SUMMARY
`Wall-E is a movie that centers around two robots, a robot named WALL-E which stands for (Waste Allocation Load Lifter) and a robot named Eve. Wall-E takes place in the future, approximately 781 years from now. In this future created by Disney Pixar, we see the effects pollution and climate change, have on our planet. In the film, WALL-E is left alone on planet Earth to clean up the environment. When Eve arrives to Earth on a mission to find signs of life she initially has no luck, until WALL-E shows her a plant he has been saving. Eve then sends a signal to the spaceship Axiom. When the spaceship comes to pick up Eve, WALL-E decides he wants to go with her. Inside the spaceship WALL-E encounters humans. Since Earth has become uninhabitable, humans have been living aboard the Axiom. Humans are enjoying the benefits technology has to offer in their “new” world. Humans are seen as careless and mindless, which portrays the effects technology has on them. On the Axiom, we see technology so advanced that humans don't walk but instead use hoverchairs, a chair that has anything a human needs like food, transportation, and a communication device. Throughout the film, we see the way humans travel from one location to another only paying attention to their screen. Later in the movie, we discover that robots are actually “evil” and do not want humans to return to Earth, it's up to WALL-E, Eve, and humans to work together to return where they belong.
Overview
Throughout the film, we see the impact that technology has on humans. In recent years we have had an impressive advance with robots, and humans' dependence on technology has also increased. However, the question remains, is this a positive development or a negative? An article states, “Reliance on technology too much might result in a decline in critical thinking and self-reliance…technology can result in social isolation and addiction.” (42) This article highlights the negative effects technology has however, in WALL-E we hear, “ Everything you need to be happy, your day is very important to us…please remain stationary a service bot will be here to assist you.”(41:00). Although technology can be helpful for tasks like research, communication, extensive technology is not always good. The director of WALL-E incorporated the consequences of technology in the film, he said, “ We were watching it happened with the phone… technology tends to win out, like you know technology is not good for my eyesight to be staring it all day, but [you] need to click on one more headlight, it's like seduction.”(0:54) This film provides a vision of what is happening with advanced technology.
Although WALL-E has minimal dialog, they do an adequate job of getting the message across. One article states, “ For us, WALL-E presents the most powerful environmental statement made by Disney or Pixar studios; we must protect the earth and its resources because leaving it behind cannot effectively preserve humankind.”( Heumann, and Murray). Wall-E goes beyond the science fiction genre by presenting a futuristic vision that, in addition to exploring the advances of technology, also plans on the ethical decisions that humans must make to avoid the destruction of the planet in the future. The film is a call to attention to the responsibility that each one of us has in the protection of our planet and the ethical use of technology. As humans we consume what is given to us for example an iPhone, and new clothes that are trending, but where is everything we no longer need going? Showing WALL-E to a younger audience will have a significant impact. The younger generation will learn about the neglect of our earth and how too much technology can also be very damaging, not only to humans but also to our planet.