ENGAGING CULTURE

We haven’t had a real summer family movie for a few weeks since Kung Fu Panda. The Incredible Hulk was marketed to little kids, with a slew of toys released in tandem with the film, but the violence and several disturbing images made it not suitable for little ones like mine. So I’m happy to see a real quality animated film coming from the good folks over at Disney-Pixar.

WALL-E is set in the year 2700 where WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter — Earth-Class) has spent hundreds of years doing what he was made for. You see WALL-E was left on Earth when the humans were forced to leave. While he was lonely working he developed a personality. WALL-E is a trash compactor, but he loves to save little treasures (a hula hoop, a magnet, even unmentionables) and he has a pet cockroach. His world is turned upside down when a sleek search robot named EVE lands in his landfill. She has been sent by the humans to find if it is safe to return to Earth. When she discovers that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, she races back to space to report her findings to the humans. However, WALL-E, smitten with EVE, chases her across the galaxy and sets an grand adventure into motion.

I am tremendously excited about WALL-E. From everything I have heard, critics aren’t judging it as an animated movie, but as a film. It looks like Pixar’s master storytellers have crafted another masterpiece for us. It currently has a 97% fresh rating over at Rotten Tomatoes making it the best reviewed film of the year with Iron Man close behind at 93%. Think Charlie Chaplin meets 2001: A Space Odyssey and it might give you an idea of the breathtakingly grand scale that this adorable and charming robot is flung into. Many reviewers are saying that it is Pixar’s best yet. I’m encouraging everyone to see WALL-E this weekend, other movies can wait, masterpieces don’t roll along too often, catch this one on the biggest screen you can find.

Unlike last week when Get Smart and Love Guru had a battle of the comedies, there is no other offering for kids this week. Those who refuse my advice and want to see something a little more live action, with bullets flying, cars racing, and amazing acrobatic and ballistic stunts, then Wanted is right up your alley. Starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman, this looks pretty good. Based on Mark Millar’s graphic (and I mean graphic) novel, Wanted is the story of Wesley Gibson who is coasting through a meaningless existence until he is awakened to his life’s calling. It turns out that his father was a deadly assassin and since that gene runs in the family, Wesley is recruited by his father’s secret organization, the fraternity, to become an enforcer of justice. I’m hoping that the movie pays off in the last act. That it isn’t only about a group of assassins but about one man who takes control of his destiny and leaves behind the fruitless pursuit of revenge.

Wanted is a strongly rated R with lots of on screen violence, blood, and gore. It is laced with profanities, and what Angelina Jolie flick would be complete without a little sexuality. There is a chance for a redeeming message to come from the depths of this story, but it might just be a bloodbath. either way, I’m sure that the 18-25 male crowd will show up in droves. If you want a good sense of what you will be getting in Wanted, check out the red band trailer or even better, the Russian trailer.

Weekend Box Office Prediction

1. WALL-E - $67 million
2. Wanted - $35 million
3. Get Smart - $20.5 million
4. Kung Fu Panda - $12.5 million
5. The Incredible Hulk - $11.5 million