' tonight & while I don't think it lived up to all the hype I had heard, it was a much needed departure from typical summer movie themes. WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter•Earth-Class) is a lil robot whose job it is to help clean up the mess humans in the year 2695 left while they cruise around the universe. There's a side plot with WALL-E falling in love with another robot named EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) whose directive is to search for life back on earth.Humanity is reduced to being so lazy they no longer walk and instead hover around in chairs while taking their meals via liquid. Robots do all the work and in some ways are more human than the sleepy, apathetic people themselves. I really liked that WALL-E, in a sense, reteaches humanity what's important and in response they forgo the constant barrage of entertainment and empty calories for something more meaningful. I also liked that the film made the fact that WALL-E is solar powered quite prominent.
Thomas Newman, one of my favorite film composers, wrote the score. The Pixar imagery was amazingly clear and at times amazingly beautiful. Even the final credits which have WALL-E and EVE being portrayed throughout the different phases of art from Egyptian to Van Gogh and beyond are creative.
The movie also demonizes big business via the B-N-L Corporation, which has taken over everything including the presidency of the U.S.
Overall, the film made me reflect on how disconnected I feel from the earth. I spend most of my day indoors. I've spent the majority of my life indoors, and even though I walk places I still drive more. I think in a way one of the most compelling things about WALL-E is that we've already, in a sense, become the imagined fate of humanity. Obese and chair bound. It also made me reflect the fact that I don't know of many tasks aside from my own transportation that would help me accomplish my daily tasks and involve manual labor. We've eliminated out labor to a point where we fell compelled to go hop on treadmills like hamsters in a wheel just to stay semi-healthy.
Didn't people used to work outside? What happened to all that work that needs to be done? Isn't there anything else to do besides tend our water consuming lawns and wash our SUVs? Have you ever noticed that you could run places when you were a kid but as an adult if you run for any other reason than an emergency or jogging it raises suspicion? What's up with that? I think we could all use a little more gratuitous running.
6 comments:
You know what I miss? Skipping. People over the age of 10 are not allowed to skip. What was the point of even learning if you were only going to be allowed to do it for 5 years or so!!
I agree. I feel like a goof if I'm running and I don't have jogging clothes on. What are people going to think? I just robbed a store? Geez!
For the last couple of years I've gotten almost 100% of my exercise doing something else (biking or walking to work; mowing the lawn; walking back and forth to the post office, library, farmers market, grocery, etc. I've never been a lover of the gym and this (what I call functional exercise) not only gets my exercise in without me planning it, but I get stuff done in the process.
Thanks for the review on WALL-E. I've had my eye on that since previews first came out. It looked cute! We may wait until it comes out on video, but we'll definitely be checking that one out!
Arduous, I miss skipping too BUT there is a legitimate adult excuse to skip either 1 you grab a child and do it with them OR at the gym skipping is actually used to help strengthen leg muscles. I read about it in Runner's World Magazine.
Heather, WALL-E is way cute. You'll end up imitating him with "Waaaaalll-eeee" a million times after saying it. LOL! I know, when did running equate running from the law? Whoever came up with that sucks. I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot more exercise running around one place it is acceptable, the hospital ;-)
thanks for the review...I hadn't heard much about what the movie was about, it sounds good though! I'll have to go check it out - after I go outside for a while, you've got me feeling like a couch potato :)
Melissa, it was fun and entertaining and yeah a prophylactic pre-movie jog would definitely have made me feel better about everyone before viewing WALL-E.
Maggie and I just saw it and liked it immensely. I think it's the first movie with an environmental message that I've unequivocably enjoyed (sorry, Al Gore! I liked your movie too, I promise).
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