By Mandy Boyle
Advertising Sales Manager/Entertainment Editor

What do you get when you combine Hello Dolly!, an adorable robot, a houseplant, and mounds of trash? A recipe for box office success, and a message that is memorable, thought provoking, and sheer cinematic magic. Pixar’s Wall-E was one of the finest films to hit theaters this summer.

It is 700 years into the future, and Wall-E, a goggle-eyed trash compacting robot, is the only surviving machine on the planet. Over the course of several centuries, trash has accumulated to the point of rendering Earth inhabitable, causing all human life to be transported to the space station Axiom, which is owned and operated by Buy N Large, a Wal-Mart-like retailer. Driven by laziness and convenience, humans evolve into slug-like creatures, relying entirely on robots to function on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Wall-E’s clean-up is disrupted when the Axiom sends EVA, another robot, to search the planet for any sign of life. The only thing left lies in Wall-E’s trailer, a single houseplant growing out of an old shoe. As EVA transports the plant back to the Axiom, Wall-E hitches on, taking the space station by storm, ultimately leading to a dire decision: Can humans return to Earth?

This movie is going to be hard for Pixar to top. Although most of the film is scant on dialogue, robotic beeps and whirls allow for viewers to take part in the story, without the use of wasteful words.  Brilliant aesthetics allow for this single-leafed plant to exemplify how beautiful the color green can be, sending a powerful message to anyone that sees it. Human life needs to change.

Hopefully setting a positive example for its audience, Wall-E could be one of the most influential children’s films, helping to foster an appreciation for the environment and a sense of responsibility for the quality of life for all mankind. Besides carrying a meaningful message on the importance of environmental sustainability, Wall-E is also great fun, getting laughs from audiences of all ages.

Although the movie is on its way out from most theaters, Wall-E is set to be released on DVD in November, so you can share in Pixar’s latest gem.