WALLE warning

In June 2008 Disney Pixar released one of their latest animation movies. Walle has been nominated for six Oscars including Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. Director Andrew Staton and the writing team for Walle produced an amazing and insightful movie. This animated film is not just another cartoon children’s movie, but it is one with a lot of meaning and depth that appeals to all ages. The themes and messages that are in Walle are extremely relevant to today’s nature of mankind.
Walle depicts the life and adventures that one trash compacting robot named Walle endures. After earth is deserted because of over consumption of resources and copious amounts of trash, Walle follows his robot girlfriend that was sent to earth to find vegetation. He follows her back to the Axeum craft where mankind now lives and Walle has to help the captain defeat the computer that was programmed to prevent them from coming back to earth. Throughout the course of the movie from beginning to end the writers of the film injected numerous references. References to the way our society is and how we consume, our laziness, and our dependability on technology.
In the very opening scene when Walle is strolling home from working there are shots of the deserted city with trash and reminisce of everything the humans had left behind. Throughout the opening of the film there are several places in the scene where there are advertisements for the “Big N Large” Company. The way paired with the trash in the background scene give it an eerier feeling. It is apparent that the pairing of the two suggests that the “Big N Large” company is responsible for the filth and breakdown in the earth’s natural environment. Walle seems to be suggesting the idea that large corporations and the material want of mankind is destroying earth. Also that humans have the constant need for bigger and larger things, which in return produces all of the waste that is visible in the film. It is perhaps a justified assessment to say that this is just a reflection on mankind today. As human and especially Americans we consume more and more than we ever have before.
Later on in the film once when Walle is chasing Eva throughout the spacecraft and the audience is given a look into what life is like on the craft. There are people laying in these hover chairs floating along looking at the screens that are attached to their chair. They are completely focused on the screens rather than each other or their surroundings. All of the humans are overweight and out of shape. Everything they possibly need is done or sent to them. They don’t brush their teeth or even dress themselves; instead everything is done for them by technology. It was almost like the writers and producers of Walle were expressing their view of how the humans have become lazy. If wanted everything someone could want or needed could be done today, and some people even take advantages of such commodities.
With the technological revolution in America and around the world came the ability to produce more products at a faster rate with machines. As time went on and computers were invented so did the sophistication of machines. In fact it is now apparent that humans depend on technology much like the people depicted in Walle. In the film there was not a whole a lot of social interaction amongst the people on the Axeum until the man and women were bumped off their chairs. It is obvious that humans have become the same way, we are constantly relaying on technology and it is even prohibiting human interaction between one another. We as humans are addicted to our blackberries and gadgets that we rely to carry out everyday functions. It can be even to the point where we isolate ourselves from others just like those in the film.
After viewing the film it is clear that there are a lot of underlying hidden messages that are aimed at the nature of mankind. The film is almost foreshadow or a warning of what can possibly happen to mankind if continued on this path. However, it is rather up lifting in the end when the human spirit that noting will conquer prevails. It is the fact that we are willing to accept mistakes and learn from them that makes this film more meaningful. There is a lot that can be learned from this story. It is an interesting that a children’s animated film can pose such thought provoking questions about mankind.