 The green revolution has inspired green messages in every form, and family movies are no exception. “Wall-E” is a perfect example of a great children’s movie that’s also terrific for adults combined with a powerful message about the need to care for our earth. As an added bonus, the graphics are fantastic and the plot will enthrall any moviegoer.
The story of “Wall-E” begins with a history of mankind’s waste and consumption. Throughout the 21st century, the planet was governed by one large megacorporation appropriately named “Buy and Large,” or BnL. BnL encouraged mass consumerism, leading to the planet being covered in trash by 2105. As a result, the entire world population was evacuated to space on luxury cruise-ship starliners. The plan was to vacation for five years while trash compactor robots cleaned up the planet.
The environmental message of “Wall-E” is clear from the beginning. Trash surrounds iconic buildings throughout the country, leaving an eerie feeling of what could happen in a very extreme, yet suggestive sense.
As the plot continues, the planet was deemed too toxic to return, so humanity enjoyed its pleasure cruise for generations. Hundreds of years later, the human race is transformed into morbidly obese, cultureless drones that live a life floating on their own personal, mobile recliner-type chairs, complete with a screen that offers TV, a video phone, and constant reminders of who’s in charge. The planet is mostly forgotten, including the culture and knowledge of life as we now know it. Even the image of a tree would go unrecognizable in the imaginary, futuristic world of humanity in space.
The movie focuses on the life of little Wall-E, the trash compactor robot who spends his days literally building buildings out of little squares of compacted trash - until he meets the robot Eve. Eventually, Wall-E and his robot girlfriend make it out to space, save the day, and in the process, save humanity. Wall-E” concludes with humans rediscovering their roots and realizing the culture they’ve lost. The movie provides hope for a much leaner group of folks who enjoy gardening and putting their culture and the planet back together.
“Wall-E” is an extreme example of how our own bad practices could swallow us up. All of humanity won’t be taking a permanent vacation on an intergalactic cruise any time soon, and our planet has yet to reach a level of toxicity that prevents all life from growing. But it’s an important message, cleverly disguised as a cartoon.
“Wall-E” delivers an important message for children and adults alike because it illustrates the potential future if we don’t make changes now. You might even find yourself inspired to get outside, grow a garden and change some of your own bad practices. And don’t forget to pick up the trash.
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