I have to confess something. We didn’t take our kids to see WALL-E at the theater. Shameful, I know. We’re probably have the only kids under the age of 10 that didn’t see it in the theater. Why am I telling you this? The movie just came out on DVD, so we swung by a Redbox and grabbed a copy. Sat down with the kids and watched it tonight. The kids enjoyed it immensely. My opinion? It’s a very good family movie with a few not-so-subtle messages. Spoiler warnings…
The first message is that we’re destroying our planet with largesse. Our tendency to super-size everything and the move to convenience disposable items leads to an increase in trash production. In WALL-E’s world, earth has been rendered uninhabitable, as demonstrated by the mountains of trash that cover the surface of the planet.
The second message relates to our growing inactivity. All the humans live in moving chairs, having their every whim cared for by robots. This leaves them incapable of even so much as walking. Instead, they live their entire lives in levitating chairs, sucking down super-sized sodas, totally oblivious of their surroundings. The combination of inactivity and microgravity (they live in outer space) contributes to diminishing bone density and increasing weight gain. Hmmm. Sound like anything happening in our society today?
The writers delivered the message loud and clear to anyone who cares to pay attention. I would guess its something most people over the age of 30 have at least considered at some point. At what point does the convenience and efficiency gained from cellphones, iPods, computers, fast food, and supermarkets become destructive. We can easily become slaves to these tools of convenience. Ever watched someone who’s addicted to their Blackberry? It can be downright annoying to try carrying on a conversation while the other person is texting, checking email, and trading stocks (all at the same time!).
I’m not suggesting that we should abandon our gadgets of convenience. Heck, I like toys as much as the next person, but we should try to keep their place in our lives in perspective. When we become slaves to our tools, there’s a problem. Think about it.
