In the Blink of an Eye, the sweeping new sci-fi odyssey from veteran Pixar visionary Andrew Stanton, represents a stark visual pivot from his 2008 masterpiece, WALL-E. This project marks only his second venture into live-action filmmaking following 2012’s John Carter, shifting the spotlight from quirky automatons to the intricate depths of the human experience. However, beneath the surface, the thematic echoes are unmistakable.
Much like its animated predecessor, the film offers a refreshingly optimistic view of the bond between humanity and artificial intelligence—a perspective that feels notably subversive in the cynical landscape of 2026. Both stories confront our collective flaws while ultimately embracing a hopeful vision for our species.
The connection between these two films goes deeper than mere sentiment. During a recent conversation, Stanton and screenwriter Colby Day revealed that WALL-E served as a crucial strategic tool. Stanton leveraged the massive success of his robotic romance to settle creative disputes with the studio, particularly regarding the film’s unconventional narrative structure.
In the Blink of an Eye weaves together three distinct timelines spanning thousands of years, suggesting that certain fundamental truths remain constant throughout the ages:
- The Distant Past: Following a Neanderthal family’s brutal daily fight for existence 45,000 years ago.
- The Present Day: Claire (Rashida Jones), an anthropology student, navigates grief and emerging romance.
- The Far Future: Year 2417, where genetically enhanced astronaut Coakley (Kate McKinnon) works with her ship’s AI to safeguard a vital colonization mission.
Stanton and Day discussed the creative evolution of the film, from their decision to portray a benevolent AI in an era defined by tech-anxiety to the bold choice of leaving the Neanderthal segments entirely unsubtitled. Stanton noted that WALL-E proved you don’t need dialogue to convey deep emotional truths—humans are experts at reading faces and emoting.
The film draws natural comparisons to 2001: A Space Odyssey and Cloud Atlas. Stanton acknowledged a shared love for Mitchell’s work, stating that humans are naturally drawn to triptych structures and stories told across vast stretches of time.
In the Blink of an Eye is currently available for streaming on Hulu. It stands as a continuous, harmonious weave of stories that never stops moving, proving that Stanton’s visionary storytelling remains as potent as ever.
Source: Polygon
