Wall-E
Wall-E
Like Milk, Andrew Stanton’s post-apocalyptic animated feature could have been a darker, more challenging film than the version that hit theaters. But then almost nobody would have gone to see it and there’s little chance that Pixar’s corporate masters at Disney would have released it in the first place. The fact that Stanton is able to make some profound points about where our planet is headed if we don’t shape up within the context of a family-friendly cartoon is a testament to his skill as a storyteller and Pixar’s general refusal to make films that talk down to viewers, both young and old. And leaving aside the film’s potent social commentary for a second, you won’t see a better cinematic romance this year than the one that develops between the titular trash-compacting robot and his iMac-slick lady love EVE. If you don’t shed a small tear when they reach for each other’s hands at the end of the movie, you don’t have a heart.
