Movie Reviews: Wall-e -- Pt. 1

While many reviews for the Disney/Pixar feature WALL-E are displaying off-the-chart enthusiasm, with many writers calling it a masterpiece and predicting a best-picture Oscar nomination, some analysts are suggesting that the film may be unable to convert the critical claim into box-office coin. On Wednesday Reuters noted that the film "blasts off into uncharted territory" by "mixing an unusual love story with somber messages about the future of Earth and humankind." The wire service noted that Pali Capital analyst Rich Greenfield had warned clients last wee about the movie's "box office potential given Pixar's risky bet on an offbeat main character, who rarely speaks during the film" The film began picking up additional critical endorsements from mainstream critics today (Thursday) (since the film is set to open in many major cities at midnight tonight). Lou Lumenick in the New York Post, while among those calling the film a masterpiece, warns that it is "arguably the darkest animated feature ever released by Disney (after Pinocchio)." Nevertheless, he concludes, "Kids Will Love WALL-E, the robot's epic adventure and his heart-tugging love story. Some adults may be less comfortable, which is fine with me; most great works of art are inherently subversive." Claudia Puig in USA Today gives the film four stars -- her highest rating -- calling it "an extraordinarily captivating adventure, laden with equal parts humor and heart and populated with memorable and endearing characters." Chris Vognar in the Dallas Morning News also says that while the film is certainly "adult friendly," kids should like it "just fine." With its combination of science fiction and romance, he says, "you have something dangerously close to the sublime, a film that will be dissected and enjoyed for years to come." And Christy Lemire of the Associated Press predicts that moviegoers are likely "to walk out of the theater with the rare joy of knowing that you've just witnessed something that touched your heart."


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