123. WALL-E

Title: WALL-E
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family
Year: 2008

Summary: In 2805, Earth is covered in garbage due to decades of mass consumerism facilitated by the megacorporation Buy n Large. BnL evacuated Earth's population in fully automated starliners in 2105, leaving behind trash compactor Waste Allocation Load Lifter – Earth Class “WALL-E” robots to clean the planet, but they eventually stopped operating and Earth was left abandoned. One WALL-E unit has managed to remain active by repairing itself using parts from other broken units. It has also developed sentience, as with its regular duties it inquisitively collects artifacts of human civilization back to its storage truck home, has befriended a cockroach and enjoys listening to Hello, Dolly!

One day, WALL-E discovers and collects a growing seedling plant. A spaceship later lands and deploys Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator or “EVE”, an advanced robot sent from the BnL starliner Axiom to search for vegetation on Earth. Inspired by Hello, Dolly!, WALL-E falls in love with the initially cold and hostile EVE and wishes to join hands with her, who gradually softens and befriends him. When WALL-E brings EVE to his truck and showcases his collection, she finds the plant and automatically stores it, going into standby mode for retrieval from her ship. WALL-E spends time with EVE while she is on standby. He then clings to the hull of EVE's ship as it collects and returns her to the Axiom.

On the Axiom, the ship's original human passengers and their descendants have suffered from severe bone loss and become morbidly obese after centuries of living in microgravity and relying on the ship's automated systems for most tasks. Captain B. McCrea, in charge of the ship, mostly leaves control to the robotic autopilot Auto. WALL-E follows EVE to the bridge of the Axiom, where the Captain learns that by putting the plant in the spaceship holo-detector and verifying Earth is habitable again, the Axiom will make a hyperjump back to Earth so the passengers can recolonize. However, Auto orders McCrea's robotic assistant GO-4 to steal the plant as part of its no return directive, secretly issued to autopilots after BnL incorrectly concluded in 2110 that the planet could not be saved and humanity should remain in space.

With the plant missing, EVE is considered defective and taken to the repair ward along with WALL-E. WALL-E mistakes the process on EVE for torture and tries to save her, accidentally releasing a horde of malfunctioning robots, while the security systems then designate both WALL-E and EVE as rogue. Angry with WALL-E's disruptions, EVE brings him to the escape pod bay to send him home. There they witness GO-4 dispose of the missing plant by placing it inside a pod set to self-destruct. WALL-E enters the pod, which is then jettisoned into space, escaping with the plant before the pod explodes. Reconciling with EVE, they celebrate with a dance in space outside the Axiom. Meanwhile the Captain, learning from the ship's computer, becomes fascinated about life on Earth before its pollution and abandonment.

The plant is brought to the captain, who surveys EVE's recordings of Earth and concludes that mankind must return to restore their home. However, Auto reveals his directive, staging a mutiny by tasering WALL-E, incapacitating EVE and confining the captain to his quarters. EVE realizes the only parts for repairing WALL-E are in his truck on Earth, so she helps him bring the plant to the holo-detector to activate the Axiom's hyperjump. Captain McCrea opens the holo-detector while fighting with Auto and causing chaos on the ship, but Auto partially crushes WALL-E by closing the holo-detector on him. After McCrea disables Auto and takes back control, EVE places the plant in the holo-detector, freeing the severely damaged WALL-E and setting the Axiom on the instant hyperjump to Earth. The human population finally lands back on Earth after hundreds of years.

EVE brings WALL-E back to his home where she successfully repairs and reactivates him, but he reverts to his original programming as an unfeeling waste compactor. Heartbroken, EVE gives WALL-E a farewell kiss that jolts back WALL-E's memory and personality. WALL-E and EVE happily reunite as the humans and robots of the Axiom begin to restore Earth and its environment, shown through a series of artworks at the end.