WALL·E

By the early 22nd century, the Buy n Large megacorporation took control of every economic service on Earth, causing excessive worldwide consumerism to cover the planet in un-recycled trash. A plan was implemented that would have the Earth's population evacuate the planet into space on fully automated luxury starliners where they would spend the next five years, while an army of waste disposal robots called "WALL-E" units (Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class) would be left to clean the planet. This plan failed, however, and the planet was deemed uninhabitable. For the next 700 years, humanity continued to live in space while all of the WALL-E robots on Earth eventually broke down, except for one; this lone unit still performs his duties but, after centuries of prolonged activation, has developed sentience and a sense of curiosity, as shown by his habit of collecting knickknacks among the trash in addition to spare parts for himself, and his fascination with the old musical film Hello, Dolly!.

One day, WALL-E discovers a new plant growth, re-pots it in a old boot, and adds it to his collection. Later, a spaceship lands and deploys a new probe robot named EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator), who begins to scan the soil as part of her classified directive of finding plant life on Earth. WALL-E falls in love with EVE on first sight, but is cautious to approach her due to her firing her arm cannon at the slightest provocation. EVE eventually takes to his unique personality and befriends him, but is concerned with nothing more than fulfilling her directive. When WALL-E shows her the plant he found, she stores it inside herself and shuts down. WALL-E goes to great lengths to take care of her inert body, as well as take her out on a date, in the hopes that she will reawaken. When her ship returns to collect her, WALL-E clings onto the side of the ship as it launches into space to the Axiom, flagship of the human starliners.

On the Axiom, humans have become obese and immobile with bone loss, having grown reliant on machinery while living in space. Most of the ship's command duties are performed by the ship's computerized autopilot, Auto, rather than the human Captain. WALL-E follows EVE as she is taken to the bridge of the ship, inadvertently perplexing several robots and humans along the way with his peculiar behavior; one of the robots, a cleaning robot named M-O, becomes obsessed with cleaning WALL-E's filthy tracks for the purpose of following and cleaning WALL-E himself. On the bridge, an automated message by Shelby Forthright, CEO of Buy n Large, reveals that if EVE's plant sample is scanned in the ship's holo-detector, the Axiom will make a hyperjump to Earth and allow humanity to recolonize the planet. Unfortunately, the plant turns out to be missing. EVE is deemed faulty and sent to the robot repair ward with WALL-E for diagnosis.

WALL-E mistakenly believes EVE is being tortured in the repair ward and tries to rescue her. Seizing her detached arm cannon, WALL-E accidentally fires it at the repair ward's control panel, releasing an army of malfunctioning robots to roam the ship. When EVE retrieves and reattaches her arm, she is photographed by the robotic stewards in a hostile position and labeled a "rogue robot." Annoyed, EVE tries to send WALL-E back to earth on an escape pod, but while the two argue, they witness Auto's assistant, GO-4, putting the missing plant in the pod and setting it to self-destruct, launching it with WALL-E inside. WALL-E manages to recover the plant and escape safely by using a fire extinguisher for propulsion. EVE is overjoyed and gives WALL-E a "kiss"—an electric spark between their faces—and they dance in space around the ship.

The plant is returned to the Captain, who surveys EVE's visual recordings of Earth and realizes they must return to restore the devastated planet. Through these recordings, EVE is deeply moved by watching footage of WALL-E protecting her while she was inactive on Earth and begins to reciprocate his love. Before the plant can be placed in the ship's holo-detector, Auto takes control of the ship, revealing that he was given a final directive from Shelby Forthright to keep humanity in space, incorrectly asserting that Earth would never again be habitable. Auto attempts to dispose of the plant, electrocuting WALL-E when he tries to protect it and deactivating EVE. The two robots are dropped down a garbage chute with the plant, awakening in the Axiom's garbage depot. WALL-E and EVE are nearly jettisoned into space amongst the ship's garbage until the timely intervention of M-O, who keeps the garbage airlock open with his body. Discovering WALL-E's poor state, EVE becomes more concerned with fixing WALL-E than bringing the plant to the holo-detector until WALL-E reminds her of the spare parts he kept for himself back on Earth.

With the assistance of the malfunctioning robots, WALL-E and EVE make their way to the holo-detector. The Captain, meanwhile, confronts Auto, who begins to close the holo-detector. Attempting to hold it open, WALL-E is jammed inside and crushed. The Captain manages to stand up unaided, allowing him to deactivate Auto. The robots and humans work together to insert the plant into the holo-detector, releasing the gravely damaged WALL-E and returning the Axiom to Earth where EVE manages to repair and reactivate WALL-E. However, his memory and personality seem to have been erased completely. Heartbroken, EVE takes a hold of his hand and gives him another electric spark "kiss" as a final farewell. This reboots WALL-E's memory and restores him to his old self, and the two robots happily reunite. Placing the plant in the ground, the humans and robots begin working together to restore their home.