I have been pretty much MIA at the cineplex this summer. There just hasn't been much that has made me feel I absolutely had to give up my beach time to go to the theater. But I am rushing to the theaters today to see a movie that holds great promise-- "WALL-E.". The story of a robot left on Earth after humans abandon the planet may not seem extraordinary, but it comes from those geniuses at Pixar and it is receiving glowing reviews for its animation and its storytelling.
Andrew Stanton, the Academy Award winning director and writer of 'Wall-e" just gave an interesting interview to Christianity Today about the spiritual and allegorical elements of the story-- like the character the robot falls for being called Eve-- while also discussing what, in his opinion makes for great, moral storytelling (it doesn't include using your characters to beat people over the head with a sermon but it does include being truthful to a value system).
What Stanton doesn't address in this particular interview is some minor controversy surrounding whether or not this movie is one big political statement about the current president, corporate greed, and the problems plaguing our environment.
I think part of Pixar's success is tied to the fact that they have garnered the reputation of making movies that adults, as well as children, can appreciate for their intelligent ideas wrapped up in humor and heart. I hope that "Wall-E" is no different and doesn't tread too much into P.C. territory. One of Stanton's quotes from an interview with critic Jeffrey Overstreet gives me confidence that it will find the right balance. Stanton explained to Overstreet: "I don't know any great sci-fi movies that aren't bleak in their backdrop....And yet, in a weird way, I think that backdrop of bleakness is a major factor in why you like WALL•E. He's this light that shines in the middle of all this sort of gloom"
If you are curious about "Wall-E" be sure to check out the trailer here.
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From John Hurst’s review of WALL•E in Christianity Today: “And it is absolutely not a political movie, no matter how hard a small faction of political bloggers might try to pin it as one. Yes, it has a message about the environment—take care of it. And yes, it has a message about capitalism—too much of it can be sinful. These aren't political points; they're very basic moral ones, and no rational Christian has any grounds on which to object to them.” This film and this review are blatant attempts at creeping liberalism. If you don’t like capitalism, go live in North Korea. God gave Christians the universe to subdue, and never meant for us to stop that subjugation with this planet. The message here is to not utilize the natural wealth God has given us in places like the so-called “Arctic Refuge,” because this bleak robot fairy story will be the outcome. Come on! If you are the rational Christian Hurst refers to, you should read between the lines. This movie is anti-American, anti-Republican, and anti-Christian. It means to deny our biblical right and obligation to subdue the wealth of the earth, it restrains the free market with dangerous socialist-communist ideas, and it needlessly promotes high gasoline prices when all America need do is tap the vast amount of oil that lies below U.S. territory. It is no coincidence that the Disney corporation is the same entity that promotes Gay Day at its theme parks. I urge you to think twice before spending you money on this trash propaganda.
Pixar Studios are noted for their Randian bent in their stories. The society which the people live in is actually a "perfect communist society". The best twist is that the society is exactly what Karl Marx dreamed of in his manifesto, and yet it shows how if given exactly what Marx promises, we shouldn't want it. This movie is not an anti-capitalist rant, it is an anti-communist rant. Even the way in which they portray the rampant pollution of the planet is more a commentary on wastefulness than anything else.
One day, Peter, Paul, and Mary, a popular folk group of the 1960s, approached the microphone to address a rumor that had been around a long time about the meaning in their song "Puff the Magic Dragon." The rumor is that it's about smoking marijuana. One of the three memories of the group step up to the microphone and said, point blank, "IT'S ABOUT A DRAGON!"
WALL-E is a story about a robot! We can read other meanings into if we want to, but The Wizard of Oz is about a girl named Dorothy who dreams about the Land of Oz because she was hit on her head because of a tornado blowing like the temper one can imagine in the face of chaos. We can read other meanings into if we want to, and many have and many still do. Sad, I think, to read so close between the lines that we lose a value all too often lost in the shuffle and competition to critique entertainment thereby proving our sophistication and self-righteousness as opposed to just having a good time. It's just an exceptionally well-animated movie about a Waste Allocation Load Lifter--Earth class and his girlfriend Extraterriestial (sp?) Vegetation Examiner or Explorer or something like that. I see no Adam and Eve them her; I see a sweet--somewhat syrupy sweet--love story between two cute bots and that's about it. Yes, and as soon as EVE gets tired of WALL-E, I'll be waiting in the wings. . . . (And yikes people! It's just a crush. . .) ILENE-E (Illiminating Light Everywhere Nice and Even--Earth class.)
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