2008 / Andrew Stanton > It’s truly a testament to Pixar’s ability to make an animated film where the lead character barely utters a word. In its quiet repose, WALL·E evokes emotions that are all within us, of abject loneliness and wanting to be understood, though never sensationalizing either. Face it: This isn’t a kids movie. The ideas within the film are not easily understood beyond the surface level by anyone who hasn’t experienced a degree of heartache.

The first half is sheer brilliance. While its minimalist approach isn’t a rarity in the current film market, the unpretentious manner in which it unfolds is. It works for almost everyone who watches it because it doesn’t insult anyone’s intelligence or patience. The second half, however, becomes problematic for me. To begin with, the treatment of obesity is something I had a hard time looking past. In a country where weight is such an issue, it almost hurts to see it treated as a joke. More importantly, I felt that nearing the climax, the story lost its footing. It became symptomatic of a typical animation flick than something special. Finally, the ending was too easy. I just couldn’t find solace in its outcome. I felt cheated. Maybe that makes me cynical, but sometimes too much hope is a bad thing. But these points withstanding, WALL·E makes a strong case for the spirit and future of Western animation.