When we got back Juanita and I went on a date. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you but this was the first time in approximately 11 months that Juanita and I had more
than 4 hours straight just to ourselves. We went to a restaurant we had never been to, had appetizers before our entree, had a liesurely meal (none of it ended up on the floor... Kaleb), and went to a movie. I loved it.We saw Wall-E.
I loved it.
I've always been a fan of movies with social commentary. To me art has to have a purpose; it has to say something. That's what divides the art of "film-making" and the entertainment of "movies." What I'm trying to say is that Wall-E is a piece of art. It is film that artistically portrays a timely message.
I really should clarify, though. The second half of the movie, while still very enjoyable, degenerates into a typical Pixar family friendly (and slightly preachy) animated movie. But the first half of the movie is astounding.
With essentially no dialogue whatsoever Wall-E visually tells a story which makes you both think profound things and feel profound things. And it's still fun.
Anyway, I've always loved the genre of science-fiction because it has the ability, more-so than other genres, to speak about the "effects" that are being "caused" by today. Anyone who has read H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, or Robert Heinlein, or has seen films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Contact, or even to a lesser extent something like I Am Legend or I Robot will know what I'm talking about.
So while we were at the theatre for Wall-E I saw adds for a new remake that's coming out this December, "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Now, I remember watching the original 1951 movie quite a while ago and it was sweet. So initially I was kind of excited. The original had all the things you'd look for in a well thought out old-school sci-fi film.
But then I saw that this new version is starring none other than Keanu "I couldn't act my way out of a wet paper bag" Reeves. Sigh.
The original was a film; a piece of art. The remake will be a movie; a piece of cr... uh, entertainment.
It happens all of the time. H.G. Wells wrote a number of amazing stories: The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, etc. Both of these have been made into big budget movies in the last decade. All of the intelligence, wit, and poignancy are sacrificed at the altar of entertainment.
OK. I'm done now.
What other movies have you seen this happen to?
What did you think of Wall-E?
