WALL-E Best Reviewed of 2008

Andrew Stanton Directed Disney/Pixar Robot Film

Jan 14, 2009

A Disney/Pixar film, WALL-E, has become the best-reviewed film of 2008, for a second year in a row.

The critics have spoken, and once again their favourite movie of the year is an animated film.

According to movie review polling site Rotten Tomatoes, the Andrew Stanton directed WALL-E was the most beloved film placed in wide release during 2008, with 208 out of a possible 216 critics loving the flick.

"Charming, audacious, and timely, WALL-E's lighthearted magic and stellar visuals testify once again to Pixar's ingenuity," said RT's editors about the film.

This represents the 2nd time in as many years that a Disney/Pixar movie was the best reviewed of that year. In 2007, Brad Bird's Ratatouille was Rotten Tomatoes' favourite film, also earning a 96% Fresh rating.

It's interesting to note that 2 other animated flicks made the Top 10. DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda (which topped WALL-E at the box office) came in 6th place, with an 88% approval rating.

"Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message," said RT, mirroring the comments made here by another reviewer, "but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment."

Coming in 8th, Disney Animation's Bolt received an 85% Fresh rating, with RT's editors saying, "Bolt is a pleasant animated comedy that overcomes the story's familiarity with strong visuals and likable characters."

No animated films showed up in RT's Top 10 Limited Release films, with Man on Wire (a documentary about Philippe Petit's daring crossing of New York City's Twin Towers) taking top honours with a 100% approval rating. Another doc, Taxi to the Dark Side, took 2nd place with another 100% rating, followed by Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler (at 98%), which starred Mickey Rourke as a washed-up grappler trying to make a comeback.

Despite the critical love for WALL-E, it's likely the Disney/Pixar film won't get a Best Picture nomination at this year's Oscars. The Golden Globe (and likely the Oscar) nominees are all dramas, natch: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Revolutionary Road and Slumdog Millionaire.

To say this list is unrepresentative of the best films of 2008 is putting it mildly. None of these films made RT's Top 10 list, and (with the exception of Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon), none of those films have been getting any nods from other peer groups.

It's past time that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (who produce the Oscar ceremony) recognizes that Pixar produces consistently great films, not just great animated films. Visibly snubbing the most beloved film of 2008 – simply because it's an animated – is a disservice not just to AMPAS' reputation but to the film community at large.

The copyright of the article WALL-E Best Reviewed of 2008 in Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish WALL-E Best Reviewed of 2008 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.