WALL-E (2008)

WALL-E (2008) is the most brilliant movie of the year so far. I could not say enough good things about Pixar, it seems that they cannot make a bad movie.
In many ways WALL-E is a throwback to the classic age of movies, and maybe not in the way you would think, it is a movie with a conscience and a movie that effectively tells a story almost entirely without words. The film tackles issues of obesity, environmentalism, over-commercialism, political issues, and loss of self-reliance all without being preachy. The most amazing thing is that these two robots are able to express more emotions, with almost no words, than most professional actors can show. It made me think of the movies of Chaplin and Keaton where so much is shown with the tilt of a head or simple body position. In the end you really care about these two robots. One is better able to connect with the characters of Wall-E and Eve than the characters in Cars (2006) since they are real characters within a real world. The movie is also able to seamlessly integrate real actors into the movie, further adding to the sense of realism. In fact they make great use of Fred Willard as the president and of Hello Dolly (1969).
Pixar’s animation is getting better and better with each movie, the oceans in Finding Nemo (2003) were breathtaking and the vast tracks of the universe are if anything more magnificent. One cannot help but watch the movie and marvel at the wonders put on the screen, not just the stars and the sky but the towers of garbage on an abandoned Earth that Wall-E has sculpted.
It's amazing in this day and age that a movie can make use care so much about the simple act of holding handing, that is the beauty of WALL-E, and that is what makes it great.