I get that it takes all types, that people are different, that art is subjective.
I know that some people listen to conservative talk radio and really like it, and will even go so far as to buy a ticket to Glen Beck's Comedy Tour. *shudder* (to clarify: I don't hate talk radio. I love talk radio! It can make long drives a better experience. However, since I've grown more and more sensitive to general meanness (see my 112) and etremism, I can't stomach a lot of things anymore. Wus!)
having said all that... it's disappointing.
to begin: I am sick, disgusted, that if a movie, a book, an art piece, a club, a PERSON has something to say about the planet, or dares to suggest that humans might take a look at our consumption, our stewardship of what we've been given, it/they must have some evil liberal bias and a scratched copy of Al Gore's documentary. It is so completely ridiculous to me. As a person of faith, I find that issues of stewardship are at the heart of a lot of what I choose to do and how I live. Likewise, the planet and all of it's resources that impact our lives and those of our food sources/neighboring countries fall under the same 'stewardship' heading in the column in my head, and while I don't have a lot of answers I bristle at the labels thrown around. I didn't feel *preached to* during the movie as some apparently did... granted, the setting is clearly in a world that humans junked up and left to be cleaned up by robots, but how offended can we really be?? Come on now. You know what you've put out on the curb. I know what I have, and it's sort of gross! Does learning about recycling kill me, insult me, or mean I can't concurrently believe in (ethical) capitalism? Does the movie's portrayal of humans, mostly inactive for the past 700 years, as fat people hooked on meals they can sip in a cup offend me? Um, let's go walk around the Galleria a bit and do a little people-watching...
*tangential thought... Wall*E aside, I may be predisposed to like a little 'preach' in my product. That's totally why I love books like Little Women, The Chronicles of Narnia... there is something in my psyche that wants something of substance, of quality, of a prod toward a better way... or even just a good old fashioned struggle of conscience and right/wrong. I think moral lessons and thought-provoking concepts are so much of what art is all about, in my mind. That and the summer blockbuster, duh. As one person on the Marquee Blog so succinctly put it, "Hey, I get it, we need to take care of the planet. Thanks. Memo read. Next time I shell out $20 for the movie, please entertain me...."*
I am also more than a little annoyed at the reaction of some adults toward the movie, who seem to think that if a feature is animated it intrinsically must, by default, be full of bright colors and capture the attention of their 3 year old or it's failed it's duty. This is a very good, creative company - they made Finding Nemo and the Toy Stories. They made The Incredibles. They made Cars and Monsters, Inc, and Ratatouille. If you look across their body of work so far, they've shown a lot of range, and they take some risks. I haven't loved everything they've put out, but I have a ton of respect for them. They don't go for the kid ticket every time and they continue to push the envelope when it comes to animation... did you SEE Ratatouille??! But what really gets me the most, I think, is the complaint of having very little dialogue for the first 40 minutes of the film (a fact much publicized, so it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone). For those old enough to know better... again, come on. This just cements in my mind that everyone is growing more and more ADD. Bah. And for those parents who, for whatever reason, chose to take their 2 year old to this movie - though a cursory online search would've most likely led you to conclude it might not be the best flick for them - keep taking your kids to Kung Fu Panda or this horrible-looking Chihuahua movie, where everything is broad and entertaining. Leave the rest of us in the dark staring at the outer-space robot ballet onscreen, thankful for artistry and, if not enamored of the product, at least appreciative of the quality and risk the company took in doing something new. In my opinion - which is, I'm sure, equally myopic and meaningless - it's like accusing crunchy bruschetta of not being enough triscuits and squeezy cheese. the red stuff tasted too much like tomatoes and I wasn't expecting it - where was the cheese in a can that I don't even need a cracker for I can just squeeze it in my mouth!?
or something.
(for the record, I think there's a place for both triscuits and cheese in a can AND bruschetta. I will merely, humbly point out, for the record, that one requires more care and concentration to make.)
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