By the time you read this review, the world and his wife will have expressed an opinion on Pixar's latest animated feature film, WALL-E. You may have thought to yourself, doesn't that robot look like Number Five from "Short Circuit"? Is this not "Silent Running" lite? The media pundits are already making bold claims like "Oscar winning material" and implying that means best film category rather than animated feature. Such excessive hype and spin associated with big budget studio productions, is not uncommon and the discerning viewer has long learnt to adjust their expectations accordingly. So taking these factor into consideration, does the film live up to its reputation? Has Pixar strayed too far from it's target audience or simply returned to the fundamentals of cinema?

Before I start, I'd like to stress one point. Do not judge "WALL-E" by Pixar's previous output. It is subtly different film altogether. Writer/Director Andrew Stanton has dared to think outside the confines of studio marketing demographics and make a film that on paper, contradicts what sells a film of this type. Firstly, for the initial 30 minutes, there is no dialogue. The central characters being machines do not verbally express themselves (at least not in obvious terms). Secondly, when the film moves on to its second act, the narrative explores rather adult themes of a dystopian future, corporative monopoly and sentient machine domination. The final part, raises the possibility of a tragic yet positive ending, invoking the old plot device of self sacrifice.

But it works! "WALL-E" proves once and for all, that animated films can be cerebral and transcend the perceived boundaries that they have. Visually it is an incredibly arresting film. It's scope and grandeur rivals many classic Sci-Fi features. Dennis Muren from ILM was hired as a technical advisor to try and recreate the spectacle of films shot in traditional anamorphic widescreen. But it is the characterisation that ultimately carries the story. The central protagonists despite their minimalist design, emote and exude pathos. You simply believe in them. The screenplay also utilises themes that are timeless within story telling. Loneliness, love, self sacrifice and integrity. I would also draw your attention to Thomas Newman's soundtrack which embellishes the story and never overwhelms or telegraphs the narrative.

Now despite my praise, there are a few caveats that I would like to highlight. "WALL-E" may not be ideal viewing for the very young or those with an attention span deficit. Due to the nature of the story and characters, you are not given the usual and obvious plot exposition. You have to watch, listen and consider, to determine what is going on for the first 30 minutes. Some of the broader humour has been replaced by a subtler reference to contemporary culture. There is also a lot of homage to films from the same genre. For example, Sigourney Weaver provides the voice for the ships computer and the sinister auto-pilot has a single red eye reminiscent of HAL-9000. So, as I stated earlier, do not expect "WALL-E" to be in an identical idiom to say "Toy Story" or "Finding Nemo".

In an age where western cinema is governed by commercial factors, it is unprecedented to see a picture of this nature being produced by such a mainstream organisation. "WALL-E" despite is superb production design and technical wizardry, ultimately succeeds because of its fundamental approach and themes. Chaplin conveyed a wide spectrum of emotion without the medium of sound, as does "WALL-E". Kubrick depicted the future in stark and clinical terms. Andrew Stanton shows us the irony of a culture that's lost it's humanity, but who rediscovers it from an inhuman source. At its core, this is a film about love and its imperative for all intelligent life forms. See "WALL-E" and rediscover quality cinema (as well as Michael Crawford and "Hello Dolly").

XoD.