At first, I did not want to see Disney-Pixar’s newest animated film, Wall-E. The previews did not convince me that this was a “must see” movie. When the opportunity to go to the press screening presented itself, I accepted because of my daughter. No, she is not a child – she is 16 years old. But every time we saw the trailer, she would declare in that high-pitched, teenage squeal reserved for baby animals, David Boreanaz, and her boyfriend, “But he’s so adorable!” I was afraid that the movie would not rise above its cuteness factor. I am happy to report that my fears were unfounded.

Wall-E does have all the ingredients for that certain kind of cute Disney movie that we all expect. Wall-E is a beat up, rusty robot who appears to be the sole survivor of an army of robots left on the earth to clean it up after the human race had trashed and abandoned it. He looks like a box with a binocular head and acts like a mini trash compactor.

The beginning of the movie is like an old silent film, where Wall-E exhibits certain human qualities that endear us to him. He is curious, he collects little bits and pieces that he finds interesting, he has funny mishaps and triumphs, and he has an odd liking for the movie version of Hello Dolly. It is while he is watching the musical that we learn that he is also lonely. Michael Crawford, as Cornelius Hackl, has taught Wall-E how to love and we can almost feel Wall-E’s longing for his own Irene Malloy.

Of course, he does get his wish, in the shape of an egg-shaped robot who comes to Earth in search of life. This new robot is Eve, and Wall-E is instantly smitten. I found their beginning scenes fun to watch as they discover their similarities and overcome their differences. Watching Wall-E with his beat up angles and Eve with her shiny smooth and curved lines, reminded me of those funny computer commercials that start out with “Hello, I’m a Mac,” and “I’m a PC.”

After Wall-E finds a plant and gives it to Eve, she seemingly shuts down while waiting for her mother ship to pick her up. Wall-E does not understand why she has shut down, but his devotion to her is touching. Eve’s mother ship does arrive, and Wall-E stows away for the ride and their adventures begin.

As expected from a Pixar film, the CG animation in Wall-E is good. Wall-E reminded me of a mechanical version of ET, including his curious attempts at understanding human objects found in the world. The sound effects from sound designer Ben Burtt were another highlight of the film, especially the robots’ speech and old computer sounds when Wall-E boots up. The soundtrack is also good, with an extra bonus of a track by Peter Gabriel during the credits.

What is especially interesting about this film is that beneath this cute little robot love story, there lies a darker cautionary tale of what mankind’s future could be. The world that Wall-E lives in is a desolate place, where the piles of garbage reach the heights of skyscrapers. The fragile plant that Wall-E finds is the only bit of green in the landscape, and the world is subject to horrible wind and sand storms. In this film, all of mankind’s warnings of global warming have come to naught, and the aftermath of humanity’s effect on the earth is frightening.

Humans do exist in this futuristic world, but on the surface, the trashing of their home planet has not taught them any lessons. All of the humans live on space ships. These ships have been provided for them by the corporation “Buy n’ Large,” which is representative of the massive consumerism that led to earth’s demise. All of the humans’ needs are met by robotic means. They drink supersized drinks, hover around on gliders, and are constantly in front of TV screens. Their remote control lifestyle has also led the race to obesity.

It is science fiction based on truth, however inconvenient. The environmental message is there and may be more apparent to the more adult viewers. However, the movie does not preach, nor does the message overwhelm the film.

Being a Disney film, there is, of course, a happy ending. Thankfully, Wall-E and Eve are there to bring a few of the humans to their senses and help save earth and humanity. Love conquers all, and in the end, the human race is redeemed. The earth is made green again and all becomes right with the world.