Pixar Animation Studios is considered by many to be the ultimate film-making animation studio there has ever been. By giving life to characters better than most live action films, Pixar has never failed to deliver heartwarming stories with undying and unique originality. This weekend, they plan the release of their newest adventure with a tiny, but determined robot named WALL-E. But before WALL-E ever blasted into outer space, Pixar got its start in 1984 when John Lasseter made his first computer animated short film, Andre and Wally B.
1986 marked the beginning of the animation studio known as Pixar when Steve Jobs purchased the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm for $10 million. What originally started with an ambition for animation from John Lasseter, the company started producing animated short films and visually engaging commercials for products like Listerine and Tropicana. After numerous commercials, Lasseter and company produced the world’s first fully computer animated feature film known as the Academy Award winning
“Toy Story”.
Reliving every bit of their success, Pixar has produced a track record of award winning films and shorts that include the lovable films like “Ratatouille”, “Monsters Inc.”, “The Incredibles” and “Finding Nemo”. With such an astounding creative eye for capturing the souls of their characters, Pixar now turns to a character that some would argue has no soul.
WALL-E may be a robot that was designed to compact, lift and allocate waste, but his repetitive job has helped him develop a personality that is incredibly curious and personal. Since he’s left with nothing to do after humans leave Earth, he spends most of his time rummaging through his landfill of treasures and pondering a purpose in his lonely existence. All of that changes when a spacecraft lands on his work-site, and he is greeted by the sleek surveillance robot, EVE. With love at first sight, Wall-E follows his new friend in a race across the galaxy in search of the promise for a future.
In a way, the character of WALL-E is a lot like Pixar. Small and seemingly insignificant, WALL-E’s personality may be overlooked. What originally could have been dismissed for another group making lifeless animation films, Pixar injects their creative will and personalities into every project they take on. Along the way, they never forgot to use their curiosity that makes them the powerhouse production company they are known as today.
With so much weighing in on the shoulders of one tiny robot, a failure would be like the wrench thrown into a well-oiled machine. However, with determination, creativity and undying curiosity for the exploration of boundless experiences, WALL-E and Pixar may be the team to finally show us how animation can be one of the most powerful and praiseworthy tools in the creations of cinema.
In theaters
Friday, June 27
RATED: G
RUNTIME: 97 min.
