WALL-E is perfectly devoid of 21st century insincerity--in fact, this quality is downright extinct along with all other human life on earth. WALL-E fast-forwards hundreds of years into the future in an age where sentimentality is so minimized that the movie's titled protagonist speaks and conveys simulated emotion in R2D2-like beeps. WALL-E is a trash compacting robot (his name short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) who is used to living in isolation, as the earth has been evacuated and mankind's former home is now a smoking heap of refuse. WALL-E spends his time doing his tedious job and collecting interesting rubble that meant something 700 years ago. (Diamond ring? Useless...ring box? Now that's unique!)

Is this a prophetic future for mankind, specifically Americans, the film's primary audience? Perhaps, and Pixar has never been so bold in criticizing contemporary society or predicting a less-than-optimistic future. Humans still exist, but they have blasted off into space and colonized space stations, in particular a commercial station known as Axiom. Humans still have familiar voices (the captain who advances the plot sounds a lot like Jeff from Curb Your Enthusiasm) but have evolved into marshmallow-like, sensation-based creatures who rely on computers to survive an ordinary day full of commercial entertainment. When these fat and lazy creatures are forced to rely on their own strength they become helpless human worms, slithering around, screaming for emergency technical support.

The plot thickens when WALL-E meets EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) a female robot torn between fulfilling her directive and returning her feelings for WALL-E. The romance is strange to behold at first, since it lacks any dialogue, yet is completely comprehensible due to the expressive eyes of each robot and the fast-paced mechanical dancing that takes place. I think it's wonderful that for once, a Pixar/Disney production manages to be heartfelt and plot-driven without having a pair of exposition-dispensing protagonists to guide us by the hand. Most of the plot-advancing dialogue is given to supporting characters such as the Axiom Captain, and other computers who have learned how to communicate with humans. There are evil robots in the movie as well, and these robotic fiends are just as charming since they have been written and drawn to be reminiscent of 2001's HAL computer.

Needless to say, the animation in WALL-E is spectacular, and definitely Pixar's most ambitious project to date. Of course, the company thrives on topping itself year after year, but the last few years have seen a return to more standard fare such as Cars or Ratatouille. Ratatouille was a triumph in writing and directing, even if the story arch was a bit familiar. Cars was misguided in plot and slightly creepy. WALL-E transcends both films by challenging the audience with visuals, sound effects and by creating a totally inhuman world.

There are many satirical elements in the movie and some quaint humor that can best be described as silent film slapstick, a lost art that arguably died with Chaplin. WALL-E certainly screams love for classic Hollywood and there is even footage of Hello, Dolly used in the film, which the title character enjoys analyzing and mimicking. Less comforting is the bizarre cameo appearance by Fred Willard as the BnL CEO who appears as himself (and just barely resists playing himself) and interacts with all of the robotic and human creatures via recorded footage. The effect is rather strange and seems to channel the scattershot sensibility of SpongeBob. It provokes disturbing questions like how did the human species devolve from Fred Willard to slug-like balls of bratty excess?

Speaking of which, what's most shocking about Pixar's latest film is how ruthlessly it mocks American audiences even through Disney-tinted glasses. Are we that lazy and dependent on modern technology that we are destined to evolve into these helpless Axiom space travelers? Before you conclude that the film is unpatriotic, remember that in WALL-E's universe, American people have apparently outlasted every other ethnicity, even with their materialistic flaws. (Unless of course, the Europeans blasted off into another solar system)

Another interesting point you might notice in the film is WALL-E's physical similarity to Short Circuit's Johnny-5. The filmmakers have acknowledged that Johnny-5 may have subconsciously influenced the creation of WALL-E, and you will notice some resemblance especially in the eyes and the tank-like treads. WALL-E may be Johnny 5's offspring, but he is thankfully spared Johnny-5's annoying voice and naivete so as to become his own unique character. (And this is coming from someone who actually enjoyed the Short Circuit films)

Is WALL-E a message film? Yes and no--it is a movie that clearly presents a premise that could pass off as a message, yet the script amazingly refrains from speaking its ultimate point. (Something Happy Feet never avoided) Pixar, and specifically director Andrew Stanton, was wise not to get too preachy with the point, but to focus on the entertainment value of the present and the unlikely optimism of the future. Yes, it turns out that even after the horrific doom of modern civilization, there is still hope. Is this proof of Disney's keeping a leash on Pixar's creativity, or are we to believe these animation geniuses simply find unhappy endings highly illogical? Grade: A