WALL-E

In the 22nd century, the megacorporation "Buy n Large" (BnL) assumed every economic service on Earth, including the government. Overrun by un-recycled waste, the planet eventually became so polluted that it could no longer support life. In an attempt to keep humanity alive, BnL CEO Shelby Forthrig sponsored a five-year exodus from Earth aboard a fleet of luxury starliners that would support every need for the humans with a fully-automated robot crew. Hundreds of thousands of waste-disposal robots, known as "WALL-E" units, were left behind to clean up the planet by compacting the trash into cubes and stacking them into skyscraper-like towers for easy disposal. However, this plan was rejected when Forthright determined by 2110 that Earth was too toxic for return to ever be feasible. By 2815, almost seven hundred years later, only one WALL-E unit remains operational.

Centuries of prolonged activation have granted this particular WALL-E sentience and a sense of curiosity. He collects items that he finds interesting among the refuse, saves spare parts for himself from other inactive WALL-E units, and frequently watches a videotape of the 1969 musical film Hello, Dolly!, especially the performances of "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment" (which becomes a key motif). This teaches him emotion, emphasizing the act of holding hands, which he interprets to be an act of showing love. However, with no one to hold hands with, WALL-E is forlorn.

One day, WALL-E discovers a seedling plant, which he replants in an old boot. Shortly afterward, a spaceship lands on Earth and deploys EVE, a feminine, probe-like robot sent from the Axiom, and WALL-E falls in love with her upon first sight. Although she expresses fascination and amusement in his personality, she does not reciprocate his feelings of love as her only concern is for her directive of, incidentally, finding signs of plant life, which would allow humanity to return to Earth. She does not disclose this directive with WALL-E who, by chance, decides to show her the plant he found. Her mission fulfilled, EVE stores it inside herself and deactivates. WALL-E goes to great lengths to protect her motionless body until she is retrieved by the ship that delivered her. Distraught, WALL-E races after the ship, clinging to the outer hull as it departs into the depths of space, eventually arriving onboard the Axiom.

After centuries of living in micro-gravity, the humans aboard the Axiom have lost considerable bone mass, rendering them too obese and weak to stand or move without robotic assistance. Even the ship's commander, Captain B. McCrea has delegated all his duties to the ship's autopilot, aptly named "Auto". As WALL-E follows EVE to the bridge of the ship, his unique behavior causes both humans and robots he meets on the way to act outside their normal routines, much to their satisfaction.

EVE tries to present the plant to McCrea to place in the ship's holo-detector—a device which will activate an automatic hyperjump to Earth once it scans the plant—only to find it is missing. She is deemed to be malfunctioning and sent to the robot repair ward with WALL-E. Mistakenly thinking that the diagnostic machine is trying to hurt EVE, WALL-E takes and accidentally uses EVE's detached cannon arm to free the other malfunctioning robots in the repair ward, and both become fugitives from security. Annoyed, EVE tries to send him back to Earth in an escape pod when Auto's assistant GO-4 arrives and deposits the missing plant in the pod, revealing that he had stolen it. GO-4 sets the pod to self-destruct and launches it with WALL-E inside, but WALL-E manages to escape with the plant just before the pod detonates. EVE is so happy that she gives WALL-E a "kiss" (which causes an electrostatic discharge), and they dance around the Axiom, flying together through space.

EVE returns the plant to McCrea, with WALL-E following shortly after. Curious to see images of Earth, the Captain projects EVE's security camera footage, which allows EVE to witness the lengths to which WALL-E went to protect her while she was deactivated, and she falls in love with him. Having been enthralled by earlier images depicting life as it was before the rise of BnL, McCrea is shocked by the environmental devastation on Earth depicted in EVE's recordings, and decides that humanity must return to Earth to make amends. However, Auto insists that they cannot return to Earth, and is forced to reveal that Shelby Forthright ordered the autopilots never to do so after his cleanup plan failed. Unable to disobey his directive, Auto stages a mutiny and tries to dispose of the plant. In the ensuing struggle for the plant, Auto violently shocks WALL-E when he tries to protect it and temporarily deactivates EVE. With both WALL-E and EVE out of his way, Auto drops them into a garbage chute along with the plant and locks McCrea in his quarters.

After managing to avoid ejection into space among the trash in the ship's waste disposal facility, EVE dismisses her directive of bringing the plant to the ship's holo-detector in favor of attempting in vain to repair WALL-E. WALL-E, however, insists that EVE carry out her directive and tells her that if they return to Earth, he may be saved with the spare parts he had stockpiled there. WALL-E and EVE escape with the plant and set out to find the holo-detector.

M-O, who happens to be following WALL-E due to his foreign contaminants, joins EVE and WALL-E on their travel. They are aided by McCrea, who directs them to the holo-detector from the confines of his quarters, and the malfunctioning robots, who help them fight off security. After tricking Auto into believing he has retrieved the plant, McCrea confronts and battles with Auto, during which the Captain opens the holo-detector, a pedestal which rises from the floor of the deck. Auto tilts the ship on its side, piling the immobile humans in a corner. While EVE protects the humans from harm, Auto retracts the holo-detector. WALL-E attempts to hold it open by jamming his body inside, crushing him. McCrea summons the strength to stand up unaided and manually overrides Auto, restoring order aboard the ship. The plant is placed in the holo-detector, releasing the severely damaged WALL-E and activating the hyperjump back to Earth.

Having arrived on Earth, EVE frantically repairs and reactivates WALL-E. However, the extent of the damage seems to have erased his memory and personality completely, making him return to his normal directive. Heartbroken, and believing that the WALL-E she knew and loved is gone forever, EVE takes hold of his hand and gives him a parting "kiss". The resulting spark reboots WALL-E's memory, and he suddenly recognizes her as they clasp hands in joy and kiss once more. With a renewed sense of purpose, humanity and robots begin working together to restore Earth's biosphere, directed by the enthusiastic McCrea.