Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Wall • E (2008)

This is topic Wall • E (2008) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=001435

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 06-26-2008, 01:16 AM:

Brilliant, fantastic, astounding. This movie is everything I had hoped for. It begins slowly, and I was getting apprehensive when, bam, awesome. I think the silliness in the first two reels is enough to keep the kids' attentions until the action, but this movie is probably better from a mature standpoint.

5 out of 5, will definitely see again.

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 4784) on 06-26-2008, 02:46 AM:

Agreed. It is definitely better from a mature standpoint.
Messages are quite ballsy for an animated film, gags and references are just right to keep the level of zaniness.
The direction is splendid and characters are fantastic.
The guys at Pixar definitely know how to make films, they made the transition from cartoons to movies from day one.

I'm still undecided about the hilarious short "Presto". Is it better than "Lifted"? I can't tell... [Wink]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-26-2008, 04:52 PM:

Search bait: Wall-E WallE

Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 06-26-2008, 08:23 PM:

For "search bait" Mike, wall*e works. The * is a wildcard. [Wink]

Though not sure if you meant for this topic, or the film in general! I was looking for synopsis to use in our in house stuff so used the wildcard, this is one of those annoying titles that use all kinds of variations so apologies if I read your post incorrectly.

Posted by Edwin Schwing (Member # 1270) on 06-27-2008, 12:32 AM:

screened it last night, it was good. I enjoyed the hell out of the first part but it got a bit busy toward the middle and especially the end.

The credits helped me by reminding me of what the story was, rather than what the story was supposed to be..... Or so I thought.

I still don't like Cockroaches, even tho they "CAN" be cute.... (but never die.)

E

*****-no rating yet

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-27-2008, 01:06 AM:

Well I tried not to learn too much about this film beforehand -- I thought it would be a better experience to go in totally "cold." But I did watch the one trailer we had, and allowed myself to read the first couple of reviews in this thread. Given that, I was prepared to love this movie.

Visually it is great, and Wall-E (the character) is a hoot to watch.

Storywise, the opposite is true. It starts out promising, but by the end it's slid into a bland, predictable, save-the-planet story. The ending is telegraphed from the minute he discovers --- well I won't spoil it. But this marks the first Pixar movie I was actually wishing it would hurry up and end already. Reel 5 seems like it's about an hour long, and with such limited dialogue, the movie just gets boring.

I didn't find myself caring about the characters, since they're all so expressionless and bland. Even the "villian" of the story has no personality whatsoever.

The space-ship scenes look like every Star Trek or Star Wars movie done in cartoon form, and while the machinery and robotics are definitely imaginative, there is no personality in any of it. And having all the humans look exactly alike was really a bonehead move.

Last year with "Ratatouille," and with all of the other Pixars, there were several scenes I just knew I would want to watch every night if I could. With this movie, I can't remember even one scene that had that effect on me. My wife fell asleep.

I fear we're going to have a LOT of people disappointed in this one. Small kids are going to be bored to tears. I won't be surprised to see walk-outs, even.

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd do this to a Pixar movie, but here goes: 1.5 out of 5 stars. Kudos to them for trying something completely different, but for me it just...didn't...work.

quote: Andy Muirhead
For "search bait" Mike, wall*e works. The * is a wildcard.

Sure, but not everyone searching would think to put a wildcard there, and most people definitely wouldn't think to put a dot there.

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 06-27-2008, 02:18 AM:

I laughed, I cried...then I cried some more. And then at the end I cried even more.

What can I say, I have a soft spot for robots. Let alone robots in looooooove.

Not sure how the kiddies are going to react to it. Kind of how I felt about Ratatouille: more adult with a hint of kid in it, than more of a kid movie with a hint of adultism to it.

Done beautifully, probably the most realistic looking Pixar movie (excluding the humans of course). The first movie I was actually looking forward to seeing in digital.

5 out of 5 because of the robots and Fred Willard. [Big Grin]

And I will be collecting all the M-O toys I can get my hands on.

quote: Jean-Marc Toussaint
I'm still undecided about the hilarious short "Presto". Is it better than "Lifted"?

No. haha. I didn't hate Presto, but I think there have been better shorts.

Posted by Robert Crabtree (Member # 4795) on 06-27-2008, 02:34 AM:

Wow...just the short Presto alone farted sunshine and pooped rainbows, it was so cute. And the movie took that up a notch. If I didn't have a cold, black heart, I'd have cried my @ss off at the end.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 06-27-2008, 03:03 AM:

Sorry I think this is probably the worst Pixar movie ever. [thumbsdown]

The short at the beginning is fantastic but after that it went rapidly down hill

I watched this in a mixed audience of delegates at Cine Expo and local school kids . I hardly heard any response from the kids after Presto finished.

Posted by Shane Cooper (Member # 2510) on 06-27-2008, 03:05 AM:

I really enjoyed it. I do think it will be a bit too slow for kids.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-27-2008, 05:35 AM:

I liked it but I didn't. It's a tie between this and A Bug's Life for worst Pixar movie. Still I'll give it 3 out of 5.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-27-2008, 09:55 AM:

With 90 reviews counted thus far, Wall•E is scoring 98% at Rotten Tomatoes. 88 "fresh" reviews, 2 "rotten." I guess this movie isn't for everyone.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-27-2008, 10:38 AM:

Wow, Rotten Tomatoes sounds just as skewed as a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". It's either good or it isn't. I wouldn't look there for accurate representations on the true opinions of the little people. So that percentage means nothing.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-27-2008, 11:35 AM:

Well I have read some reviews (Roger Ebert, and Roger Moore so far) and they both give it high marks 4.5 and 5 stars, respectively -- in fact Moore says, because it's so visual, that "it should be your 2 to 3-year-old's first trip to the movies."

Maybe I wasn't in the mood to watch a movie last night or something. Maybe we'll watch it again.

Posted by Chad M Calpito (Member # 3736) on 06-27-2008, 04:51 PM:

This is definately one movie I will be seeing soon. I normally don't see Disney/Pixar films, but, seeing the trailers and bits and pieces of this film makes me want to sit, relax and enjoy this film.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-27-2008, 09:14 PM:

The Buy-N-Large website!

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 06-27-2008, 10:54 PM:

CINEMA: Cinemarkury 20 at Jordan Creek, West Des Moines, IA
AUDITORIUM: 9
PRESENTATION: Mystery Meat DLP
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: DLP screen door effect, slightly fuzzy picture, and yes...apparently you CAN make a DLP projector shake from time to time.
RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four)

Seriously...It's like when anybody in the booth walks by, the damn thing shakes.

THE PLOT: Robot lovin' for the sake of humanity. Wackiness ensues.

This is probably the most pedestrian movie Pixar has ever done. The storyline is pedestrian, the characters are largely pedestrian, and speaking of large...the mass of humanity makes the animation pedestrian, even taking away from the few moments of animation that impress.

It's seriously lacking in that Pixar cleverness.

I liked the short better, actually.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-28-2008, 12:54 AM:

Hey Mike, they went out of their way to make that website just as useless and annoying as the majority of corporate websites of today with pointless Flash animation zipping all around as well as the generic photos of stock models everywhere that just screams "........." That's right, that's what it screams.

Posted by Shane Cooper (Member # 2510) on 06-28-2008, 01:05 AM:

Wow. The website is one of the most detailed marketing tie-ins I have ever seen. Also, spot on!

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 06-28-2008, 06:23 AM:

I'm on the fence with this one as well. While I liked parts of it, i really thought the middle dragged on, reels 4 and half of 5 felt like an hour alone. I think this might be some of there best animation to date, but its not their best film to date. I liked the nod to Toy Story.

3.5/5 [thumbsup]

Posted by Tom Mundell (Member # 4555) on 06-28-2008, 04:28 PM:

saw this at AMC Tysons Corner 16 in cinema #11. I loved this! I give it 9/10; story was great, animation very impressive, great sound, all around solid. I didn't think it dragged at all, the pacing was pretty good. The short Presto is hilarious, though I think For the Birds and Lifted are still my favorite of Pixar's shorts.

Posted by Edwin Schwing (Member # 1270) on 06-28-2008, 11:43 PM:

SO...

Did anyone notice the Pixar "eggs"?

I haven't found the ball with the STAR on it yet, and I am sure it is in WALL-E's truck somewhere... BUT I did notice EVE checking out the Pizza truck!

Anyone Else?

E

And what is up with the lighter? Are they trying to teach kids how to light Zippos????

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 06-29-2008, 01:03 AM:

Does anybody else find it a bit ironic (or prehaps a bit hypocritical) when you consider WALL-E's two main themes: (i) we are too much of a disposable society creating too much useless trash and (ii) that having a dominant large corporation controlling your life (and keep you "entertained") is not good.

WALL-E is brought to you by the Disney entertainment conglomerate (you don't get much more controlling than Disney) and both Disney and Pixar have produced mounds of junk tied to their various films (including WALL-E) which have appeared in everything from Happy Meals to cereal boxes. (I still must have at least a half dozen of the wind-up toy "Cars" that came with the Rice Krispies a couple of years ago that I occassionally let loose for my cats to chase).

Posted by Dennis Atkinson (Member # 345) on 06-29-2008, 08:18 AM:

My 13 year old son thinks the movie was a shot at Walmart, AKA Wallyworld to some, including the blue uniforms, was it blue is the new red?
I think Pixar is putting more into this story than most people think. While not a great movie, the more I think about the BnL part of it, the better it seems.

Dennis

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 06-29-2008, 03:42 PM:

I'm convinced I'll never understand why people think Pixar movies are so good. They all have (fairly) interesting premises, but the stories are so straight-forward that the movies tend to be very tedious. For this reason, I think their shorts are usually way better than their features. LIFTED, in particular, was great.

But I think that WALL*E is their best feature to date. The story's as dumb as usual, but everything else was off the hook. The animation was amazing, and Ben Burtt's sound design was even better. I really wish Pixar would hire better writers.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 06-29-2008, 04:39 PM:

I think everyone loves Pixar so much because many people, especially on this board, make up their mind about a movie before they even see the trailer. Kind of like people who hated Rocky Balboa because they say Stallone is too old, but then they defend Harrison Ford for doing Indy 4, even though he is older and not in anywhere near as good of shape as Stallone. I could only wish to look like him at 60, I'd settle for looking like that now.

Anyway, I liked it. I thought they did a very good job of humanizing WallE, unlike that horrible atrocity of a "movie" Cars. He also seemed very cat like.

But of course I still hate how these hollywood types are trying to brainwash the children today. Yes yes, corporations are evil and corporationy, I know.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-29-2008, 10:01 PM:

Suncoast Cinemark 16
Screen #10, Sunday 4:05pm matinee
$7.50 adult before-6pm price

Great technical mastery at the service of a half-baked story (where have we seen that before?). Guess the Hollywood weak-development-by-committee disease has spread north to Emeryville.

It was OK, but only that. Certainly not Pixar's best effort, other than the technical quality of the artwork itself, which was up to their usual high standard. The story arc and pacing slumped badly after the first couple of reels. Where was the editorial team? And the writing team? Plot holes, character motivation and development holes - this project definitely needed more time in the pre-production incubator.

What gets me is that with such long lead times as it takes to do an animation production these days, I'm amazed that no one recognizes and fixes such weak storytelling at the early layout and storyboarding stage. As it sits, this script should never have been green-lighted (green-lit?) to begin production. It's literally half-baked.

No one walked out, but there was a lot of looking at watches/cellphones/PDAs for time checks. Very quiet audience walkout. No buzz. The kids in the house weren't restless, though they were headed that way. This 1+37 film felt much longer than that. Not good. I expect better from Pixar and felt let down this time.

* * * * *

The second week of July I'm helping with a digital install in town, then it's off to Japan the week after to catch the opening of Miyazaki's latest animated film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. We'll see if the man that everyone at Pixar worships can match the magic he achieved back in 1988 with My Neighbor Totoro.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-30-2008, 05:02 PM:

I was kind of surprised that the short at the beginning got past the Disney watchdogs (not to mention the rating board) what with the electrocution bit, the ladder to the crotch bit, and the fingers-in-the-eyes bit.

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 06-30-2008, 09:47 PM:

I've seen it three times now, and I still love it. I count two, possibly three 2001: A Space Odyssey references. What other films does it have references to that anyone has caught?

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 06-30-2008, 11:00 PM:

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 06-30-2008, 11:43 PM:

While not my favorite Pixar film, it certainly is the most politically charged, and for that alone I'll give it a solid thumbs up. The strength of the film is deeper than the overlying love story, and even beyond the warnings of overconsumption. To me, the movie is much more about stewardship ethics, and how sustainable use of any resource (be it a planet, a plant, or a rubiks cube), begins with an underlying sense of awe and wonder about that resource. I think that the movie presents a valuable message to kids, but an even more valuable message for adults. I do, however, wish that Pixar was ballsy enough (or had enough clout), to not just "talk-the-talk" but to actually defend their thesis with regard to their marketing tie-ins and the tons of physical cruft that this film will generate.

So no, Jonathan, the irony isn't lost on me. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-30-2008, 11:45 PM:

Well I didn't like Wall-E too much, but it's about ten billion times better than "Short Circuit." [puke]

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 07-01-2008, 12:13 AM:

quote: Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
What other films does it have references to that anyone has caught?

There were a few Blade Runner-esk scenes, mainly the shots of the 'city' in the ship. And a total homage to the Ripley vs Alien Queen airlock scene in Aliens, when Wall-e and Eve go down the trash shoot and get forced the airlock itself. But other than that, I'm going to need to watch it a few more times....and probably will.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 07-01-2008, 10:10 AM:

Location: Carmike 8, Lawton, OK
Auditorium: #4
Format: 2K DLP, 2048 X 852 pixels
Rating: 3 stars out of 4

I liked Wall•E, but not as much as some of Pixar's best movies -such as Andrew Stanton's last directorial effort, Finding Nemo.

Satire is good when it is handled with the right sense of balance. Overdo it and you run the risk of weighing down the story with heavy-handed baggage. The same goes for any "message." Get too obvious with it and it can get preachy and tedious. Wall•E is guilty on both counts. The comedic moments and characterizations of Wall•E, Eve and some of the other robots were enough to keep me entertained throughout.

The "Buy-N-Large" buildings, signs and other stuff were great as abandoned artifacts on a trash-covered Earth, but the joke should have stayed on Earth.

Sure, it's funny to see consuming obsessed Americans satirized as helpless, lazy, fat blobs that can't even walk. It's even more funny to see some viewers get pissed off at the joke. Get off yer Barcalounger and run some laps, bitch! Unfortunately, the concept just doesn't seem practical or believable in the story. I laughed at the material enough to be entertained by it. However it was just mundane, average, pedestrian, etc. Great movies get you caught up in the experience, but this sort of thing just pushes the viewer out of that "bubble." I think Pixar should have either toned down the "Buy-N-Large" in space stuff down a few notches or pushed the movie in an entirely different direction.

I think Pixar broke a sort of rule in animation by showing some live action footage on video displays in the movie. Fred Willard may be funny. However, I think his character should have been CG based rather than live action for the sake of visual consistency. Wall•E isn't Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

The best thing about Wall•E is the technical stuff. Pixar raised the standards bar on computer animation yet another notch. They did a great job of simulating the CinemaScope look, including the optical distortions and exaggerated depth of field effects. Some of the rack-focus moves used for dramatic effect were served well by the 'scope visual theme.

Ben Burtt's sound design and effects will have him in the running for another Oscar.

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 07-01-2008, 03:10 PM:

Live action Fred Willard worked, only because the series of captains photos made the transition for us. Not only do the captains through the centuries get flabbier, they get more cartoony. The first few are real humans! Either that was a cheap way to get away, once again, with cartoony humans instead of trying to work out the zombie-ness of life-like human characters ... or it was an insightful extension to the social commentary, what we as a people are turning into.

Either way, Fred Willard rules.

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 07-01-2008, 04:42 PM:

Someone told me they were surprised there wasn't any fast food chain tie-ins with the movie. I then said "have you seen the movie? Because I'm sure there is no way any fast food chain will do one!" [Big Grin]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-01-2008, 08:38 PM:

Yeah....if I was Wal Mart, I wouldn't carry the toys, either. [Big Grin]

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 07-01-2008, 10:47 PM:

I tried to find Wall-E toys at Wal-Mart and there wasn't any. Only Wall-E stuff were T-shirts and a poster.

Posted by Ben Goodman (Member # 4770) on 07-03-2008, 03:40 PM:

I went into this movie expecting a comedy and a kid's movie. I don't think it was either one. Definitely had some cute and funny moments, but this was a romance-- some comedic elements, some dramatic elements, but largely a romance. It was an interesting change for Pixar and I did enjoy the movie quite a bit.

3/4.

And for what it's worth, the 5 minute short at the beginning was hilarious.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 07-04-2008, 10:43 PM:

So I went to see it today with the family...

Apex Calvert V
Screen #4
Format: 35mm film (.690"x .825")
Sound: Dolby Digital
Presentation Problems: None other than the screen is showing its seams a bit...the print was exceptionally clean, steady and sharp...just as film should be. The detail is a bit wanting but that is a constant with me on Pixar films.

This one did not do it for me in the story department. I think visually, the movie has quite a bit of merit and the sound was quite good...very well mixed and otherwise enjoyable.

I don't have a particular problem with the political messages but this film just didn't have me caring about the main characters so much. So a 2.5/5 from me.

The short at the beginning was more of a 4 out of 5 though.

I think I'd rather see Short Circuit again than this and sorry...Wall*E looks too much like Number-5. I'd definately prefer to see Silent Running again over this (also has robots).

Steve

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-05-2008, 04:07 AM:

The movie was pretty good if a bit preachy (I am an enemy of the environment so I do not approve). No need for Fred Willard... he wasn't even funny. The short was OK... I liked the concept better when it was called Portal (it's a great videogame).

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 07-05-2008, 05:22 PM:

Today at Regal 15 in Eugene, #15, NEC 2K DLP. Perfect presentation. [thumbsup]

Initially I wanted to see this. Then I heard it has a strong environmental "message". Well that's usually a big turnoff to me so I almost passed on it. But I relented and decided to see it anyway, but with great hesitation.

I have not seen all the Pixar movies, but of the ones I have seen, this is my new favorite. I liked Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda a lot. In fact I think I said it's the equal of any Pixar movie. I take that back. KFP, although entertaining, is a minor-league effort compared to Wall•E. And amazingly I was not offended in the least by the blatant environmental message. That's a first. Why didn't it bug me? I can't explain why, it just didn't.

Wall•E is a masterpiece of modern animated filmmaking.

Sue me but I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. [beer]

I never give a 5 either. So 4.5 is basically a 5. [Wink]

Re Ben Burtt: Is there a better sound designer in the business? I think not.

Re Short Circuit: I may be the only person on the planet who HATED it. I mean I walked out on it. It was making me angry. I wanted to yell at the screen. I knew I had to leave or there might have been an incident.

Don't miss the Buy n Large Website.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 07-05-2008, 06:24 PM:

While Wall•E isn't a perfect movie, I feel it is a damned sight better than Short Circuit -visual similarities between "Number 5" and Wall•E noted.

quote: Matt Fields
I tried to find Wall-E toys at Wal-Mart and there wasn't any. Only Wall-E stuff were T-shirts and a poster.

Check Sam's Club. I was in their Lawton store earlier this afternoon. While looking for what the store had in terms of Blu-ray movies and concert discs, I noticed Wall•E video games and a number of different toys, the best one being a remote control Wall•E robot.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-06-2008, 03:56 AM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
While Wall•E isn't a perfect movie, I feel it is a damned sight better than Short Circuit -visual similarities between "Number 5" and Wall•E noted.

How dare you! How dare you even try to compare Wall-E to the masterpiece that is Short Circuit. Geez! Short Circuit has it all; a Pulitzer-prize winning Academy Award winning script that was written with finely-tuned perfection that represents everything that the English language was created to achieve, Oscar Award winning performances from super mega-hottie Ally Sheedy and tough guy Steve Guttenberg, a rousing emotional soundtrack, hot licensed songs featuring the epitome of melodic perfection by the world's most talented and highly skilled musicians, witty humor that forces you to laugh every minute, a dirty foreigner, intense action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and a grasshopper! What does Wall-E have? Yeah, that's what I thought!

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 07-06-2008, 04:49 PM:

The animation and sound effects were good and Wall-E was cute but beyond that it wasn't that good. The story was lacking and I didn't care about the characters at all. It really dragged on and didn't have anything funny in it.

The Robots only being able to say their names but doing so with different inflection got old after about 10 minutes also.

By far the worst pixar movie yet. Watchable but not worth paying for.

2 out of 5 stars

[ 07-07-2008, 07:12 AM: Message edited by: Lyle Romer ]

Posted by Carol May (Member # 4068) on 07-07-2008, 03:33 PM:

I just saw a matinee of Wall-E in Century City. (Note to certain parents: Please teach your kids that movies in a theater are a shared experience and the rest of us really don't want a running commentary for an hour and a half.)

I thought the animation was terrific, Wall-E was very human. And there were lots of very cute scenes or snippets of scenes. Overall though, I was bored. Something was missing. Even at 97 minutes, it probably could have been tightened up to 80, which would have given it more punch.

The ending was good, because it said what it had to say and then ended.

As far as being a political statement, it definitely was, and conservative bloggers will probably be all over the movie, but it wasn't too in your face.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-07-2008, 09:16 PM:

Well...I watched the movie again with some family members over the weekend. I think this movie definitely improves on the second viewing. I enjoyed it more this time.

However I still think it's among the weakest of the Pixar movies, if not THE weakest. (I don't remember much about "A Bug's Life" or "Monsters Inc.") There are still no scenes in "WALL-E" that I feel compelled to go back in and watch repeatedly, with the possible exceptions of the opening five minutes, and the bit where he's traveling through the space-scapes to get to the Axiom.

Just like the first time, I found myself really intrigued and enjoying the first part of the movie, and then becoming totally disengaged when they arrive on the Axiom and all the other characters show up. Right when the movie should kick into high gear, it starts to drag.

And I still think the humans look too much alike - why do all film-makers think that, in the future, everyone will be dressed the same? I know that's part of the point the story makes, that individuality will go out of style, but in this case it makes for a cheap-looking movie.

Finally, I'm sick of every animated film having a "message." Can't a kids' movie be made without saddling the little twerps with the weight of the world's problems as they walk out of the theatre?

I have really gotten to like the Peter Gabriel song at the end of the movie, but my original rating of 1.5 out of 5 still stands. I'm looking forward to getting something else onto the screen.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-07-2008, 09:24 PM:

There's no way this is worse than A Bug's Life and Cars. Bug's Life wasn't very popular, but Cars was for some reason even though having a 2 hour bout with diarrhea is more entertaining than that movie.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-07-2008, 10:13 PM:

Cars had a weak story it's true, but on the plus side it had great backgrounds, characters that didn't all look alike, a villain that wasn't a steering wheel, and George Carlin.

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 07-08-2008, 10:10 AM:

I wanted to see this in DLP, but instead saw this at my neighborhood theatre (AMC Mazza Gallerie/Screen 2: 35mm - THX Dolby Digital)and I quite enjoyed it, it was very different than what I expected. Whereas most Pixar films had many characters, this seemed to center around just three, with ancilary characters providing humour and slight interaction. While some can say there's more style of substance, I beg to differ ... it feels like 'Solaris' on much smaller scale.

(for the record I really loathed 'Cars' - this is the second film that rectifies Pixar's greatness)

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-12-2008, 05:22 AM:

..too bad that other studios can't incorporate the 2.40/1 hard matt aperture frameline as this and the other two Pixar scope movies were printed in ... definitely hides edit splices and scope apertures that are slightly overcut...

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 07-12-2008, 09:49 AM:

Except the hard matte is bad for theaters designed for 2.35 where the screen masking needs to be re-done in order to get to 2.39.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 07-12-2008, 01:45 PM:

quote: Carol May
it wasn't too in your face.

It was there, and that was too much for me. Sorry, but I take my light entertainment without indoctrination, please.

It's Ronald McDonald selling a bill of goods.

Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 07-12-2008, 07:53 PM:

Was WALL*E marketed as light entertainment? Even if that was the case, I usually appreciate it when a movie has more depth than I anticipated. I can see a movie saying something stupid, and that making it bad, but was WALL*E's message really controversial?

The problem with the stuff in WALL*E is that it doesn't really have anything new to say, and it doesn't really do a good job saying it.

Also, I changed my mind. WALL*E is not the best Pixar movie. THE INCREDIBLES is better.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 10-16-2008, 06:43 PM:

Finally got around to watching it. I thought the story wasn't up to Pixar's ususal, slow in a lot of places, really got tired of getting beaten over the head with the message, other than that, it's fair+. Watched it a second time, really got pissed with the heavyhanded message and left. Second time it SUCKED.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 10-16-2008, 10:10 PM:

quote: Bill Enos
really got pissed with the heavyhanded message and left. Second time it SUCKED.

...about the same propaganda message that we got from "The Bee Movie!"

..that was also plain horrible! Started out good enough, but when the politics came in, it definitely ruined the movie.

-Monte

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 10-17-2008, 11:16 PM:

I saw it for the 4th time tonight. I had the night off, and passed on a few other movies that I wanted to see to see this one again. Full disclosure: it was playing at the Penn Theatre, an historic single a few miles away that I'm always angry I've never been to, so that played a big role. Their presentation was good, although the screen needed dusting badly and there was a faint buzz in the left surround channel.

I really think the "message" is not as big as many of you are making it out to be. There is no global warming theme, or anything like that. The rampant consumerism is portrayed as bad, but rampant consumerism is bad, just open the Business section of any reputable paper. It is more of a setting, I think, than a political agenda being pushed by radical animators or something like that. It starts by asking, "What kind of human existence is so reliant on robots as to make a robot love story work?" The setting and people's behavior has to flow naturally as an answer to that question, and I think it did that at least as well as almost any other movie this year. Also, I've said it before, but the minimalistic dialogue really evokes a sense of old school film making to me. This project could have been done as a silent film with a live ensemble, and that is a plus in my book. Story telling through moving picture rather than having things spoon fed to you.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 10-19-2008, 02:13 PM:

When I go to a movie I don't want, or expect to receive ANY political, social, enviro, etc. messages unless the subject is such. Michael Moores movies would be an example---you know it's going to be about his views when you buy the ticket, if you don't appreciate his point of view, don't go. If his movies had been billed as general interest it would be wrong.

Posted by Galen Murphy-Fahlgren (Member # 4535) on 10-19-2008, 03:39 PM:

Well, I don't think they were pushing an agenda here. The circumstances of human existence serve as a backdrop for telling a story. It's your basic post apocalyptic robot love story, in a format that is appropriate for Pixar. You guys are just oversensitive to someone pushing an agenda, so when what looks like an agenda appears, you latch onto it and complain. You can certainly criticize the movie, but to try to tear it apart for possibly condemning rampant consumerism, not such a good argument.

Go see Saw V, I bet there won't be any social agenda there. But, it also won't be a technically proficient and highly character driven story either, will it? Oh well, at least it won't potentially try to make me feel bad for being an irresponsible consumer.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-19-2008, 07:57 PM:

I guess anything environmental related is now officially politically incorrect. Let's do the right thing and turn the world into a toilet until our rivers are catching on fire again. After all, that's the right damned thing to do. The "man upstairs" will clean up the mess.
[Roll Eyes]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-22-2008, 10:34 AM:

quote: Galen Murphy-Fahlgren
You guys are just oversensitive to someone pushing an agenda, so when what looks like an agenda appears, you latch onto it and complain.

Where is it written that every animated movie now must HAVE an agenda? I can't speak for everyone else but like I said before, I am just tired of every kids' movie having to have a message, whether it's environmental or just some "you're special" crapola. Kids need entertainment too, they don't need to be hammered with messages all the time.

Bobby - the "man upstairs" will clean up the mess, eventually. As George Carlin said (one of my favorite quotes of his): "The planet is fine. The people are fucked."

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-03-2009, 01:47 AM:

Bump.

At least for me, Wall•E improves on repeat viewings with that phiggidy new video format called "Blu-ray." It's definitely a "reference quality" disc.

One complaint with the Blu-ray version: I don't like the way BD-Live is implemented. I tried the "update" thing. After waiting a minute for the progress bar to finish loading I merely got the message I needed to have a Disney BD Live account to log in. What a pain! I don't feel like grabbing a USB keyboard to do a log in thing just to get at some Disney movie trailers and other spam.

With regard to the story, there's lots of little things I see with supporting robot characters that are pretty funny. I wish there was more of "Mo" in the movie. The main character, Wall•E, gets a lot of the notice, but I think Eve had a very interesting performance, especially when she looks at her security video to finally see how much Wall•E adored her. The movie's level of heart and romance among gadgets is what saves it.

I didn't realize Sigourney Weaver was the voice of the Axiom's computer until noticing the end credits on the BD. Also, "Macintalk" is credited as being the voice of "Auto," the steering wheel villain. Does that mean anyone with a Mac can imitate that voice? Captain? Captain!?

Of course, the technical side of this movie is exemplary. Pixar really did do a great job mimicking the 'scope look. It's an interesting visual touch that only knowledgeable movie geeks such as myself would immediately notice.

quote: Mike Blakesley
Bobby - the "man upstairs" will clean up the mess, eventually.

IMHO, God blessed us with a brain powerful enough to tell us that doing something like stepping in front of a speeding truck or slowly poisoning one's self is a really bad idea. If the brain doesn't grasp such concepts, then Darwin rightly takes over and submits the dead idiot to mother earth because he wasn't bright enough to heed God's hints. I believe God gave us the strength to help ourselves as well as destroy ourselves. That's part of the price of us being made in his image. We have the wisdom to know better. If we don't want to heed that wisdom then we deserve to end up screwed, just like George Carlin said.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-03-2009, 11:01 AM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
Does that mean anyone with a Mac can imitate that voice?

Yep.

Check it out

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-03-2009, 08:05 PM:

Now that's pretty damned funny.
[Razz]

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 01-03-2009, 08:18 PM:

So as far as this movie shows, when humans sit around and do nothing, they get short, fat, and animated. I really didnt have any positive or negative opinion