Issue date: 7/3/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE

"WALL-E" captivates its audience by transforming a lifeless box of gears and gadgets into a lovable anthropomorphic creature full of passion and courage.

WALL-E is the only robot left on a deserted, polluted and dirty future Earth. While the humans spend their days living on a space station, WALL-E is responsible for cleaning up the dirt and dust left behind. Making the best of his lonely situation, he collects various odds and ends including rusty lighters, light bulbs and an old VHS of "Hello, Dolly."

His loneliness subsides when he meets Eve, a female robot sent down from the space station. Attempting to win her over, WALL-E goes to great lengths for the mechanical femme fatale, and his acts of love eventually lead him to the space station, where he must literally save the world.

The film starts off slowly. There was no dialogue and little action. The audience is forced to sit for the first 30 minutes and watch this tiny machine with magnetic eyes roll around in dirt and make blocks out of trash. The only murmur heard is the calming classical and romantic music in the background.

Once WALL-E meets Eve, the film becomes much more enticing. The creators were able to give these two small machines human-like emotions that every person can relate to. WALL-E's relentless attempts to take care of and impress Eve are reminiscent of the classic high school melodrama where the guy makes a fool of himself for the girl he loves.

The simple jokes are sweet and sentimental. WALL-E and Eve's "glide" through space is magical and carefree, and their protective tendencies toward one another will melt everyone's heart.

While the love story is for all ages to enjoy, PIXAR incorporated a message into the plot that will have adults wondering about the future of our generation. Showing humans as lazy, fat blobs sitting in portable chairs and drinking food out of shiny plastic cups, the film makes one think about the future of humans. It will make audiences question today's topics of pollution and dependence on technology.

"WALL-E's" ability to capture audiences with barely any dialogue gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "actions speak louder than words." However cliché it may sound, this film is impossible to ignore.

"WALL-E" is a classic love story with a twist and will make audiences of all ages love a robot.

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