Mixed messages
One of Wall-E's flaws is its unending barrage of distractions. You'll begin to enjoy the characters, and you'll want to love them as much as the likes of Woody, Nemo and Sully. Yet, you're rarely given the chance due to the number of mixed messages being branded about.
The underlying green theme runs throughout the movie, and as much as you're wanting to love Wall-E, you'll be equally concentrating on ensuring you don't drop any popcorn on the floor - and dispose of it properly after you're done.
In addition, the theory that Buy n Large dominates the world and prevents human beings from living their own lives, screams to viewers not to give into commercialisation. This particular element is likely to be interpreted in various ways from various viewers, but to myself it served as an unavoidable hint to fear the likes of Microsoft and McDonalds.
Agree with the message or not, you'll still be left dumbfounded by the commercialisation within the movie itself. With Wall-E, Pixar, for whom Apple's head-honcho Steve Jobs is a majority shareholder, has found whole new methods of product placement. As just one example, give Wall-E a full solar charge and he'll make a sound identical to that of the sound you'll hear when turning on an iMac. Even worse, is the fact that Wall-E's love interest, EVE, frankly looks like an iPod from the future.
It's probably Pixar's most adult film to date, and one that'll spark plenty of debate. Sadly, that very debate detracts from a romance story that could have been one of the all-time greats.
