WALL•E

[LeFlambeur]

I just saw this today, and I have to say that this easily the best film of the year so far (that I've seen). Anyway, I pity whatever poor bastard at Pixar has to follow this. I think this is it if they only ever make one masterpiece this is thier masterpiece. And before reading everyone else's response (ever since I saw the early footage around January I've avoided all previews and discussions like the plague) here are some of my thoughts:

With Wall-E, Pixar goes cosmic, attaining a richness of theme and sensibility not seen in contemporary children's filmmaking outside of Studio Ghibli. As expected, based on the title (a riff on a sometimes used nickname for you-know-what) the film humorously and damningly illustrates the excesses of modern consumer culture and re-contextualizes it within the vastness of existence. Practically an artistic act of atonement, given Pixar's uber-capitalist fixations (Toy Story, Cars), two merchandise ready properties that raise a conceptual chicken and egg enigma. Sitting in the theater, the kiddies give testament to the power of today's marketing machine, frequently shouting "Wall-E!" when he appears on screen, identifying and identifying with a character from a movie they haven't even seen yet. Surveying the left behind garbage after the movie ended, I began to doubt that any of the film's underpinnings took hold.

The film starts out with a fly in shot from space to earth, surveying the massive waste while playing (a song whos name escapes me), at once mocking 20th century's optimism of excess and introducing us to the title character, a precocious, nerdy, ever curious little robot, the sole surviving unit of a line of droids programed to clean up the earth for re-inhabitation.

Wall-E gives power the same subjects of post-consumer wreckage and post-apocalyptic perseverance that were bungled by recent efforts Idiocracy and I Am Legend respectively. Here the carefully composed images suggest Antonioni, a post-industrial alienation that the main character seems blithely unaware of. Having always lived with this, he doesn't know any better and has internalized the buried humaitiy and the same spirit suggested earlier in the song through the traces of the earth's lost civilization. Collecting items of interest from the wreckage, his life is like a bitter-sweet parody of twentieth century living, having made a home for himself inside of a containment truck he decorated, where he takes his findings after "work," even watching movies on a rigged up betamax and befriending a roach who behaves like his dog.

Things change though when he meets another robot who has come to search for signs of life. The contrast between the two is telling, Wall-E's 20'th century utilitarian design, creates a more masculine accent to her advanced Ipod sleek. It's a meeting of two worlds and eras each with something to teach the other. Against her digitized eye-cons, Wall-E's analog lenses suggest an affinity to a more analog view and for the film to classical cinematic sensibility. Speaking of which Wall-E displays some of the best craft in any film of the year, its worth noting that most of the film is practically silent, and the color palate (with some assistance from visual maestro Harris Savides) is rich and suggestive. It is this respect for what came before that has always elevated Pixar from all too frequent dehumanized digital excess.

When he jettisons out of Earth, he blows past a thick cloud of abandoned satellites, brushing off sputnik, an image to match Spielberg's Ark allusion in Crystal Skull, the awesome march of technology makes what was once miraculous and terrifying into the commonplace and forgotten. The following sequence, his ride through the cosmos improbably inspires a sense of awe in an age where visual miracles are a dime a dozen. Eventually he arrives at the last remains of humanity, a galactic cruise ship run by a once dominant Wal-Mart like world corporation. The population, reduced to endlessly pampered consumers, display a pudgy obesity. Drawn hilariously to resemble infants, they are constantly carried around sucking on whatever drink-foods are put in front of them, while fixated on a monitor that facilitates an endless self-absorption. I'm just gonna say it, it takes balls to create such a transparent parody of a movie's target audience and it also takes extraordinary skill (or at least a thick audience) get away with it. And it does. What follows is a series of chases after a the key to return to earth. Ultimately its up to Wall-E to return the flame of humanity to these people (and machines), and for the captain to overthrow the Hal like auto-pilot that commands him. In all the film displays an astonishing wit and comedic timing, an intuitive feel for character, and a sense of scale to shame any recent sci-fi effort.

Often the creation of romantic interest feels like an easy way out, an old Hollywood gimmick unnecessarily tacked on to give easy emotional shortcut added into to a story who's purposes lie elsewhere, yet Wall-E finds profundity in this and in dancing as an expression of love. The film's most poetic moment, and the one that will stay most with me, is a warmhearted re-imagining of Kubrickian technological stellar movement in which Wall-E and Eve encircle each other outside the ship, two beings creating momentary meaning against a cosmic void.

[Lady Sheridan]

I saw this tonight -- oh, I wanted to go opening day, but we were too busy sewing to get to. It really sucked having to wait even one day.

I loved it. I think I was choked up from beginning to end -- Wall E's loneliness, the state of the planet, his musicals, his instant love for Eve, Eve's free flight, the Captain's love of a little plant, all of it. There wasn't a single thing that didn't affect me. I knew the basics of the plot, but I was still surprised from minute one on the Axiom. The marketing for this film was done really well -- and I thought Wall E was going to have to save humans from themselves and an evil Captain, not be the little beacon that woke them up.

The ending -- oh man. I was sitting there trying not to totally lose it, for fear I wouldn't be able to watch through my tears. I thought Wall E had made the ultimate sacrifice. How incredible was the character animation, that Wall E didn't perceptively change -- yet his eyes were totally empty and devoid of all his personality?

Nice, if obvious, nod to 2001. A tip of the hat to you, Stanton.

I wish I could express my thoughts better -- but a 10 all the way. Definitely the best movie I've seen this year. I'm so glad it fulfilled my expectations.

Now if people would just LEARN from it, I could be happy.

[Nordling]

Saw it 2 times more this weekend.

First, MO is the Jack Bauer of the janitorbot set. I love that guy.

Second, EVE is a terrific role model for girls. She is self-motivated, assertive, and intelligent. And she's Annie Oakley with a laser gun.

[RogueScribner]

Where's the POLL???

[Ribbons]

Where's the POLL???

TA-DA!

[RogueScribner]

I went to Disney yesterday and was hoping to see a little WALL•E running around, but it wasn't meant to be, I guess.

[Lady Sheridan]

I went to Disney yesterday and was hoping to see a little WALL•E running around, but it wasn't meant to be, I guess.

My parents were there last weekend and said the same thing...bummer! They brought me back a little action figure though, I keep wheeling him across my desk. I have reverted to a five year old.

[Retardo_Montalban]

Where's the POLL???

TA-DA!

That looks like WALL.E is scooping up a bucket of turds....


Anyways, I watched this movie today and it melted my heart. Impossible to imagine, no? WALL.E is one infectious little robot. I can see how easily he affected everyone he met. Just looking at him and his little Buster Keaton shuffle infects you with his curiosity and personality. I don't know, that's what I got from him. This is Pixar's best movie yet. I can't complain about anything in this movie. Even the Fred Ward live action stuff fit in.

[zane]

zane, ever consider the possibility that people simply enjoy the movies THAT much? and if they do why is it any skin off your teeth?

on top of that, anyone familiar with this board should know that no movie gets a free pass here, whether it is from Pixar, or a favorite geek director or property, or not. just look at what people here say about "Cars" or "King Kong" for instance.

People can enjoy films and still be descriminating. I'd lilke to know what other ppl think before spending $16

[Heyoucantlaughatthat]

Absolutely awesome. It was even good enough to sit through the Beverly Hills Chihuahua preview.

Best line of the movie (from the Captain)-"I don't want to survive, I want to live."

[Tyrone_Shoelaces]

No Chihuahuas for me but I did have to suffer through the Space Chimps trailer. I'll let it go because the movie was phenomenal. Loved it. Nice touch having the girl robot carrying life in her "womb." How Pixar can so consistently imbue their films with such heart is beyond me, and apparently most everyone else in Hollywood. I think I saw the freighter in the desert from Close Encounters in a shot. If this is an example of what Stanton can do with science fiction I can't wait to see John Carter of Mars.

[SilentBobX]

Caught this movie on Monday finally after seeing the that two showings at the one decent theater were packed like a whorehouse on payday.

In short, I was quick to dismiss this as 'Short Circuit 3' but I am happy to say I was proven wrong. The story was great and of course shows that you can tell a great love story without sex or rampant nudity(not that I'm against those things in ANY resepect). This does deserve to be called a classic and indeed demands a repeat viewing, something I've not done in quite some time. Everyone can carry on about the environmental message, which I received but wasn't overpowering or obnoxious, and it definitely proves that losing weight and not being a lethargic lazyass is a good thing.

Will see again, and we all should.

Mahalo

[Heyoucantlaughatthat]

Anyone who stayed for the credits knows that the little credit movie was a complete work of art within itself.

Another thing I liked was that all of the studly humans weren't complete douchebags, in fact, few of them were. Wall-E was such a likable character that they could've just made it completely about robots saving the day. But the humans were very likable characters for the most part, I guess a few of them sounded a little snoody when they were demanding refills in their floating icees. The captain was the best, Jeff Garlin did a great job voicing him, but all of the humans were eager to start a new life on earth instead of being content with their lazy lifestyles.

Also, I was fascinated how the pictures of all of the Captains of the Axiom slowly got more animated as they progressed. I thought it was weird that real people were in that Axiom demonstration video, but I guess they just got chubbier and more cartoonish as time went on? Interesting little device they used there...

[Chairman Kaga]

I'm not sure if it's in the art off book but from concept art I have seen the humans originally looked like the aliens from Lifted, all green goo and full of bubbles etc.

And for those interested Presto is now up for purchase on iTunes.

[justcheckin]

I just saw this last night. I really really liked it. Although I do believe that it was targeting a specific audience instead of everyone like past Pixar/Disney films have. I liked the absence of a lot of talking. I think the story was told visually very well.

I am not impressed with the new "Disney 3-D studio" movie coming out... BOLT. One of the things that I look forward to when I see Pixar movies is watching the preview for the next one. There didn't seem to be one except for the one I just mentioned. Which honestly I probably will not see. I am hoping that maybe there is still a Pixar even thought Disney bought them and that it can retain the level it has without compromising to turning out uninteresting stuff. I have just held Pixar about the cut and I am afraid that the merger is going to ruin that.

We shall see... but I really liked Wall*E, Monsters Inc is still my fav.

[minstrel]

I just got back from seeing Wall*E.

My usual reaction to seeing a Pixar film for the first time is unconditional love. With the exception of Cars (which I still regard as a really good movie, even though I don't love it), I have loved every Pixar movie.

But I don't have that reaction to Wall*E. The movie absolutely blew me away, both with its story and its incredible visuals, but it left me with a set of emotions I'm still trying to work out. Right now, I don't know if "love" is one of them. Admiration, certainly. Amazement? Awe? Yes on both counts. But I can't tell yet if I love this movie.

The first thing that strikes me about Wall*E is how incredibly bold it is. Those of us who are of a certain age remember the late sixties or early seventies, and our first encounters with Monty Python, and we were astonished at the originality of their comedy, the chances they took, and how far out on a limb they were willing to go, compared to most of the comedy of the time. They made boldness almost a prerequisite for modern comedy. And like Wall*E, Monty Python was incredibly bold. But Wall*E is not a comedy. And I think it takes more courage to be bold in a non-comedy genre. Sure, there are funny moments and sequences in Wall*E, but they aren't the point of the movie. Instead of a comedy, Wall*E is a science-fiction romance. A genre for nerds, not so much for kids.

How is Wall*E bold? For one thing, it has machines as its main characters. Sure, other films have had machines as main characters, but the ones I've seen have always had humans around. For nearly the whole first half of Wall*E, there are NO humans. No animals, either, other than a cockroach. And there's no dialogue. We're expected to become emotionally invested in a little, non-anthropomorphic robot who doesn't talk. (Fortunately, the character of Wall*E himself is so wonderfully well-designed that this is easy.) And when the humans finally DO show up, they play an very subservient role - only a couple of them were even important enough to merit their own names in the film. For another thing, Wall*E portrays the humans it DOES show us as being bloated beyond obesity, practically immobile in their comfortable seats. It's an ugly picture, particularly since that's the way were all heading these days. For a third thing, Wall*E portrays the Earth as an enormous garbage dump - a place of extraordinary filthiness of which we are to blame. For a fourth thing, our robot hero's love interest in introduced to us as an extremely violent and destructive machine; before Wall*E can fall in love with her, he is terrified of her. And half of this movie takes place in space, aboard a huge ship, and it's not exactly the homiest place ever displayed on screen. That's a lot of risk for a movie to take, especially one with a budget the size of Wall*E's ($180 million). Maybe only Pixar could have ever made this movie.

So does it all work? Yes! Absolutely! The love story between the machines is compelling. The story of the redemption of the humans is both interesting and unusual, and is woven well into the romance. The depth of the creativity shown by the Pixar team is amazing - so many beautiful ideas for expressing character and furthering the plot. Wall*E has a video of "Hello, Dolly" and it teaches him about love ... great idea. The space dance between Wall*E and Eve, with Wall*E jetting around with a fire extinguisher to propel him, and the fire extinguisher leaves a beautiful glittering trail behind him ... great idea. Using the BuyNLarge corporation to satirize rampant consumerism ... great idea, unless it's in a science-fiction romance, in which case it's utterly stupid, but in the magical hands of Pixar, it is polished to a high sheen and becomes a great idea again.

I am convinced Pixar can do ANYTHING and make it work. Geez, these guys are good.

I have a feeling that after I see this movie a couple more times, I'll love it. But right now, it's more than I was expecting, and I have to kind of stretch my heart around it. I'll get there.

I gave it a 9/10. After seeing it one or two more times, I might increase that score.

[burlivesleftnut]

Man that shit was off the nut. Easily Pixar's best after Incredibles. But I didn't cry! SO TAKE THAT FINDING NEMO!

[SilentBobX]

Lost in all this love for Wall-E I completely forgot about Presto. That 5 minute short imho, had more of the spirit, playfulness, and soul of Bugs Bunny than Bugs himself in the past 30 years. No doubt about that. All the stuff he did to the magician, but of course not in a mean or evil sort of sense. He just wanted his carrot cause he was starving. Poor little bastard. But again, it was icing on the cake. Give it an Oscar. Hell, give Wall-E the Oscar for best picture, the buzz on that is already flying out there.

Mahalo

[Chairman Kaga]

Hell, give Wall-E the Oscar for best picture, the buzz on that is already flying out there.

Not going to happen. That's why the academy put the "Animated Feature" category in a few years ago.

[Peven]

Hell, give Wall-E the Oscar for best picture, the buzz on that is already flying out there.

Not going to happen. That's why the academy put the "Animated Feature" category in a few years ago.

the way things have gone since they created it they may as well call it the "Pixar Feature" category.....is there really any doubt what film is going to win it this year?

[burlivesleftnut]

Hell, give Wall-E the Oscar for best picture, the buzz on that is already flying out there.

Not going to happen. That's why the academy put the "Animated Feature" category in a few years ago.

the way things have gone since they created it they may as well call it the "Pixar Feature" category.....is there really any doubt what film is going to win it this year?

Yeah, not quite:

Shrek beat out Monsters Inc and Happy Feet beat out Cars. Given, that's still a 3 out 5 five win ratio, but they don't ALWAYS win. But I bet WALL*E does. BOOYA!

[Vegeta]

Caught WALL-E at a matinee this afternoon. Brillant film. The animation is top notch and the story, despite the lack of dialouge (you pretty much get "Wall-E", "Eve-A", and "Directive" as the most repeated lines of the film), was multi-layered and excellent. Most of all this film has a heart bigger than earth, all shown through a little lonely robot.

Vegeta gives Wall-E, 5 out of 5 punches or a 10 out of 10 on pole!

[Moriarty]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37364

[burlivesleftnut]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37364

That better not have something to do with the Matrix Trilogy!

[Spandau Belly]

I saw this last night and thought it was awesome.

After Shrek told everybody that "big is beautiful, just don't be short because that's lame" it's nice to see a kids movie addressing that it's not sexy or cool to be a lardass.

I really liked the film's almost dialogue-free style. It was like a long episode of Pingu.

Good times.

[Chairman Kaga]

After Shrek told everybody that "big is beautiful, just don't be short because that's lame"

Wait, what the fuck?

[Peven]

After Shrek told everybody that "big is beautiful, just don't be short because that's lame"

Wait, what the fuck?

CK, are you seriously confused as to where SB is coming from?

[Spandau Belly]

What I'm saying is that Shrek just kept saying how it was okay to be all studly like Shrek, but they kept making fun of the evil King guy because he was short. I feel like we as a society keep telling kids to accept themselves and all this "big is beautiful" stuff when in most cases being hefty is unsexy, bad for your health, and something that is within your power to change.

I liked how Wall-E showed the downsides of obesity such as being weak, slow, funny-looking.

[Ribbons]

After Shrek told everybody that "big is beautiful, just don't be short because that's lame" it's nice to see a kids movie addressing that it's not sexy or cool to be a lardass.

I don't know if I would call the movie anti-lardass, exactly, just that those people had been programmed (by themselves) to become drones, and in this case their appearance was reflecting that.

[Chairman Kaga]

I think SB is reaching in both that assessment of Wall-E and Shrek.

[minstrel]

I think SB is reaching in both that assessment of Wall-E and Shrek.

He may be reaching, but he's not reaching that far ...

[RogueScribner]

WALL•E wasn't anti-fat, it was anti-lethargy and conformity. There's a difference.

"I don't want to survive. I want to LIVE!"

Shrek did have a mixed message though, since people can't exactly help that they're short.

[Chairman Kaga]

I don't think Farquad's height was an attempt to make fun of short people so much as a means of making him Napoleanic. Rogue sums up well why Wall-e is not anti-obesity and is anti-lethargy/sloth/rampant consumerism. Especially considering the humans were originally big green blobs and not studly people.

[tapehead]

He was short and a fuck wad - still a lot of short jokes, it just depends how much you might think that extends to dwarfism, which by the way seems to be one of Mike Myers' enduring sources of humour.

[burlivesleftnut]

Shouldn't humour be in quotes?

[tapehead]

"fuck-wad"


or maybe "Verne Troyer"

[Chairman Kaga]

From what I've been told he was designed as a caricature of Jeff Katzenberg.

[tapehead]

From what I've been told he was designed as a caricature of Jeff Katzenberg.

I've read the same, but there's always the possibility for things to be interpreted in ways contrary to the original intention. I'm not sure that eight-year olds appreciate the devastating character assassination.

[Spandau Belly]

Okay, okay, okay.

I agree with you guys that Wall-E was anti-lethargy, but the result of the humans' lethargy was obecity causing them to be weak, awkward, and funny-looking. I mean, I'm sure it was supposed to be funny that The Captain couldn't even put on his captain's jacket and that it was just tied around his neck like a cape. I'm also pretty sure that those scenes where all the people are sliding around on the floor looking like a bunch of jellybeans dropped on a kitchen floor were supposed to be humorous.

And when I'm talking about Shrek, I'm talking about the first movie. I haven't seen any of the sequels. But the movie did make endless jokes about how the King was short. Yes, a lot of the jokes were to do with his Napoleon complex, but isn't that a crack at short people?

[Ribbons]

And when I'm talking about Shrek, I'm talking about the first movie. I haven't seen any of the sequels. But the movie did make endless jokes about how the King was short. Yes, a lot of the jokes were to do with his Napoleon complex, but isn't that a crack at short people?

I sort of see what you're saying. Must be hardwired into our brains somehow, so that on some subconscious level, a malodorous, power-hungry douche who's tall (or maybe just average-sized) seems more appropriate and/or less amusing.

[Fried Gold]

Do you want to see an exciting, beautifully crafted, emotionally spectral story?

Go see Wall-e.

As with last year's Ratatouille, Wall-e is a masterclass of filmmaking, a masterpiece of storytelling and as spectacular, entertaining and significant a movie as I have seen this century. While some of the story, and definitely the character of Wall-e, owe some debt to the past works - ET, Charlie Chaplin, and in particular Silent Running - it feels fresh, inventive and original.

While it could have quite easily kept the story grounded to Earth, the later space-based half of the film is the perfect counterpoint to the bleak dystopian, yet peaceful future fiction of the first.

[Nordling]

Loved TDK, but if you haven't seen this yet, and you plan on seeing TDK again...

FAIL.

[Raziel]

Just saw Wall-E tonight, really enjoyed it. Amazing CG animation, and really sweet and funny.

[Evil Hobbit]

Saw it, amazed, perfect film. And PRESTO!!! OMG, Tex Avery would be proud. What can I say, it's brilliant. Best movie of the year so far, even better then Dark Knight and that's brilliant. Liked Dark Knight more but this was so much more inventive. Bah, what am I trying to compare? Apples and banana's. See it now!

[Peven]

it is really great to see people across the board appreciating this film for the beautiful work of art that it is. i have seen no better film this year myself and it is tied for my favorite Pixar film ever with "Finding Nemo", which makes sense i guess since Andrew Stanton directed both.

[Hermanator X]

Ok, im doing my best to avoid this thread, as I dont want spoilers at all, but I do have a question:

How dialogue heavy is the movie? From what I know of it, it seems like not very, but wondering if anyone can clear this up.

The reason being that its only just reached my adopted shores cinema, and the only available version is the Norsk Dubbed version.
My language skills are coming on but i probably couldnt follow a whole movie. Im thinking that if there isnt a lot of dialogue in it, its no big deal but if it gets quite talky once it gets into space, (which i have seen nothing of) it might be a problem.

Oh yes, and if they dub over ben burtts work for wall-e speaking I will kill the projectionist.

[RogueScribner]

It gets talky when it gets into space. But not TOO talky. But talky enough, I suppose, to get lost watching it in a foreign language.

[Hermanator X]

Thanks rogue. I guess i will check it out. At least visually I think it needs to be seen on a big screen. (Its about time I got my brain in gear and made an effort with the language anyway!)

[RogueScribner]

I think you'll understand what's happening just with the visuals.

[Chilli]

After turning off that Pixar Rat flick after eight minutes in extreme annoyance (feel free to flame away), I was skeptical about Wall-E. Up to the Rat flick, the only Pixar flick I didn't love on first sight was Monsters' Inc, which I think was based more around teenage rebellion than actual quality, because when I rewatched it a few years back I thought Pixar had made a really beautiful and gentle flick. So going back to the original topic, after seeing a Pixar flick that was really off-putting, I was nervous about forking out the cash for another one... but boy, this is one of those times that I'm glad I chalked up the moxy and went to see a flick despite my reservations.

Because Wall-E? Isn't just the best animated flick in recent memory (one more time for emphasis, but FUCK Kung Fu Panda - piece of shit), it's one of the best films of recent memory. So good that I came out the cinema thinking it'd be a crime if Wall-E didn't get nominated for Best Picture. I dig having an animated category, but I think it'd be a slight to not put something this good up for the creme de le creme of the awards world. Particularly as it's moving, has a wonderful message (It's not about survival, it's about living) and some wonderfully drawn characters.

Which is stunning, because the dialogue is minimal.

I've been writing scripts of various formats for the past eight years, and this humbled me. You hear about a Cody, a Smith, a Tarantino and get people defending their writing ability by saying that their dialogue is unique. I don't doubt it is, but a film like this goes to show that writing is about a lot more than dialogue. It's some of the finest writing in years, the dialogue minimalist and the structure perfect. They throw in dozens of callbacks (the musical Wall-E watches; the cleaning up Bot; BnL) that never feel falses, making sure the piece is as tightly assembled as possible while still throwing in moments of pure magic. And that's pure magic between two animated characters. Pixar has had romantic relationships between characters in their films, but this is the first time they've really gone full blown in showing love on screen. And it's beautiful. It melts your heart to be succint, a dazzling concoction of poetry and imagery that doesn't needs words because it just is. The sort of scenes and situations and actions that make you think 'Yeah, life is too awesome to spend not feeling such affection.'

I'd also like to take the opportunity to give Ben Burtt a shout-out. We've all given him some shit for Star Wars, where he went overboard with the sound effects (despite, as I assume, Lucas pushing for it), but his work here is incredible. He brings a heart to Wall-E that's breathtaking, managing to convey a multitude of emotions that merge perfectly with the images, while never really saying too much. It's easy to tell an audience to be moved, but it's difficult to show them WHY they should be moved. And in a world where the truly magical, the truly amazing, the truly incredible films that touch you aren't as commonplace, sometimes it's good to have a character like Wall-E who is adorable and awesome in equal measure.

10/10