Pixar's hero inspects a Rubik's Cube in WALL-E(2008).
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Mania Manifesto: Top 5 “Inspirations” for Wall-E

Each week, Mania special correspondent Damon Brown, author of Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Modern Pop Culture, offers his unique take on society, entertainment and other issues of critical concern to Maniacs. You can also find Brown writing about technology, sex, music and video games for Playboy and Spin.

#5: The Twilight Zone

THE SITUATION: In “Time Enough at Last,” a cranky bank teller hates being around people and only wants to read his books. He happens to be in the vault during a nuclear attack and, after leaving, realizes he may be the last living person on earth. Excited, he grabs all the books he can find and begins reading them all. Just as he gets settled, he accidentally drops and breaks his Coke bottle-thick glasses. Now virtually blind, the guy starts crying. The end.

WHY IS THIS ON THE LIST?: Wall-E isn’t voiced by The Twilight Zone alum Burgess Meredith – because, well, he’s dead – but the isolated robot is suffering from extreme loneliness as being the only living thing on earth. If the trailer is any indication, rather than compensate with books, Wall-E is obsessed with shopping carts and women’s bras.

#4: Castaway

THE SITUATION: A FedEx delivery man survives an aquatic plane crash and lives alone on a deserted island for more than four years. He has one-way conversations with Wilson, a shipped volleyball that happens to wash onshore. He uses his blood to draw a face on Wilson.

WHY IS THIS ON THE LIST?: The space-age, presumably female bot Wall-E falls for changes his outlook on life. But is the fembot real? Wall-E could be delusional, or, while cleaning up the earth’s rubbish, accidentally sniffed up some lead. Wilson? Wilson!  

#3: Blade Runner

THE SITUATION: In the movie based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, human-like robots called replicants are shipped to various planets to do human’s dirty works. The first problem is that the replicants learn that they only live for four to five years. The second problem is that most replicants do not know that they are replicants. Chaos ensues.

WHY IS THIS ON THE LIST?: Sure, it’s a cute film from the people that brought you TOY STORY! and CARS!, but Pixar’s latest is really about us sending unfeeling, programmable pieces of scrap metal to do our landfill bidding. Robots are the perfect slaves: no complaining, no questioning and no raises. And, if they are cheap enough, it is easy to power down an old or malfunctioning model and break it down for parts. Wall-E better not get too human, or The Corporation will be sending a cleaner to shut it up. Let’s hope Pixar has that sequel in the works.

#2: Finding Toy Monster Cars

THE SITUATION: A talented, yet unappreciated kid or kid-like character gets teased by his cohorts, but a wonderful, perilous journey, filled with life-affirming events and romantic, yet safe relationships, brings him back home a hero.

WHY IS THIS ON THE LIST?: Call it a riff on The Hero’s Journey or just call it a stale formula. Either way, the Pixar storyline is the blueprint to every one of its movies. Is it plagiarism if you trace your own work?

#1: Short Circuit

THE SITUATION: A military scientist, played by Police Academy/Dancing With The Stars veteran Steve Gutenberg, creates several fully-functional robots. The scientist has a change of heart, however, when he realizes they will be used for war. A lightning storm short circuits one of the robots, No. 5, and reprograms it to have self awareness. No. 5 escapes, falls in love with a recluse – played by Ally Sheedy – and, with Gutenberg’s help, becomes a successful fugitive. It spawned DeBarge’s last hit, “Who’s Johnny,” referencing No. 5’s nickname.

WHY IS THIS ON THE LIST?: In Wall-E, a robot made to clean up human’s nasty situations becomes self aware and falls in love. Actually, this situation should actually be number one, two, three, four and five. Even the trailer references that the one malfunction Wall-E has is that it got “a personality.” No word on whether white guy Fisher Stevens will cameo as a nerdy Indian scientist, but disappointed parties can go see The Love Guru in the next theater. Assuming it’s still playing.

Read Damon’s blog at www.damonbrown.net.