Aileann, that wasn't even subtext. It was pretty upfront, I thought.

They'll love it in France!

We saw it this afternoon. So many things to like about it. Among the things I liked that were not previously mentioned...

I loved Wall-E's panic when Eve pulled out the tape on his Hello, Dolly cassette.

I loved Eve falling in love with Wall-E from the security camera playback of when he took care of her when she was shutdown.

I loved the indestructibility of the cockroach. What the hell is up with Pixar and vermin, though?

I loved the thoroughly peeved look on Eve's face when she was sent down to repairs when she damn well knew she was the only scout unit to find plantlife.

I loved the resolve of the Captain. "Tell me about hoe-downs."

I loved the violent malfunctioning robot who went apeshit on the security bots.

I loved the contrast in design between the 2001 inspired sleek iPod world and the Alien-aesthetic of total rust and crud.

I loved the credits which worked their way through art history. Though I was disappointed they didn't find some contemporary artist to use like Chuck Close.

About the Wall-E end credits: I would have loved it if they had used a more contemporary artist. But I think the seg into the atari-like computer graphics during the rest of the sequence is supposed to be sort of the next step beyond Van Gogh (putting Pixar at the end of the progressive continuum, but I give them a pass, because they are pretty brilliant).

I've seen the film twice now and both times the end credits made me tear up. I didn't know credits could do that! It's something about the images of all the beautiful art (what humans can do when they work to achieve something) vs. what humans usually do (screw things up). That's what I take from the whole film actually - we created all that trash, but Wall-E still finds beauty and interest in it. We just have to work on our forethought before we create.

Wall-E question. I have a friend with vertigo. One thing that sets her off are spinney or whirling things. She could not watch Moulin Rouge, or even the Lady Marmalade video for example. So is Wall-E OK for her? Having to close her eyes occasionally is OK; she'd never make a movie if it wasn't. But too much spinning, fast movement at odd angles and there is no point in her going.

She could not watch Moulin Rouge

Are you sure it was the spinning?

Typo, there are a couple scenes where it's shot sort of documentary style. As if there was a camera on the space ship taking off, for example, that are a little shaky.

But that's very small part of the whole movie, and I don't remember a lot of spinning. Though there are some scenes of lyrical swooping.

shot sort of documentary style

I was very entertained to see some Firefly-esque shots.

(Having had a course in 3d animation: you animate the camera just as you do everything else, and can imitate lens flares and other camera "artifacts" that we expect to see in live action filming. It's really quite neat, because you are deliberately tricking the viewing mind into accepting the reality of the animated film.)

Are you sure it was the spinning?

tough room!

OK now seen Wall E. Great animation, lovely music, wonderful characters but....

Until now I did not realize that I and all the other fat people in the world are the man. No: no direct fat bashing. Just underlying equation of fatness with passivity and destruction. Even Wal-mart is called "Buy N' Large".

Which I didn't realize was a pun until halfway through the movie.