I know everyone is still talking about the Dark Knight, but like the Editor in Chief of Variety - I keep thinking about Wall-E. I saw the film again this weekend (and have only seen the Dark Knight once) and was even more amazed. And even though (as you’ll see below) Wall-E seems to be more for adults than children, both times I saw the movie, the children in the audience were captivated. I don’t know whether they got the message, but they seemed to get something - and they kept quiet - which is no small feat.

But back to the film’s adult audience, Peter Bart (EIC Variety) makes a good point:

The success of WALL-E in fact reminds me of the theory about animation enunciated by Matt Groening, who created a little show called The Simpsons.

“Good animation is written for adults, not for children,” Groening stated in the summer issue of Written By, the magazine of the Writers Guild. The secret of our success is that the show was written for a smart audience.

Now if only more films were created with thoughts of making them for a smart audience…

Go after the jump for some clips of “The Bright Knight” as Bart calls him

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In honor of the 50th Anniversary of NASA I give you the Top 10 Space Movies. Also, in support of NASA, takepart to learn more about the global warming work their Goddard Center for Space Studies is working on.

And of course, let me know what space movies I missed and why you love them - I know there are tons -

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10) In the Shadow of the Moon - A meditation on being an astronaut and the time surrounding the first visit to the moon, this is a documentary not to be missed for any space lover.

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• NPR’s Fresh Air has an interview with Andrew Stanton, director of Wall-E (which I loved!) Give a listen to hear him talk about the inspiration he finds in everyday objects.

• Also on a Wall-E related note, apparently folks are all a twitter about new I-Phone problems, while one Wall-E fan sees a problem with all the commotion.

takepart to learn how you can recycle your dead Apple products.

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As folks grumble back to work and try to wake up from dreams of their long weekend, I (not having to really grumble back to any office) instead am grumbling about the fact that Hancock made 107.3 million dollars during it’s opening stretch, despite unanimously bad reviews. Not that reviews should necessarily guide all of our viewing choices, but really, are people so apathetic towards their movie choices that they’ll see anything Will Smith makes for July 4th weekend?

Alas, enough grumbling, it’s not a good way to start the week. Instead I’ll try to be a bit more positive and present 5 alternative films folks could have seen this weekend (and should see next), that in my mind (and most critics) would have made for a better choice in terms of quality, enjoyment and the holiday being celebrated.

1) Wall-E - OK, so yes, most folks saw Wall-E last weekend. But it is really good enough that you can see it two weekends in a row. The simple story could warm even the coldest heart and on a weekend where we are supposed to celebrate our country it doesn’t hurt to think about the planet.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

TakePart Gang:

Arrested in Development by Wendy Cohen

Is Google Making Us Dumber? by Blair Golson

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 5 Ways to Green Your July 4th

Greenopia: Eco-Guides For Your City

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Andy Kondrat:

Hypermiling Contest Winner Gets 124 Miles to the Gallon

Rise in Fuel Prices May Lead to Dirtier Energy Sources

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Jon Popham:

Red Tide in Yellow Sea Threatens Olympics

Mercedes-Benz Ditching Gasoline Cars by 2015

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Giulia Rozzi:

46664 Concert: Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela

Denise Richards Likes to Share

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Gina Telaroli:

Top 10 Movies for the 4th of July: For Patriots and Cynics!

The Radical and Beautiful Journey of Wall-E

Going into Wall-E on Sunday I knew a few things.

1) It was a Pixar film, meaning beautiful animation and cute characters

2) It was an eco-parable. On purpose I didn’t read much about the film, but I knew that is was somehow supposed to bring up the earth.

3) I would probably like it because I like things about robots.

When I left Wall-E all my thoughts (while true) had been turned upside down as I realized I had just seen a politically radical Disney film! And more than that it was chock full of cinematic references!

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1) Jamie, a rescued chimpanzee, nests using a toy

For the Cinema YouTube Video of the Day, Click here >>>

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