Wall-E doesn’t live up to Pixar’s usual standards

I know I’m in the minority opinion on this one, but I found Wall-E disappointing. It wasn’t a bad movie. I don’t think it’s possible for Pixar to make a bad movie. It was, however, disappointing.

See, what’s great about Pixar movies is the whole package. Pixar movies (Wall-E excluded) tend to have it all. They have a good story, engaging scenes, refreshing humor, appeal to all age groups, stunning animation, character development, and proper pacing. When I see a non-Pixar movie, I expect something to be sacrificed. If the special effects and pacing are good, maybe the dialogue is awful or the jokes unoriginal. If the character development is good, maybe the plot is disjointed or the pacing is off.

Whether it’s only great movies (Cars, Monsters, Inc.) or amazing movies (Toy Story 2, The Incredibles), Pixar never sacrificed anything… until now. Wall-E is engaging. It’s funny. It’s cute. The animation is the best I’ve seen yet. That’s about all I can say for it, though. It isn’t a typical Pixar movie. The character development, almost nonexistent. The plot is lopsided and resolved too quickly. The conflict is mainly an external one. There is too much suspension of disbelief required (yes, even within the framework of the story) of the viewer.

Well, will people care? No, they’ll still see it. I still saw it. I still enjoyed it. I just hope that it’s a blip on the otherwise clear radar of Pixar greatness. I’m hoping the next Pixar movie won’t sacrifice plot and character development for special effects and humor. They’ve shown us many times that you can have your cinematic pie and eat it, too.

4 comments

  1. I’d agree… I liked the other Pixar movies better. But looking back on it, I think it’s a very very good movie. I’m used to something light, fun, exciting, and fast paced with Pixar. Their cute characters usually play out in front of a beautiful colorful background.

    Instead, Pixar was surprisingly bold in this film. The background and scenery — all beautifully done, by the way — was a monochromatic commentary of society’s waste, treatment of the environment, and sedentary lifestyle. I was so enamored with WallE that I didn’t realize how depressed I felt until afterwards. Perhaps that cost them a little bit in entertainment value, but it makes for good art.

  2. I don’t want to give the impression I think it is a bad film. It had many good qaulities and parts of it were extremely clever. I’m just used to everything in a Pixar film being excellent, not just certain aspects.

  3. I thought Wall-E was a waste of my time and money – my kids didn’t even like it… I don’t understand all the positive reviews it recieved.. but different strokes for different folks, i guess…

  4. Well I just got back from Wall-E, and other than the normal animation perfection I was totally disappointed. My 2 boys didn’t even talk about it afterwards. They are 9 and 7 and were really looking forward to it. They thought it was just a love story. No action. No fun!

    Pixar is going to lose a lot of viewers if they try to put a green B.S. message in any more of their films.

    I won’t recommend it to anyone.

    Unlike all of the other Pixar films I won’t be buying this one.

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