This sounds like a cliché or some very typical to say, but leave it to Pixar to raise the bar in the animated world once again. “Wall*E” is like something that rarely comes along; a film so magical, it’s nearly impossible to describe, a rarity that must be see to understand. This is by far Pixar’s best (even though I said that for “Ratatouille”), but it’s by far the animated world’s more ambitious, experimental film since “Fantasia”. Like that film, “Wall*E” takes the genre conventions of the animated film and shows us something vastly new.

I hand most of the film’s success not to Pixar themselves, but to director Andrew Stanton. Not only has he written some of Pixar’s best films, “Toy Story 2”, “Monster’s Inc.”, but has directed their most well-known film to date, “Finding Nemo”. The reason “Wall*E” succeeds as one of 2008’s best films, is from these works, in which he drew from. Each film he has done has all had great, memorable characters and a rich story full of laughter an emotional moments. “Wall*E” is no different from him wanting to connect physically and emotionally with EVE or his undying determination, within the story, Stanton has found these moments and made them real.

The comedy in “Wall*E” is a natural, fresh, and just down right funny wealth of material. In an age of self-awareness and pop culture references that litter most animated fare today, Stanton finds times when to add comedy. He doesn’t stop the film to add a joke, these moments come natural when Wall*E works or is curious. It has a timeless appeal, much like some of Disney’s classics before it, but all great comedy has its source. Here, Wall*E is a robotic Buster Keaton; from his falls to his foolish bumbling towards EVE, each moment is rooted in the comedy of Keaton. Even his nickname, “Old Stone Face” could be applied to Wall*E; his has nothing but his eyes to emote emotion, though his facial complexion is stoic.

Disney wisely sold the film based on Wall*E’s bumbling persona; the cuteness of him and the name of Pixar slapped on the logo, pretty much sells the film. What’s surprising is where the film takes you. This is where the ambitiousness comes in. The film is underlined with lessons that would make old Walt himself happy. All of the best Disney films have had these themes or lessons laced in between the comedy, the story, the colorful characters and “Wall*E” is no different. The consumerism nature of us is questioned, the basic laziness of humans is attacked, and in the wake of this comes the very origin of why Wall*E exists in the first place. Through this gentle robot we see beauty within our own nature of existing and the beauty in which we might be begin to lose: Earth.

It’s all handled well and most kids under 8 might not get the film’s complexity. Unlike “Ratatouille” which felt more adult, “Wall*E” never condescends to us, whether we are a kid or an adult. If the message is felt to be preachy to you, then you must want to either avoid its message or are the reason Stanton himself has chosen to comment on these themes. Comparing “Wall*E” is another animated film outside of Pixar is unfair, although in doing so proves why the Mouse House is still the best in the animated world nearly 75 years into. “Wall*E” feels like it’s pushing the medium to some new level, all the while having the feeling familiarity without the risk of conventions. The animation is perhaps the best seen in an CG animated feature (well, until Pixar’s next), but the real success of the film is the fact that only Pixar and Stanton can make such a disgusting insect such as the cockroach, a lovable side character without having it say one word.