The Flower Duet

Movie Mama Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Starring: Benjamin Burtt, Jeff Garlin, Elissa Knight, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger Directed By: Andrew Stanton Running Time: 1 hr. 37 min. MPAA Rating: G Genre: Children's, Animation

700 years from now, Earth has become so overrun with garbage and waste that the human population has retreated to a massive spaceship, orbiting somewhere in the galaxy. Generation after generation, the humans await to return to Earth when it is able to sustain life once more. Meanwhile, WALL-E, a Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth Class, is the last robot on earth that is still performing his duty of cleaning the planet--all because he has acquired a personality, akin to the old film Short Circuit. Along with his trusty friend, a cockroach, WALL-E scavenges towering skyscrapers of trash for little treasures that he adds to a collection similar to Ariel's in The Little Mermaid. But when a new robot, named Eve, arrives on Earth, she not only turns WALL-E's world upside down, she also becomes his most treasured discovery of all.

Disney-Pixar has done something ingenious--they created a character that was beloved even before WALL-E hit theaters. It seemed that everywhere I went, kids were mimicking WALL-E's voice. They just couldn't wait to meet him. One of the little girls sitting near me called out, "WALL-E! WALL-E!" and waved at him when he appeared on screen. I have to admit, I was just as excited as she was. And even though pre-mature excitement usually wears off in the first half hour of any anticipated film, WALL-E delivers a full hour and a half of supreme story-telling. Pixar has proven that they can show more emotion in two seconds of animation than most films can in two hours. They've also proven that you don't need a star-studded voice cast to make a great animated film. Even though WALL-E is the same length as Kung Fu Panda, I felt as though it was too short--I just couldn't help wanting more of WALL-E and Eve. Perhaps I'll just have to go see it again!

PROS

Because there is very little dialogue, some might think that the pace is slow. But like Tom Hanks' Cast Away, not all films require non-stop speech. The gorgeous animation and musical score are captivating enough to fill in all the gaps.

Disney-Pixar has also embarked on two new territories for story-line. First, they have graduated to a level where they can successfully demonstrate unconditional and selfless love between two characters. WALL-E and Eve find that they are in love, not because it is convenient, but because they care so much for each other that they would sacrifice their own lives for the sake of the other. Never before has this kind of love been so beautifully portrayed in a Disney or Pixar film, in my opinion at least. WALL-E and Eve give us examples to live by, as well as a few tears in our eyes.

Second, WALL-E embraces the idea of Earth becoming a dystopia--laid waste by our greed and sloth. It seems that the human race sat idly by while the government мейд some pretty terrible decisions. Sitting idly is just about all the humans do onboard the spaceship Axiom, while they are brainwashed by the media tycoons from the corporation, Buy & Large. Although the theme is gentle, it begs the question, "What makes us human?" Is it solely our brain power? Or is it the combination of our minds and bodies that set us apart from other creatures? WALL-E will leave you and your children yearning to ride a bike, plant a flower garden, run through a field of daisies, or just simply feel the sun on your skin--remembering that there is beauty in what the human body can do as well.

CONS

Nothing negative can be said about WALL-E, but I will point out that the worst words mentioned are "heck" and "blasted."

OVERALL

WALL-E is undoubtedly one of the best films of the year. On the big screen or on DVD, this little robot's adventure will delight people of all ages.

Megan is the staff family movie reviewer for . For more parenting articles on health and safety, nutrition, baby, money and tech, family life, pets, and movie reviews, visit today!