In 15 years, Pixar has created not only some of the finest animated motion pictures, but also some of the best films of the last decade and a half. Before the 11th film, Toy Story 3, comes out on June 18, here’s my ranking of Pixar’s first 10 outings.
4. WALL-E (2008)
Minimalism is a form of art where the work is stripped down to the most fundamental elements and features. It shows more with less. And here we are with WALL-E, a true expression of minimalist art. Very little dialogue. Just a small cast of characters. The action taking place on a small planet and small ship in the expanse of the universe. The ultimate irony, of course, is that the true enemy of the film is excess.
I want to get this out of the way right now. WALL-E wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. It should have been. Yes, had the number of nominees been stretched to 10 like it was the following year, it probably would have gotten recognition. But that’s of no matter. I should have been acknowledged as one of the five best films in 2008. Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk and The Reader received those nods. I assure you, WALL-E was better than at least three of those films.
After Andrew Stanton created a vast undersea world with Finding Nemo, he took to the final frontier, creating a similar landscape in space with WALL-E. The opening reminds us of immense universe in which we live, while the music of Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart’s Hello, Dolly! reminds us of our humanity. The use of that film is vital WALL-E’s success. Pixar doesn’t paint a cartoon world, but a warning regarding a possible future for us. Critics complain that future humans would never divulge into looking such a cartoonish way. I fear I have seen people this day and age who already come close. I also think it’s an important look that shows the loss of humanity in the years to come. And what does it say that the most human characters left in the future are two robots tangled in love?
The truly emotional story is what brings this film into the top five. But its great minimalist aspects keep it from reaching a higher notch. WALL-E doesn’t embrace the full potential of its technology, unlike the films further of in my top five. However, if it did, it certainly would not have been the same film and not as high up for me. But WALL-E himself never demanded much in his life, so I would think he’s happy right where he is.
Previously ranked:
5. Finding Nemo (2003)
6. Ratatouille (2007)
7. A Bug’s Life (1998)
8. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
9. The Incredibles (2004)
10. Cars (2006)
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