Pixar’s ninth feature film, Wall-E, was released in 2008. This film tells a cautionary tale of what could happen to our planet if we don’t take care of it. Wall-E is a robot made to collect and compact trash.
He is also the only working robot left on earth, as it seems the abandoned planet has been completely forgotten about. That is, until Eve, a fellow robot, is launched to earth by the starship, Axiom. When Wall-E meets Eve, it is love at first sight, and the two travel through the desolate earth together.
Funny: Wall-E’s Cockroach
When we first meet Wall-E, he is at work, collecting trash and compacting it into tight blocks using the technology in what could be considered his stomach region. He stacks the blocks as he finishes each one, but nothing seems to happen to them after that, so it’s puzzling how this technology was supposed to save Earth from its trash problem.
From one of the blocks, a cockroach emerges, Wall-E says hello to his friend, who then climbs onto Wall-E and runs all over him. Wall-E laughs because the cockroach is tickling him. It’s pretty cute.
Sad: What Earth Has Become
The opening of this film sets a sad scene for what Earth has become. The earth is now completely uninhabited. The desolate land of what used to be our planet is covered in trash and a thick orange haze floods the air. We see clues as to where everyone went.
Old television ads on Wall-E’s TV and in the newspapers littered on the ground tell us that everyone left Earth for another planet once the pollution became so bad no one could live there anymore. It’s a troubling image and a strong message for anyone watching.
Funny: Wall-E Loves Hello, Dolly
One of the quirkiest and funniest characteristics of Wall-E is his love for old-timey music and film. Wall-E is collecting trash on a daily basis and never knows what kind of treasure he’ll find or what will catch his attention while on the job.
As Wall-E coasts through the abandoned planet, music from the film Hello, Dolly plays. Then, once Wall-E’s work day is over and he returns home for the evening, he turns on his TV, which is also playing Hello, Dolly, the movie musical starring Barbara Streisand.
Sad: Wall-E Is All Alone
When all of the people leave Earth for another planet, they are told that it’s only temporary. There is a plan in place to clean up the Earth so that everyone can return to a clean planet in a few short years. Wall-E is part of that cleanup plan, but it becomes very clear, very quickly, that Wall-E is the only one left trying to save Earth.
Whatever plans were in place, much like Earth, have been abandoned. Because Wall-E is man-made and programmed to do a certain job, he keeps doing that job even if it seems pointless, which it does.
Funny: Wall-E Meets Eve
What seems like a normal day for Wall-E turns extraordinary when he meets Eve. Eve is a probe sent to earth to find out if the planet can support life again. Eve has a sleek design and advanced technology, and Wall-E is mesmerized by her.
Eve spots Wall-E does a scan of him, and it is love at first sight. Wall-E follows Eve around and shows her all of the things he’s learned about and collected on Earth, like a wire hand whisk and a sheet of bubble wrap.
Sad: Eve Shuts Down
Wall-E shows Eve a lot of cool things he’s found, hoping to impress her. One of these things is a plant. Eve scans the plant and immediately shuts down because Eve’s job is to look for signs of life, and now that she’s found one, she automatically goes into standby mode until she can be picked up by the starship.
Wall-E doesn’t know any of this though, so when he finds Eve unresponsive, he does everything he can think of to get her to wake up, not wanting to lose the only friend he’s had in a very long time.
Funny: Wall-E In Space
When Eve is picked up to be taken back to Axiom, Wall-E can’t bear to see her go, so he jumps onto the rocket and hangs on as the spaceship takes off and travels through outer space. Wall-E sees a lot traveling on the back of this space ship.
He sees stars and galaxies and other planets. When Wall-E and the ship fly by the sun, Wall-E gets his reflectors up to soak in some of the rays. Because Wall-E is a robot himself, he can enjoy space’s elements without being harmed by them.
Sad: What Humans Have Become
In the twenty-ninth century, human beings live on a starship called Axiom. Everyone is now overweight and leading very unhealthy lifestyles. Nobody walks presumably due to a decrease in bone density. Humans travel by moving chairs with a screen attached where they can constantly stream television and other entertainment programs and talk to each other on the screens.
They also don’t eat anymore. All meals are sipped through a straw for ease and convenience so no one ever has to leave the comfort of their chair for any reason at all.
Funny: Wall-E And The Fire Extinguisher
When Wall-E gets to Axiom it becomes very clear that he is not wanted there. He is put in a vessel and set to self destruct. Wall-E panics but manages to escape. Eve goes after Wall-E and fears it’s too late, but is happy and relieved when she sees Wall-E zoom past with the help of a fire extinguisher that he must have found in the vessel.
Wall-E doesn’t have the same technology Eve does to be able to maneuver through space, but the fire extinguisher seems to help him get where he needs to be and provides a lot of laughs for viewers.
Sad: Eve Saves Wall-E
Eve and Wall-E end up in a giant trash disposal area of Axiom. A machine grabs trash, compacts it, and then tosses it into space to get rid of it. Eve and Wall-E are disposed of with this trash, but at the last second, Eve manages to pull herself and her friend out of the garbage and to safety.
Once out of harm’s way, Eve looks at Wall-E and sees that he isn’t in good shape, but just like Wall-E never gave up on Eve when she shut down, Eve won’t give up on him either.
