Disney/Pixar's robot love story "Wall-E" found a home on many of the year end movie Top Ten lists for 2008.
"Wall-E" is described in press notes as "In a distant, but not so unrealistic future, where mankind has abandoned earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multi-national Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a sprightly pet cockroach. One day, Eve, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. WALL-E falls in love with Eve".
He woos her during the film by sharing his love of the film Hello Dolly, he is mesmerized by Michael Crawford singing the show's classic songs "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes A Moment". The film opens with Crawford's ghostly voice singing out to the universe Jerry Herman's rich and emotional melodies.
In addition to "Wall-E," another well-reviewed summer blockbuster, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight," proved popular with the nation's critics. And the acclaimed stage to screen transfers of Doubt and Frost/Nixon made many of the critics top choice lists as well. Below you'll find a collected round-up of the various film critics choices for 2008.
Regional Critics Top Film Picks:
New York Film Critics: Milk
Los Angeles Film Critics: WALL-E
Chicago Film Critics: WALL-E
London Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Toronto Film Critics: Wendy and Lucy
D.C. Area Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Boston Film Critics: (tie) Slumdog Millionaire & WALL-E
San Francisco Film Critics: Milk
Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Florida Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
Las Vegas Film Critics: Frost/Nixon
Detroit Film Critics: Slumdog Millionaire
St. Louis Film Critics: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Utah Film Critics: The Dark Knight
Austin Film Critics: The Dark Knight
International Press Academy:
Drama: Slumdog Millionaire
Comedy: Happy-Go-Lucky
Roger Ebert's Top 20 for The Chicago Sun-Times:
Ballast
The Band's Visit
Che
Chop Shop
The Dark Knight
Doubt
The Fall
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Shotgun Stories
Slumdog Millionaire
Synecdoche, New York
W
WALL-E
Critics Choice Awards nominees:
The Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millioniare
WALL-E
The Wrestler
Harry Knowles' Top 10, as posted on Ain't It Cool News:
1. Let The Right One In
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Wrestler
4. WALL-E
5. The Brothers Bloom
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Milk
8. Pineapple Express
9. Slumdog Millionaire
10. Burn After Reading
Best documentary: Man on Wire
Michael Phillips' Top 10, as published in the Chicago Tribune:
1. WALL-E
2. The Class
3. A Christmas Tale
4. Let The Right One In
5. The Flight of the Red Balloon
6. Alexandra
7. Man on Wire
8. Snow Angels
9. Still Life
10. The Dark Knight
Manohla Dargis's Picks for The New York Times:
Alexandra
The Dark Knight
Encounters At The End Of The World
The Flight of the Red Balloon
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Silent Light
Still Life
Synecdoche, New York
Wendy and Lucy
The Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan's top picks:
Ballast
A Christmas Tale
The Class
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gomorrah
Happy-Go-Lucky
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
Tell No One
WALL-E
Waltz With Bashir
Four Sundance documentaries were also chosen, "Man on Wire," " Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," "Stranded" and "Trouble the Water"
Richard Corliss' Top picks for Time Magazine:
1. WALL-E
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. My Winnipeg
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
5. Milk
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Slumdog Millionaire
8. Iron Man
9. Speed Racer
10. Encounters At The End of the World
Stephen King's Top 10 for Entertainment Weekly:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. Tropic Thunder
5. Funny Games
6. The Bank Job
7. Lakeview Terrace
8. The Ruins
9. Redbelt
10. Death Race
