Authored By Helen Kilmartin & Matthew Marshall
In the opening scenes of WALL-E we are shown an eye-opening view of an abandoned Earth over 700 years in the future. After this view we are shown the one remaining robot and the fact that he is still cleaning up trash that the humans left behind. When a new robot shows up we are taken on an adventure to bring the people, from their commercialized spaceship, back to Earth. While this is a good front to entertain children, adults are challenged to find the deeper messages.
Instead of having a structured government system, the futuristic people in WALL-E are controlled by “Buy-N-Large”. “Buy-N-Large” is a company that starts off with stores all over Earth, then we see that it sponsors the spaceship. Everything on the spaceship from the hoverchairs, the jumpsuits, the cups they drink out of, all down to the ads on board are all “Buy-N-Large”. Later in the movie when we see the CEO of “Buy-N-Large” (Fred Willard) at a podium, which looks like the one the president says his announcements at. This is where the CEO says that Earth is not returnable. At this point in time when WALL-E is placed in time, “Buy-N-Large” seems to be more important to humans than returning to Earth.
The idea of conformity starts off during the establishing shot, when we see what Earth has become. We then get to see that WALL-E has been building the same skyscrapers out of trash for over 700 years. When we are introduced to Eve we are shown just how different WALL-E is compared to the vast technological upgrades that humans have made. Once WALL-E hijacks a ride to the ship that the humans are on the idea of conformity is everywhere. They wear the same red jumpsuits, sit in the same hover chairs, all have a holographic tv in front of their face’s, and drink out of the same styrofoam “BnL” cups.
When WALL-E rolls around the spaceship he is the complete opposite of all the other robots. WALL-E brings the idea of simplistic fun to the humans. When WALL-E accidently turns off the holographic television of two passengers on the ship, then inevitably meet and become quick friends. Having been released from their hoverchair traps, John and Mary, the two passengers released, have actual fun for the first time ever. Once everybody is sent to bed John and Mary are the only two still awake and are acting like children, in a good way. They stay up and have fun.
WALL-E is a film should be taken as a warning but still be shown to younger children. Through the messages displayed about conformity and monopolizing, WALL-E is trying to show people what we are destined to become should we continue down our current path. While the wake-up call in WALL-E is for adults, this film is still family friendly.
WALL-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton Disney, Pixar, 2008 Film
<http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70087540&trkid=50172564&t=WALL-E>
"WALL-E." IMDb. IMDb, 27 Jun 2008. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/>
In the opening scenes of WALL-E we are shown an eye-opening view of an abandoned Earth over 700 years in the future. After this view we are shown the one remaining robot and the fact that he is still cleaning up trash that the humans left behind. When a new robot shows up we are taken on an adventure to bring the people, from their commercialized spaceship, back to Earth. While this is a good front to entertain children, adults are challenged to find the deeper messages.
Instead of having a structured government system, the futuristic people in WALL-E are controlled by “Buy-N-Large”. “Buy-N-Large” is a company that starts off with stores all over Earth, then we see that it sponsors the spaceship. Everything on the spaceship from the hoverchairs, the jumpsuits, the cups they drink out of, all down to the ads on board are all “Buy-N-Large”. Later in the movie when we see the CEO of “Buy-N-Large” (Fred Willard) at a podium, which looks like the one the president says his announcements at. This is where the CEO says that Earth is not returnable. At this point in time when WALL-E is placed in time, “Buy-N-Large” seems to be more important to humans than returning to Earth.
The idea of conformity starts off during the establishing shot, when we see what Earth has become. We then get to see that WALL-E has been building the same skyscrapers out of trash for over 700 years. When we are introduced to Eve we are shown just how different WALL-E is compared to the vast technological upgrades that humans have made. Once WALL-E hijacks a ride to the ship that the humans are on the idea of conformity is everywhere. They wear the same red jumpsuits, sit in the same hover chairs, all have a holographic tv in front of their face’s, and drink out of the same styrofoam “BnL” cups.
When WALL-E rolls around the spaceship he is the complete opposite of all the other robots. WALL-E brings the idea of simplistic fun to the humans. When WALL-E accidently turns off the holographic television of two passengers on the ship, then inevitably meet and become quick friends. Having been released from their hoverchair traps, John and Mary, the two passengers released, have actual fun for the first time ever. Once everybody is sent to bed John and Mary are the only two still awake and are acting like children, in a good way. They stay up and have fun.
WALL-E is a film should be taken as a warning but still be shown to younger children. Through the messages displayed about conformity and monopolizing, WALL-E is trying to show people what we are destined to become should we continue down our current path. While the wake-up call in WALL-E is for adults, this film is still family friendly.
WALL-E. Dir. Andrew Stanton Disney, Pixar, 2008 Film
<http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70087540&trkid=50172564&t=WALL-E>
"WALL-E." IMDb. IMDb, 27 Jun 2008. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/>