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"WALL·E" (2008) (voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight) (G) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor None Mild *Moderate Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Heavy None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Minor None None Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Animated Adventure: Centuries after Earth has been abandoned, a lone trash collector robot longs for love and thinks he's found it when a sleek, feminine robot suddenly arrives on the planet. PLOT: It's the year 2775 and Earth has been abandoned for centuries by humans whose trash eventually overwhelmed the planet. The one entity still at work, however, is a little trash collector robot known as WALL·E (voice of BEN BURTT), short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class. He spends his days scooping up and compacting garbage, but has developed an interesting glitch in the form of curiosity, a friendship with a little cockroach, and the desire to collect various discarded items that he keeps as trinkets. Among them is a tape of the Hollywood musical "Hello, Dolly!" that has given him a glimpse of what part of human life was like long ago, as well as a desire for love. He thinks he may have found it when a spaceship unexpectedly lands on Earth and deposits an Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator known as EVE (voice of ELISSA KNIGHT). She's a sleek and futuristic probe sent by those onboard the Axiom, a state of the art mother ship created long ago by Buy n Large CEO Shelby Forthright (FRED WILLARD). Now run by the Captain (voice of JEFF GARLIN) with the aid of a lieutenant robot, Auto (voice of MACINTALK), the ship is filled with thousands of sedentary humans, such as John (voice of JOHN RATZENBERGER) and Mary (voice of KATHY NAJIMY), whose every needs, including that of moving about, are fulfilled by robots. While there's little hope that EVE will actually complete her prime directive -- finding evidence that Earth has once again become inhabitable -- she's shocked to discover that WALL·E has found a lone plant. She immediately places it into her small cargo hold and then goes inactive, awaiting a return to the Axiom. But this doesn't sit well with WALL·E who longs for the simple romantic gesture of holding hands. Thus, when her transport ship returns, WALL·E hitches a ride back to the Axiom where his arrival, Earth dirt and all, doesn't sit well with cleaner robot M-O (voice of BEN BURTT). From that point on, and as the Captain and Auto have different reactions to the presence of the plant, WALL·E does what he can to try to rescue his new friend. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Yes. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G Presumably for not containing material to warrant a higher rating. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: It's debatable whether kids view animated and/or non-human characters as role models, but here's a quick look at the major characteristics: WALL·E is a trash collector robot who's long been doing his duty on Earth all by himself, save for a cockroach companion. He's also unexpectedly developed a personality that's led him to collect various trinkets, as well develop the desire for love. He thinks he's found that in EVE when she arrives, but must contend with her going into an inactive state and then being returned back to the mother ship. He then tags along, hoping to rescue her and finally get to hold her hand. EVE is the feminine probe sent to Earth to look for plant life. Although initially threatening to WALL·E, she quickly befriends him, but then must fulfill her mission when a plant is discovered. THE CAPTAIN is the mostly lazy and quite sedentary leader of the humans onboard the Axiom who initially isn't sure what to do about the discovery of plant life on Earth, but must then contend with unexpected developments related to that. AUTO is his robotic lieutenant who assists him until turning mutinous and taking over the ship (although he does so based on earlier, top-secret programming to act this way to save everyone). M-O is the sanitizing cleaner robot who isn't pleased that WALL·E is inadvertently leaving dirt tracks everywhere he goes. JOHN and MARY are humans onboard the Axiom who've turned into overweight blobs due to their sedentary lifestyle thanks to robots that service their every need. They eventually break free from that and experience life anew. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this G-rated adventure pic. There's no profanity and only a handful of colorful phrases, while a robot picks up a bra from the garbage and places it over his eyes (not knowing what it is). There's some brief, action and sci-fi based struggling and fighting, as well as some destruction caused by laser blasts, while slapstick style material is also present. Some moments, particularly when the title characters appears in peril and, at one point, possibly dead, might be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers. Meanwhile, a commercial briefly shows a couple holding glasses of champagne. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. The main film is preceded by a short Pixar comedy titled "Presto." It's about a stage magician and the hungry rabbit in his act (that consists of reaching into his top hat with his hand and his arm then coming out of a magic cone across the stage). The joke is that the bunny doesn't want to participate since he's hungry, and thus various bad comedic things happen to the magician. That includes the bunny repeatedly bashing the cone (and thus the magician's arm) onto something. That's followed by the magician's fingers snapped in a mousetrap, an egg flying into his eye, and being hit by various other things, including a long ladder into his crotch. Moments later, he's electrocuted, and then whipped up above the stage by a rope around his ankle. That then comes lose and he falls toward the stage, followed by a piano falling quite close behind him (but the bunny ends up saving him and avoids the piano crashing to the floor). During this, the magician ends up in his long boxers, but nothing explicit is seen. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see a couple holding glasses of champagne in a commercial for BnL. BLOOD/GORE None. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The fact that all of the humans are overweight from a sedentary lifestyle might not sit will with some viewers who may be offended by the comedy material related to that. Auto takes over the ship, wrestling command from the Captain (but he's doing so as part of an earlier, top-secret directive). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed here and under "Violence" may be unsettling or suspenseful to younger viewers but probably few if any others. Those who don't like cockroaches might not like the presence of one in the film, but it ends up being a cute friend to WALL·E (although it does crawl into a Twinkie). With a massive dust storm quickly approaching, WALL·E races to get back to his home (and is safe there). WALL·E accidentally runs over his cockroach friend, and reacts in horror, but the cockroach is okay. WALL·E suddenly realizes he's directly below the landing thrusters of a huge spaceship that's descending above him. Trapped by the "flames," he hurriedly buries himself to avoid being incinerated. When it takes off moments later, he must avoid similar rocket output. While hiding behind a rocky outcrop, WALL·E accidentally makes some noise. EVE instinctively reacts by firing the laser in her "arm," blasting the rocks around WALL·E (he's unharmed, but scared). Moments later, EVE fires a laser blast at the cockroach, but it's unharmed, and then repeatedly fires at WALL·E, but he's okay (EVE then scans WALL·E and realizes he's harmless and doesn't try to shoot him anymore). WALL·E sees a massive dust storm approaching and tries to get EVE's attention regarding that. After he's swept aside, he guides her back to his home. What initially appears to be an earthquake is the return of EVE's spaceship. When WALL·E realizes it's coming to take her away, he races to it and holds onto the outside as it lifts off and zips him into outer space (he's fine). Guard robots chase after EVE and WALL·E, mistakenly thinking their rogue robots. WALL·E ends up in an escape pod when it takes off, blasting him back against the back wall. As EVE flies out to try to rescue him, WALL·E accidentally activates the self-destruction feature (with an audible countdown). From a distance, EVE then sees a massive outer space explosion and thinks the worst, but then sees WALL·E fly by, propelled by discharging a fire extinguisher. A robot tries to discard the plant by throwing it down a chute. However, WALL·E then comes up from that, with the plant on his head. The robot shocks WALL·E to get the plant out of his hands, causing WALL·E to fall and disappear into the chute. At the same time, EVE is deactivated. We see EVE stuck in a hunk of garbage that's to be ejected from the ship. We then see that WALL·E is also in that, and EVE frees herself and then tries to rescue WALL·E before they're jettisoned out of the airlock (they barely avoid being sucked out into space). WALL·E appears quite ill, and EVE notes that one of his circuit boards appears charred. Some kids may worry when Auto takes over the ship, wrestling command from the Captain (but he's doing so as part of an earlier, top-secret directive). Auto makes the Axiom tilt in one direction, thus causing the humans to slide over to one side. EVE then races to stop a huge piece of metal that's sliding toward them, barely catching it in time. But by holding that, she can't help the ailing WALL·E who uses his last bit of strength to prevent an apparatus from retreating into the floor. By doing so, he appears to be crushed by it and everyone fears he's dead. When the Axiom lands back on Earth, EVE races to repair WALL·E, but by replacing so many parts, it appears she's wiped his memory clean as he doesn't react to her at all (this might trouble younger kids, but everything turns out happily in the end). GUNS/WEAPONS Laser guns: Carried and/or used to fire at others and cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: An incomplete "What the..?" "Walleee" (said in a drawn out way), "Darn it all," "Let's get the heck out of here," "Come and get it, blinky" and "You're relieved of duty." As WALL·E holds an umbrella to keep EVE dry, lightning twice strikes the umbrella, thus jolting WALL·E (played for comedy, thus it's possible kids could try to have the same happen to them). WALL·E propels himself around with the output of a fire extinguisher. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of adventurous and heavily dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY WALL·E finds a discarded bra in the garbage, and not knowing what it is, puts its cups over his eyes (played for innocent comedy). SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES None. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT What life would be like on Earth if there were no longer any people. Increasing garbage levels on Earth. Space travel and living in space. The film's homage to past sci-fi movies. The fact that all of the humans are overweight from a sedentary lifestyle. VIOLENCE WALL·E stumbles into something when his battery power runs low. WALL·E accidentally runs over his cockroach friend, and reacts in horror, but the cockroach is okay. While hiding behind a rocky outcrop, WALL·E accidentally makes some noise. EVE instinctively reacts by firing the laser in her "arm," blasting the rocks around WALL·E (he's unharmed, but scared). Moments later, EVE fires a laser blast at the cockroach, but it's unharmed, and then repeatedly fires at WALL·E, but he's okay (EVE then scans WALL·E and realizes he's harmless and doesn't try to shoot him anymore). WALL·E flees from a bunch of grocery carts that accidentally roll after and bash into him against a sliding glass door (played for comedy). WALL·E falls down a stairwell but is okay (ditto the comedy). Some pipes fall down onto WALL·E, but he's okay (ditto the comedy). When EVE ends up stuck on a magnetized lift attached to a long abandoned freighter, she blasts the ship to get free (with a huge, resultant explosion). That causes the row of ships to domino, knocking over one after the next, resulting in a big explosion at the end. EVE accidentally spins WALL·E into a metal wall that dents from the impact. That results in one of his camera eyes hanging out from the socket, but he finds a replacement, installs that, and is okay. As WALL·E holds an umbrella to keep EVE dry, lightning twice strikes the umbrella, thus jolting WALL·E. WALL·E tries opening EVE's casing (while she's inactive), and he gets a shock from that. After it docks on the Axiom, WALL·E falls off EVE's transport ship and lands hard. When EVE is being cleaned/repaired, WALL·E mistakenly thinks she's being tortured. He uses his onboard laser to cut through the area holding him. He then grabs EVE's laser, but mistakenly fires it backwards, blasting a control panel. EVE fires a laser blast into a display showing her and WALL·E as rogue robots. WALL·E ends up in an escape pod when it takes off, blasting him back against the back wall. As EVE flies out to try to rescue him, WALL·E accidentally activates the self-destruction feature (with an audible countdown). From a distance, EVE then sees a massive outer space explosion and thinks the worst, but then sees WALL·E fly by, propelled by discharging a fire extinguisher. John playfully splashes some pool water onto a robot, accidentally causing it to short-circuit. A robot shocks WALL·E to get the plant out of his hands, causing WALL·E to fall and disappear into a chute. EVE zaps one guard robot while various "reject" robots briefly attack other guard robots. Auto and the Captain struggle for control of the ship, with Auto poking the Captain in the eye. During this, another robot is knocked out through a closed window (breaking it), and falls a long distance, landing hard. The Captain and Auto again struggle for control of the ship. Reviewed June 23, 2008 / Posted June 27, 2008

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