Wall-E (Now on DVD)

[DakotaDisney]

:thumbsup:I went and saw National Treasure; Book of Secrets and I saw what I believe to be the new or at least longer trailer for Pixar's "Wall-E" movie coming out this summer.

I can't wait! It looks great. I have enjoyed all of pixar's work and loved a few of them. (Toy Story 1&2 and Nemo especially) The animation in this one looks really cool.

What does everyone else think?

Anyone know who some of the actors/voices are for it?

[Ian]

Eh.

This is the first Pixar movie I can remember that I just can't get excited for. The entire premise seems fairly pointless and ... well ... sort of offensive if you ask me.

It will almost definitely be a great movie (8 for 8 is a track record that can't be argued with), but I dunno ... this one is going to have to work to win me over.

[SBETigg]

I haven't seen the trailer, only a promotional display at the movie theater and it didn't thrill me. It looked like the Number Five robot thing from Short Circuit and I hated that movie. Maybe seeing a trailer would make me think more kindly of it. So far, not excited.

[PirateLover]

I'm reserving judgement. There were definitely scenes in the trailer from National Treasure that made me laugh and grabbed my interest a lot more than the original info I'd read about it.

... sort of offensive if you ask me.

May I ask why?

[Melanie]

Anyone know who some of the actors/voices are for it?

John Ratzenberger? :idea:

Seriously, there isn't a need for many actors in this one since there isn't a lot of traditional dialogue.

8 for 8 - doesn't take much more than that to convince me. I'm looking forward to it!

[Mufasa]

I've had an opportunity to view quite a bit of the work in progress on WALL-E and simply it has some of the most beautiful and emotive character animation I've seen in ANY animated film.

And this film is going to be carried on the strength of the animation to tell the story.

That shouldn't really come as a surprise since it is influenced quite a bit by a wonderful 1931 Charlie Chaplin silent movie called City Lights that at it's heart is a love story with an ending scene of that film that captures a brilliant, pure and touching acting performance done without any spoken words.

Interesting (theme park related) thing about talking with the film's director Andrew Stanton- he's a bit of a sci-fi geek (huge Star Wars fan) and in the design for WALL-E, he actually took some cues from back when he was in college and was at the huge grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland and how while in the queue he spotted a stripped down animatronic (that was taken from America Sings) and turned into one of the droids that is part of the pre-show queue which stuck with him into the design of WALL-E which also meant it was natural to bring in Ben Burtt (from the Star Wars films) for the sound design.

[Ian]

May I ask why?I dunno ... the whole thing seems a little preachy to me. The bad ole humans have ruined their planet and now they're disgusting fatsos floating around up in space on big sofas while robots do their dirty work for them.

Like I said, I'm sure it's going to be a great film. It's just .... something about the entire premise rubs me the wrong way to a degree.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I saw National Treasure and the trailer did not play before the movie... Oh well....

[WDWFREAK101]

Yep. I saw National Treasure and it played. The first teaser was boring and gave no information whatsoever. (If that is even a word. :thumbsup:) Now this trailer, gave a tad bit more info and it gave us (or at least me) some laughs. I love it when Wall-E puts the bra on his head. :thumbsup: HAHAHA!

The animation is briliant as always. Pixar came a long away from Toy Story!

[NotaGeek]

If you would like to see the teaser trailers, you can visit the Official Wall-E site (http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/wall-e/), Disney finally got one together!

[PirateLover]

I dunno ... the whole thing seems a little preachy to me. The bad ole humans have ruined their planet and now they're disgusting fatsos floating around up in space on big sofas while robots do their dirty work for them.


Oh I see. I guess I hadn't really been paying attention to that aspect of it. I definitely see your point there.

[pink]

I saw the trailer the other night and I was not impressed. I was actually kind of confused- a robot who goes through garbage and then takes on if a space ship?:confused: However, I've loved almost all movies put out by Pixar and Disney so maybe the movie will end up being alright.

By the way, Fred Willars is the voice of Shelby Forthright, Jeff Garlin is the captain, Ben Burtt (doesn't say who) and Kim Kopf as Hoverchair Mother.

:mickey:

[diz_girl]

By the way, Fred Willars is the voice of Shelby Forthright, Jeff Garlin is the captain, Ben Burtt (doesn't say who) and Kim Kopf as Hoverchair Mother.


But what character does John Ratzenberger play?

[Melanie]

But what character does John Ratzenberger play?

He's not on the list of characters on IMDb yet.

[dw2649]

has anybody besides me seen the "website" for the company that makes Wall-E, buynlarge.com? I personally like the Sall-E, but could really use the WEND-E (the one that automatically washes, dries, folds , and puts away all your clothes:D).

By the way, I just saw that Wall-E will be released in the U.S. on June 27th, with a release in Japan on December 20th (sorry Mel :()

[Melanie]

By the way, I just saw that Wall-E will be released in the U.S. on June 27th, with a release in Japan on December 20th (sorry Mel :()

Aww, very sweet, but it's okay. On the US bases, we get new releases within a week or so of release Stateside. :thumbsup:

[crazy4disneyworld]

I love all of Pixar's work, but I'm not so sure about this one. I mean, is it going to be overly preachy? I'm all for better solutions for waste disposal, but I don't want "Wall-E" to end up being another "Happy Feet" either.

It's got a lot going for it, to be sure. The animation is the best I've seen to date, even from Pixar. Incorporating live action into the movie seems interesting, and I'm curious to see how it will blend with computer animation. The trailer music is catchy, although we don't know if it's actually in the film. The story between Wall-E and the other robot sounds interesting enough, too. I'll probably end up seeing it, but I won't be dead set on seeing it months in advance like all the other Pixar films. I'll wait for other trailers and promos as they come up. It's not coming out until summer anyway.

P.S. Whatever they do, "Wall-E" must have John Ratzenberger. :D

[2Epcot]

I've had an opportunity to view quite a bit of the work in progress on WALL-E and simply it has some of the most beautiful and emotive character animation I've seen in ANY animated film.

...the film's director Andrew Stanton- he's a bit of a sci-fi geek (huge Star Wars fan) and in the design for WALL-E, he actually took some cues from back when he was in college and was at the huge grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland and how while in the queue he spotted a stripped down animatronic (that was taken from America Sings) and turned into one of the droids that is part of the pre-show queue which stuck with him into the design of WALL-E which also meant it was natural to bring in Ben Burtt (from the Star Wars films) for the sound design.

I just recently saw National Treasure and the trailer for WALL-E. Being a huge animation fan, I was probably paying more attention to the animation then the little bit of story that was revealed in the trailer. Pixar always takes the animation one notch higher in every film they do, so it is great to hear you think it is some of the best character animation that's been done.

I was also at the grand opening of Star Tours at Disneyland, and am a huge Star Wars fan as well as love Ben Burtt's work (sound desgin, then editing the last films). Hearing that he is involved, and also where Andrew Stanton got some of his inspiration for the film, just gives me more reasons to look forward to seeing WALL-E.

[NotaGeek]

I saw a much better trailer today before Juno ... and now I am really looking forward to the film. The animation is unbelievable but I am still unsure what the story line is ... I will see it for sure!

[Mufasa]

In case anyone was wondering what animated short will be shown in front of Wall*E, it will be a Pixar short titled Presto and directed by a fantastic Pixar animator Doug Sweetland (a supervising animator on the short Boundin' and Cars).

Presto DiGiotagione, a turn-of-the-century magician, is famous for an astounding hat trick. Presto's apprentice rabbit, Alec, however, is dissatisfied as he shares none of Presto's wild success. While Presto is out eating lavish dinner, Alec is left behind, locked in a birdcage with a carrot torturously out of reach.

[NotaGeek]

Thanks for the info Mufasa! I am really looking forward to this movie ... and the Pixar short is that bonus that gets me more excited!

[TOThater]

This movie looks like a very good movie to see
What do you think:confused::confused:

[ibrowse17]

Pixar tends to turn out strong offerings, so I will be interested to see this one as well:thumbsup:

[Young@Heart]

The more I see about this movie, the more I can't wait for it! I love it when big Disney/Pixar movies come out in the summer. It's a great family day after school vacation starts. And, of course, it really gets us in the mood for our trip! :mickey:

[Mufasa]

Wall-E had it's world premiere here in Los Angeles at the Greek Theater in Griffith Park and there was quite a turnout for the event.

The real-life animatronic Wall-E made an appearance on the red carpet, and it was great to see the Pixar crew like John Lasseter (who had on this really great Wall-E shirt for the occasion), Ed Catmull and Andrew Stanton and then some unexpected guests like the real Buzz- Buzz Aldrin for the premiere which was great.

The film runs about an hour and 38 minutes and nobody wanted to leave even after the end credits has rolled (and in Pixar style, even the end credits are cool).

Again, I can't say enough about the beautiful animation and Wall-E has easily become my favorite Pixar film of them all.

Before the film you'll also get treated to the Pixar short Presto- really funny and in an even more Tom & Jerry style of animation and comedy than is typical for Pixar shorts and nationwide you should also catch a preview of Disney's fall release Bolt.

If you really love the short, then in the US and Canada, you should be able to purchase and download a copy of Presto in early July from the iTunes movie store.

There are a number of sneak preview showings of Wall-E actually starting this week- quite a few scheduled tomorrow, but the majority of them are already completely full.

[Lacy]

Mufasa ~ Very exciting to hear that Wall-E has become your favorite Pixar movie!

I say a review of it today and it just made me even more excited. Can't wait for next weekend. I've been excited about this one since I saw the first promo.....Wall-E is just so cute!

[NotaGeek]

I am SO excited to see this movie. Since I have a new management job at an IT company, I have organized to take my entire floor to the opening day on Friday... it's about 120 of us! Should be fun, and the company is paying! :thumbsup:

[PirateLover]

I can't wait. I really feel that I'm going to love it. The soundtrack is great.

[TiggeRia]

I'm on my way to the movie theater to see it now!!!

[dw2649]

I'm going to see the movie tonight. Really looking forward to it. Funny thing is the theater I am going to see it at is literally less than 1 mile from the Pixar Studios as the crow flies and 1.3 miles if you were to drive (actually i'll probably drive right by pixar on my way to the theater).

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

Eh.

This is the first Pixar movie I can remember that I just can't get excited for. The entire premise seems fairly pointless and ... well ... sort of offensive if you ask me.
Well, we just saw the movie and Ian took the word right out of my mouth...eh. The kids liked it - the wife and I did not.

[pink]

I had no interest in seeing this movie but some of my family members saw a screening today. My mom said it was bearable with a few funny parts but she's seen better. My brother liked it too. They told my the plot, doesn't sound like the best thing Pixar's put out. :confused:

:mickey:

[NotaGeek]

I loved the movie and all of the people I went with (100 adults) all thought it was great. The animation was stupendous, and the fat humans were absolutely hysterical -- there were lots of messages, but I thought it was really well done! I can't wait to buy this film! I was particularly impressed that all of the kids in the audience were really engaged, even without lots of dialogue in the movie.

[TiggeRia]

While I don't think it's Pixar's best film, I did truly enjoy watching it. The computer animation is absolutely amazing and they did such a wonderful job at conveying the story with limited dialogue. I heard kids laughing out loud just as much as I heard adults, so I think it catered to a wide audience. And it certainly had several good messages. It's one movie I'll be buying when it comes out on DVD. :mickey:

[Lightning McQueen]

I saw Wall-E tonight. I liked it, but not as much as I hoped I would. For me, it doesn't come close to Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Nemo or Cars.

I'd be much happier if Disney and Pixar would keep political statements of any kind out of their movies.

[DisneyDudet]

I returned from the movie and while it was cute, and the best character that Pixar has created, it wasn't the best for me. Nothing has been able to hold a candle, IMHO, to the Toy Story movies, especially the first. I would rank this with A Bug's Life in the world of Pixar, but I haven't really enjoyed anything except Nemo since Monster's Inc. In fact, I haven't even seen Ratatoulle.

Anywho, I liked the movie, and it did hold my attention. The kids in the theater were so cute (I was tolerant of the noise since I came back from a Disney Cruise yesterday), but the fat woman next to me (reminded me of the people in fact.. even the way she sat.. a perfect match!), was giving us all a very loud play-by-play of the movie, which maybe had something to do with my enjoyment level.

I would recommend Wall*E to anyone though, even though small children may not be as interested. I heard a lot of "What happened mommy? What is that mommy?"

[PirateLover]

Well, put me in the column of LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!!!!!!!
The animation was simply amazing. Everything looked so real. Some people will definitely be offended by the human portrayal but the heart of this movie is the love story between lonely WALL-E and the sleek and shiny EVE. WALL-E is so expressive. It's amazing how much story was conveyed with nearly no words for the majority of the movie. I also loved his obsession with "Hello, Dolly!" and his pack rat nature. Very cute.
Our audience was made up mostly of adults. Everyone was laughing and "awww"ing throughout the entire movie. There was only one thing that I think could've been expanded upon, and that is the other "broken" robots. They were so funny, I wanted to see more of them.

The short was also absolutely hysterical.
I definitely rank this movie highly. Just for the record though, my absolute least favorite Pixar movies are Cars and Bug's Life. Haven't seen them since the first go-round.

[disneycutie165]

Wall-e has not seemed to have gotten the audience it expected! I went last night (opening night) and I was expecting for it to be sold out. But it wasn't! No offense to anyone who enjoyed it, but it was a little slow moving and not what I expected!:(

[Bethis26fan]

I thought it was also a little slow. It was a cute movie but not any where near toy story, cars, nemo and so on. My 4 year old nephew liked though so that's all that matters I guess.

[Mufasa]

Wall-e has not seemed to have gotten the audience it expected! I went last night (opening night) and I was expecting for it to be sold out. But it wasn't!

Your experience based on a particular showing at your local movie theater certainly does not reflect the nationwide box office numbers.

Wall-E is well on track to be Pixar's biggest opening weekend. The early estimates for Friday's take was $23.3 million which would make it Pixar's biggest opening day so when the final totals come in for the weekend we could be looking at something around $70 million.

Depends on just how much of an attendance increase there will be today- if it has a modest increase like Ratatouille that probably means the final numbers would be around $66 million. If it follows more like Cars, it would put it right around $70 million and if it has a strong weekend push like Nemo then we'd have an $80 million opening weekend.

Those are some great numbers and the real measure will be the final box office numbers over the next few months.

The real surprise of this weekend actually has to be the box office figures for Wanted... those are way above what I think anyone could have predicted, but still should be second to Wall-E.

[SurferStitch]

DH and I saw WALL-E last night, and we LOVED it! We did a 9:40 showing, and the place was pretty packed, with only about 5 or 6 kids in the entire theater. It was so nice not to hear whining, screaming kids! The theater erupted in laughter many times, and got completely silent when, well, the inevitable sad things happened (won't spoil anything). Heard plenty of AAAAWWWWWWW's at all of the cute parts, too. The short was also hilarious. The theater went nuts during that.

I thought Pixar did an amazing job. Animation was the best I've ever seen, and they did a wonderful job giving the bots emotions with just the slightest eye movements and gestures. They were more human than most humans I know! WALL-E is a truly lovable character, and EVE is just too cool! I love the fact that such a wonderful story line could be told without an abundance of dialogue for much of the movie.

The fat people were obviously an exaggeration of true humans, but there was a statement there, and I thought it wasn't all too far from the truth. I won't get into anything here, but go to WDW (or anywhere for that matter), and just look around.....I can see where Pixar was going here. And, as far as the environmental statement....just watch TV. You are constantly bombarded with stories about the environment. Plenty of people on this board tout how they are so green, so why shouldn't Pixar/Disney bring up the point of how many others are not, and because of that, the earth was left unlivable? Again, it's an exaggeration, but for a valid point.

I can't wait to see it again before it leaves the theaters. This movie has heart, endearing characters, and a better plot than most movies being puked out by the movie companies these days. I actually teared up a couple times, but then again, I'm a real sap.

I have to say, I think Pixar gave me another favorite here. It ranks right at the top for me.

Thank you, Pixar, for a truly beautiful movie.

And, how can you not love M-O? He was awesome!

[mrsgaribaldi]

We saw it tonight and liked it alot:thumbsup:

[Melanie]

It doesn't start here until next weekend. We'll be busy on Saturday, but first showing Sunday, we are so there!

What is the short about? Title? I love Pixar shorts!

[Mufasa]

What is the short about? Title? I love Pixar shorts!

The short is titled Presto and is done in a fun Tex Avery/Tom & Jerry style.

Dignity. Poise. Mystery. We expect nothing less from the great, turn-of-the-century magician, Presto DiGiotagione. But, when Presto forgets to feed his rabbit one too many times, well, there’s really no telling what to expect!

This latest comical short film from Pixar Animation Studios follows the escalating high jinx of the amazing Presto, his rabbit Alec, and what happens onstage when a star magician’s ego provokes some clever revenge from his neglected costar.

[KineGirl]

loved Loved LOVED WallE!! DH asked DD17 & I if there was a movie we wanted to see last night and we both said "WallE!!" Such a sweet movie with many funny as well as touching moments. I also really liked the message in the movie. Max consumerism, self absorbtion, a "throw away" mentality and instant gratification are portrayed to show their downfalls. A very neat "green" message. I also found it hard not to cry during the sad moments (okay I did cry once :blush:). The movie really has you pulling for WallE, Eve and even the humans ;)

[Mickey'sGirl]

WALL-E was fantabulous. DS10 even got the message "It just takes one person to get it going, right Mom?". It sure does. It was beautiful both visually and emotionally. (How many gasped for air when Eve shut up???) Go see it!!!

[Lacy]

I really enjoyed Wall-E. Don't think it is my favorite Pixar but it is so hard to pick a favorite and compare them. But I really have to hand it for Disney/Pixar for creating Wall-E. It is such a sweet love story with a message and not much dialogue. Kind of a risky move for an animated movie when you compare it to all of the previews and other typical kids movies that are out there.

And the short was absolutely great! Another great job by Pixar!

[Ian]

Wall-e has not seemed to have gotten the audience it expected! I went last night (opening night) and I was expecting for it to be sold out. But it wasn't! No offense to anyone who enjoyed it, but it was a little slow moving and not what I expected!:(You appear to be in the minority on this (not that that's a problem or anything ... tastes vary!), because Wall-E is on track to have the 3rd best opening for a Pixar film to date (it had a $23 million Friday opening and is likely to pull in about $60 million over the weekend) and it's garnering like a 96 on Rotten Tomatoes.

We're actually headed out to see it in 5 minutes or so, so I'll let you all know what I think.

[Ian]

I just got home ... I really, really enjoyed it. I thought it was an incredibly charming and entertaining film and very typical of Pixar's normal offerings.

A couple things that sort of jumped out at me, though. 700 years at a minimum since humans left Earth and there's still power? And the fluid in a Zippo is still good?

Those were a couple plot holes big enough to drive a truck through!

Forgot to mention ... the music they played (I think it's from Hello, Dolly?) kept making me pine for Main Street, because it's part of the BGM they play.

Also, was that Peter Gabriel singing over the closing credits?

[wendy*darling]

:thumbsup:We just got home to- DS18 and I went to see it this afternoon and we both loved it! :thumbsup:

Yes, that was Peter Gabriel singing during the end credits.

And, I agree about those small issues (Zippo, power, etc.) but I can happily overlook them and go with the flow.

Loved the messages- and I did not think they were preachy at all- just observant.
Makes me want to get on the treadmill.... right now!!

Loved hearing John Ratzenberger's voice! :) Plus Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver and Fred Willard.

The theater where we saw it was full of kids- and they were having a great time. Lots of laughter and lots of "aawwws," although I did hear some parents trying to explain it to their 4 years olds on the way out. ;)

The Presto short at the beginning was very funny- we enjoyed that as well.

Lots of fun- I hope it does very, very well.

[PirateLover]

And the fluid in a Zippo is still good?

You know what, the zippo bothered me for other reasons that I had forgot to mention... They used it a lot and it became one of their "love" symbols. Now I'm usually part of the "lighten up" crowd, but it's a proven fact that children are attracted to matches/lighters as it is. Did that really have to be featured so prominently in a children's movie?

Oh, and the song is "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" from "Hello,Dolly!" and is indeed in the Main St. loop :)

[NotaGeek]

You know what, the zippo bothered me for other reasons that I had forgot to mention... They used it a lot and it became one of their "love" symbols. Now I'm usually part of the "lighten up" crowd, but it's a proven fact that children are attracted to matches/lighters as it is. Did that really have to be featured so prominently in a children's movie?


I haven't ever read the study linking children and matches/lighters -- but the Zippo didn't bother me at all and it didn't occur to me that the lighter fluid would probably wouldn't still be usable.

I doubt there will be a bigger trend towards kids playing with lighters from this movie. Surely Disney considered that ... I am sure that everything in their movies is nitpicked by the legal department, but as always Disney can't please everyone.

[PirateLover]

I haven't ever read the study linking children and matches/lighters -- but the Zippo didn't bother me at all and it didn't occur to me that the lighter fluid would probably wouldn't still be usable.

I doubt there will be a bigger trend towards kids playing with lighters from this movie. Surely Disney considered that ...
I worked as a camp counselor for 8 years at a summer day camp in the inner city. Every year we had to do fire prevention plays and fire safety camps. The number of fires started and accidents caused by children who play with matches and lighters is surprising. Why do you think most lighters nowadays have child safety mechanisms? You don't think it might cross a few little minds next time they see Uncle Joe lighting a cigarette that "Hey, thats what Wall-E used!" and then gain an interest in playing with it themselves once he puts it down if they don't know any better? There was no indication in the movie that fire is bad, in fact it was portrayed as a beautiful, moving moment. Like I said, I'm usually pretty chill about these things, and at first I even forgot about it.
I'm certainly not saying the movie is going to cause a huge increase in children playing with lighters, but children are very impressionable and attracted to things they shouldn't be (swallowing toys, bleach, etc), and I don't think it was as thoroughly thought through as you do. That's all.


but as always Disney can't please everyone.
Not sure how to take this or why it was necessary? I'm really not trying to nitpick.... I did say it was one of my favorite Pixar films...

[NotaGeek]

Not sure how to take this or why it was necessary? I'm really not trying to nitpick.... I did say it was one of my favorite Pixar films...

Yes, you did say that it was one of your favorite films, but it's also clear that as was evident in your post, and other posts in the thread, everyone nit picks. It's part of human nature and the fact that everyone has their own passionate view of what Disney should be. I stand behind what I said, Disney can't please everyone.

[brownie]

We really liked WALL-E. We saw it Saturday morning at 10am. It wasn't packed, but it was the busiest we've seen the first show of a movie in the morning in a while (we've gotten into the habit of going on weekend mornings; at $4 a ticket it's worth getting there when they open.)

I really enjoyed the short, Presto. I think it is the best short they've done.

[Alligirl]

I saw it last night with DD 18 and her DBF 19 and we all really enjoyed it!
I have to say that I enjoyed seeing Fred Willard but found it a little jarring to go from such pure beautiful animation to real people. The musical and the reports from BnL advanced the story I understand that but I found it a little odd to have the real actors in it. Anyone else feel the same?

[LarryBoy]

We saw it Friday night and everybody in our family loved it!:thumbsup: I haven't decided yet if it's my favorite Pixar, but it's probably at least top 3 or 4. It's getting harder, and harder to pick a favorite Pixar because they keep making such awesome movies. One critic here in Atlanta even suggested that Wall*E should be nominated for best picture, and I think I agree with him. Probably the best movie I've seen this year. My DS 7 is beggin to go see it again.

[Mufasa]

If you enjoyed the Pixar short Presto that appeared before Wall-E, you can now find it available for purchase on the iTunes store under Movies for $1.99

[RBrooksC]

It seems there is a quiet yet strong campaign going to promote WALL-E for the Best Picture Oscar and that isn't coming for Disney/Pixar. USA Today has an article about New York Magazine and Hollywood trade papers starting to create buzz about WALL-E being a Best Picture candidate. While I have not seen it yet, I have heard from people who have saying it is a FANTASTIC film and exceeded all their expectations.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) With the amount of animations, it should be a nominee.
2) I thought it was a good movie.
3) Oscar?
4) I didn't think it was that great.

NOTE: I recommend the movie. But, like Indiana Jones #4, although a fun flick, I didn't think Best Movie Oscar material.

[RBrooksC]

My guess would be the emotion the movie stirs with very limited dialog and mostly visuals that is creating the buzz by those papers. While I haven't seen it yet and I am debating on whether to take my toddler to see it, it will be interesting to see if this take a life of its own.

[diz_girl]

I would be surprised if it would happen. The reason that they made the Animated category was to bring more attention to animation, but IMHO it also serves a second purpose, to relegate animated films to their own category so that any really good ones don't take away a Best Picture nomination from a non-animated film.

Foreign-language films are frequently treated the same way, so now you rarely see a foreign-language film nominated for Best Picture. I think the last one was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, several years ago.

Animated films started to gain recognition again in the 90's with the re-emergence of Disney (if you recall, Beauty and the Beast was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar) and the emergence of Pixar and Dreamworks, so AMPAS gave animation it's own category in 2001. There have been a lot of great animated features released since Beauty and the Beast, but no Best Picture nominations. I wouldn't be surprised if the same happens this year.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Wanted should be up for an Oscar... That movie was awesome... Some with Ironman... but, we all know they choose artsy films that no one cares to ever see...

[SurferStitch]

I would LOVE to see WALL-E have a nomination for Best Movie, and better yet, WIN!

WALL-E was one of the best movies I've ever seen. The emotion and heart in that movie was superb, and the story was excellent. Best animation ever.

We absolutely fell in love with the characters....even the ship captain. You really cared about them and wanted them to succeed.

I can't wait to go see it again!

[Jared]

Leaving the theater last June after seeing "Ratatouille" on opening night, my best friend, a film student at New York University, turned to me and suggested Brad Bird may be the world's greatest director. Better than Steven Spielberg. Better than Martin Scorsese. Better than anyone.

He was only half joking that night.

It was a testament to the geniuses at Pixar, praise from a movie lover and maker, not a Disney fanatic like all of us here posting in this thread. Who else had made eight extraordinary classic pictures, one after the other, never failing, never once slipping up? Even my least favorite of the bunch, "Cars," was a solid animated flick in its own right. I was only disappointed because Pixar had previously created such high standards with "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo." And I know there are people out there, Melanie, for one, who loved "Cars" and would cringe at my criticism.

Now along comes "WALL-E," Pixar's most ambitious and creative project, and probably its most enlightening since "Toy Story" came out 13 years ago now. Imagine convincing a major studio executive to fund a movie about two robots who cannot speak falling in love, wrapped around legitimate science fiction sensibilities. The concept is ludicrous. Adults, let alone children, won't sit through 90 minutes of beeping and whirring, the bigwig would say. You can't possibly expect an audience to relate and feel for a rolling tin can. True, the American public fell for bugs, cars and even a rat, but this idea has finally gone too far. Only because Pixar has seemingly done the impossible before could "WALL-E" have been given the go-ahead. I waited anxiously for a year for the film because I believed Pixar could actually do the impossible, like Walt Disney once did with Disneyland.

When the movie ended, I took out my cell phone and text messaged my girlfriend one word: "breathtaking." I didn't know how else to describe what I had just seen. Matt, the same friend from "Ratatouille" simply said, "That wasn't a movie." I don't exactly know what he meant by that statement, but somehow I completely agreed.

"WALL-E" is as close to a perfect movie as possible and perhaps the film that best represents Pixar's undeniable power. WALL-E's eyes are so expressive and emotive. There is never doubt what he's thinking or feeling, and the viewer melts for him. EVE is sleek and tough. She solves problems simply by blasting them away with a laser in her arm. But her plight is so human and real. To see EVE toss away the plant to scoop WALL-E in her arms and care for him is touching and genuine. And that's not even one of the real tears-inducing moments. Save that for the scene with WALL-E carrying the umbrella, or EVE watching what the security camera captured during her chlorophyll-triggered hibernation.

"WALL-E" is undoubtedly one of my three favorite Pixar films, joining "Ratatouille" and "Finding Nemo." I don't have an order. There is no reason to try and rank them. But I know that little tin can is both a hero and a lover for movie antiquity.

[IloveDisney71]

I went to see WALL-E with my two DD's (18 & 19) the other night. I really had no desire to see it because the previews just didn't get me interested in the movie at all. BUT since it was a Pixar and one of my DD's offered to pay, I decided to go ahead and see it. I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We went really late so there were no kids in the theatre but you could tell all of the adults really got into the film. There was a lot of laughter and awwws. I thought it was one of the best movies Pixar has put out recently. It was cute, funny, somewhat romantic, and had a great lesson for all of us. Anyway, if anyone else has reservations about going to see it - just go. I think you'll be glad you did. I know I was!:D

[Crow]

just saw WALL E
i have to think about it some....i love SciFi movies. slow somewhat but different. not as much dialogue. not sure how the kids will take it.
i think i still like the Toy Storys the best of the Pixars.
the short wasnt bad
yes I thought it was Peter Gabriel singing the closing song, & the credits confirmed it:thumbsup:

[Jeff G]

We were able to catch Wall-E last night at the Drive-In along with Indiana Jones.

The short "Presto" before Wall-E was my favorite of all Pixar shorts and had all of the kids in our area and a vast majority of the adults in stitches. I really enjoyed the vintage feel that started right from the introduction.

Wall-E was outstanding and one of the best movies I have seen in several years! Pixar is an amazing studio who has made a lot classics and in this case they certainly didn't disappoint. They took two robots who don't speak and gave them both a ton of character and emotion, it was very easy to relate with them and feel their emotions.The message was a little preachy in regards to the environment and our throw away society but it home well and was also easy to overlook. As with other Disney movies the film also contained many witty parts, I especially liked the Twinkie used to feed the cockroach. The film had a great mix of laugh out loud and tear jerking moments and it moved along well.

This was my favorite movie of the year and it wouldn't surprise or shock me if it did get consideration for best film later this year.

Definitely a 4 thumbs up movie(out of four).
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[scoot241]

Saw Wall-E yesterday. I thought it was really good. We took my 2 (almost 3) year-old daughter and she enjoyed it too, though I'm not sure how much she understood. She would have probably benefited from more speech. I didn't find the movie to be too preachy. If it were, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much.

Presto was a really good short too!

[Melanie]

I liked Wall-E okay. In my opinion, definitely different than previous Pixar offerings, and it places low in my ranking of Pixar films. With additional viewings it may grow on me more, but I guess today I was wanting something a little lighter.

My sons liked it, and no doubt I'll be hearing "Eeeeeva" and "Wallllll-E" around the house for a while. :)

[A Foolish Mortal]

That's exactly why they created the 'Best Animated Feature' category... some would argue that animated features have an advantage because they don't have actual people in it to screw it up. I believe the only animated 'Best Picture' nominee was in 1991... Beauty and the Beast. THAT should have won.

Wall-E is an absolutely fantastic movie. My favorite of the year. Definitely Pixar's best.

Love to see it come to Disney soon somehow!

[Dixie Springs]

Brilliant animation and cute robots - totally stunning work. However, I thought it was sort of dark for a Pixar film. Perhaps because it was a bit of a statement (eco-fable)? Nonetheless, the critics and the box office loved it. Disney was very, very wise to snuggle up with Pixar. They are filling Disney's creativity void nicely.

[Altair]

The animation was very realistic and the music really was wonderful, but I found this movie to be very boring, almost to the point of walking out.:(

[DisneyOtaku]

That's exactly why they created the 'Best Animated Feature' category... some would argue that animated features have an advantage because they don't have actual people in it to screw it up. I believe the only animated 'Best Picture' nominee was in 1991... Beauty and the Beast. THAT should have won.

Wall-E is an absolutely fantastic movie. My favorite of the year. Definitely Pixar's best.

Love to see it come to Disney soon somehow!

Beauty and the Beast DID win, if my movie-fanatic friend recalls correctly.

She also says the reason they invented the best animation category was because whoever runs it didn't want Shrek to win Best Picture that year. How true that is, I can't say, but I could believe it.

Wall-E really does need the nomination. Awesome animation, entertaining, and I walked away VERY moved by the message.

[jrkcr]

This movie just gets an "OK" from me. I think my DH and 3 kids liked it more than I did.

[A Foolish Mortal]

Beauty and the Beast DID win, if my movie-fanatic friend recalls correctly.

Nope. Silence of the Lambs one that year. Beauty and the Beast was just nominated.

[Doug The Disney Man]

Beauty and The Beast IS the only animated film to be nominated for best picture, but Silence of the Lambs did win.

Animated films, like sci-fi/fantasy or foreign language almost never get nominated. First of all, I know Lord of the Rings, but that was an anomaly to say the least. And Crouching Tiger was the last fully foreign language film to be nominated, but it lost to Gladiator. Of course, I'm pretty sure that Juno which was nominated last year wasn't English, but I digress.

I will say this for WALL-E's chances:
1. The animation was amazing and the integration of old film clips, etc. was seamless.
2. It had some great emotional moments akin to an ET or Sixth Sense.
3. The artistic way in which they conveyed those emotions with very limited dialogue. This surprised me because over the last 2 decades anything made for kids has intentionally spelled out every detail. I like that PIXAR gives kids more credit than that.
4. Finally, the best reason WALL-E has a chance is that it deals with a current and topical issue. Recent winners indicate that this can't hurt-A Beautiful Mind, Crash, Million Dollar Baby-and other nominees like Juno, Michael Clayton, even Brokeback were all issue driven, too.
5. The Hello Dolly clips could help, too. The old Academy members like things that remind them of films from their day. Again, recent nominees/winners in this vein: Gladiator, Good Night and Good Luck, Titanic, Unforgiven, Chicago.

I'm not holding my breath, but it would be nice to see a movie that I've actually seen BEFORE it was nominated get nominated!

It is a lock for best animated feature, though. But, PIXAR is usually a lock. They are 3 for 5 with wins for Finding Nemo, Incredibles and Ratatouillie but losing to Shrek (Monster's Inc.) and Happy Feet (Cars).

That being said, I hope it gets many noms and many wins. It was my fave Pixar aside from Nemo and Monsters and IMHO the best Pixar story other than Nemo and the best animation ever.

[tinkwest]

Saw the movie this afternoon and DH & I both really enjoyed it. I loved how so much of the story was told with little or no dialog. All of the emotions of the robots came through clearly through their actions & expressions. I saw it as a love story more than an ecological statement. Although it did cause me to recall/remember one of my favorite children's books, "The Wump World" by Bill Peet.

I liked the Van Gogh style of artwork included in the credits. I didn't pay close enough attention to catch any other artists represented.

Presto was a great short!!

[Melanie]

After a bit more reflection and after talking it over this morning with one of the friends I went with to see the movie, we decided we were a bit bored. It certainly had it's moments, and the animation was stunning indeed (although at this point, that's expected), but I just didn't feel overly entertained like I have with previous Pixar films. Maybe I should stop comparing it. :unsure:

[SurferStitch]

It is a lock for best animated feature, though. But, PIXAR is usually a lock. They are 3 for 5 with wins for Finding Nemo, Incredibles and Ratatouillie but losing to Shrek (Monster's Inc.) and Happy Feet (Cars).

On a side note....

I can't believe Cars lost to Happy Feet....that movie was just too weird. I know it revolved around a current issue, but it just had a bizarre vibe to me.

Cars was a much better written, designed and executed film.

Obviously I loved Monster's Inc. much more than Shrek, but I think it was still a good movie.

Okay....sorry to hijack....

[Mufasa]

On a side note....

I can't believe Cars lost to Happy Feet....that movie was just too weird. I know it revolved around a current issue, but it just had a bizarre vibe to me.

Cars was a much better written, designed and executed film.

Obviously I loved Monster's Inc. much more than Shrek, but I think it was still a good movie.

Okay....sorry to hijack....

The biggest problem I had with Happy Feet winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar was it's reliance on motion capture along with the other nominee in that year's category Monster House.

Happy Feet's director even went as far as to say this in an article from the Washington Post:

"I knew even the greatest animators in the world would take a lifetime to pull off the nuances of dancing that a gifted dancer is able to pull off," says "Happy Feet" director George Miller

Hmm... I don't seem to remember that Frank Thomas had any problem animating penguins (ironically) that could keep up with Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.

Is Motion Capture today's equivalent of rotoscoping? I don't think that motion capture requires the same level of frame by frame manipulation (which is the academy's standard for defining animation).

AMPAS has lately used the Best Animated Feature as a weird category- if anything, last year there was a signficant snub by the academy against Persepolis probably because of it's subject matter (a girl coming to age amidst the Iranian revolution) and not considered for the best foreign language film category, but put into the animated feature category which came up against Ratatouille.

Like Wall-E, Persepolis was named to many critics list of top films of 2007 (but not as widely distributed as a film like Ratatouille).

Because it's not just animation professionals that vote in the best animated feature category there is still this bias towards seeing the category as being for kid's films.

[cvzdesign]

The biggest problem I had with Happy Feet winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar was it's reliance on motion capture along with the other nominee in that year's category Monster House.
...

I agree with both the above posts.

And Monster House didn't have a target audience that I could find.
It was much too scary for the kids (and trying to be adult) And too dumbed down for the teens and adults.

I wanted to like it, but came away feeling like I had lost those hours of my life.

Cars is a true classic.

I loved WALL*E! It felt like time just flew by during that movie, and I wanted more when I was done.
We had to go put in Hello Dolly after watching it too.

[Diznee4Me]

The DW and I went and saw it this weekend. I loved it, second only to Nemo. The wife found it a bit heavy and preachy. :thumbsup: from me!

[Baloo Da Man!]

Wall E was disappointing. These films are made timeless by the dialogue and the rich characters. While I liked the way the robots were personified, where were the funny/quirky side characters like Luigi, Mr. Potato Head, Flo, Roz, Frozone, etc.?

(1) Incredibles
(2) Nemo
(3) Toy Story 2
(4) Monsters Inc.
(5) Cars
(6) Toy Story 1
(7) Ratatouille
(8) Bugs Life
(9) Wall E

[KineGirl]

Im not really surprised with the mixed reviews. I still really enjoyed it but I was on the fence the first 20 minutes of the film. However by the end I adored WallE!! I was really worried for him towards the end - I even cried once - and it was such a relief when he was back to his old self!

Its also the kind of movie that seems to grow on you more and more after youve seen it.

To the PP - what about M.O. (the cleaning robot) and Hal (the cockroach)? I loved how no matter what happened to Hal he always bounced back. Funny and yet, sadly - true. ;)

[A Foolish Mortal]

Yea, I can't really see anything like Kung Fu Panda beating Wall-E this year. Wall-E was absolutely fantastic.

[Doug The Disney Man]

I agree with those of you who felt that Wall-E was a bit heavy-handed at times, but those are often the films that win. Many of the Academy's voting members NEED someone to hammer them over the head with the message. Think about some recent nominees/winners...

Spoilers ahead:


Crash-racism is bad. Did we need 2 and a half hours? We get it.

Million Dollar Baby-euthanasia/assisted suicide should be legal. Okay, we get it.

Juno-teen pregnancy is tough on many people. Or whatever. We get it.

Erin Brockovich-the environment is important. Aha! We get it. And I hope Wall-E does, too.

There's an astounding amount of buzz around Wall-E and "its Oscar competition!" It's kind of strange to hear Oscar buzz around the fourth of July, so who knows.

[NotaGeek]

Crash-racism is bad. Did we need 2 and a half hours? We get it.

Million Dollar Baby-euthanasia/assisted suicide should be legal. Okay, we get it.

Juno-teen pregnancy is tough on many people. Or whatever. We get it.

Erin Brockovich-the environment is important. Aha! We get it. And I hope Wall-E does, too.

There's an astounding amount of buzz around Wall-E and "its Oscar competition!" It's kind of strange to hear Oscar buzz around the fourth of July, so who knows.
Sorry, but not everyone "gets it" as you claim, otherwise we wouldn't have the problems we do in society. The themes in these movie are important, and IMO, well portrayed in most of the movies.

[Jared]

Cars is a true classic.
This thread just proves how different our tastes can be. I thought "Cars" was by far Pixar's worst effort. I don't even think it comes remotely close to the other eight by any measure of quality. It's still a solid flick, but I thought it lacked much of Pixar's creative genius and aptitude.


Wall E was disappointing. These films are made timeless by the dialogue and the rich characters. While I liked the way the robots were personified, where were the funny/quirky side characters like Luigi, Mr. Potato Head, Flo, Roz, Frozone, etc.?

(1) Incredibles
(2) Nemo
(3) Toy Story 2
(4) Monsters Inc.
(5) Cars
(6) Toy Story 1
(7) Ratatouille
(8) Bugs Life
(9) Wall E
The lack of dialog is one reason why "WALL-E" was so spectacular. It paid tribute to old silent films while telling a truly beautiful love story with adorable characters and arguably the greatest animation in a movie ever. I agree it's definitely a subtler brand of entertainment by Pixar, and it requires a little more effort by the viewer. I see how that would disappoint and rattle people.

And not like it's relevant, but if I had to rank the nine films:


Finding Nemo
Ratatouille
WALL-E
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Monsters, Inc.
The Incredibles
A Bug's Life
Cars


Talk about different!


Im not really surprised with the mixed reviews.
I am, honestly. But I was also surprised when "Ratatouille" came out last year and at least half of the posters here totally panned it. Interestingly, critics absolutely adored both movies, probably more than any Pixar film since "Toy Story 2." The reviews of "WALL-E" have been astronomically and overwhelmingly positive. It shows the utter disconnect between critics and the general public and why the Academy Awards are so often criticized.



Sorry, but not everyone "gets it" as you claim, otherwise we wouldn't have the problems we do in society. The themes in these movie are important, and IMO, well portrayed in most of the movies.
I agree, for the most part, but I really thought "Crash" was a major waste of time. I didn't think it was in the same ballpark as "Brokeback Mountain." I didn't even think it deserved a nomination, let alone the win. I was honestly a little surprised at how that particular film caught fire like it did. But I generally agree with your point.

As for "WALL-E's" chances at garnering a nomination? I don't see it. Not yet, at least. It's still only July. There are a whole slew of award movies coming out in the winter, and I'd be surprised if "WALL-E" is one of the five best, according to the Academy. We'll see.

[Melanie]

I agree it's definitely a subtler brand of entertainment by Pixar, and it requires a little more effort by the viewer.

To be honest, I have enough heaviness in my everyday life, and when I go to the movies with my kids, I want lighthearted, fun 'entertainment'. Wall-E didn't fit this bill.

[Mickey'sGirl]

The lack of dialog is one reason why "WALL-E" was so spectacular. It paid tribute to old silent films while telling a truly beautiful love story with adorable characters and arguably the greatest animation in a movie ever. I agree it's definitely a subtler brand of entertainment by Pixar, and it requires a little more effort by the viewer. I see how that would disappoint and rattle people. .The subtlety and the lack of dialogue is was got me so excited about WALL-E. I am an early shorts nut, and I think this movie is so old school Disney (exchanging slap stick humour for a meaningful environmental message aside).


And not like it's relevant, but if I had to rank the nine films....And because my opinion is soooooo important.....


Toy Story
WALL-E
Toy Story 2
Incredibles
Ratatouille
Monster's Inc
A Bug's Life
Cars
Finding Nemo

Again...talk about different!

[Jared]

Toy Story
WALL-E
Toy Story 2
Incredibles
Ratatouille
Monster's Inc
A Bug's Life
Cars
Finding Nemo

Again...talk about different!
"Finding Nemo" last? That sure is different! I don't think I've met anyone else who ranks it at the bottom. I know considerably more people who say it's their favorite animated movie ever! Why didn't it appeal to you? Again, totally not accusatory. Just genuine curiosity. I'm fascinated by how different opinions can be.

[Mickey'sGirl]

"Finding Nemo" last? That sure is different! I don't think I've met anyone else who ranks it at the bottom. I know considerably more people who say it's their favorite animated movie ever! Why didn't it appeal to you? Again, totally not accusatory. Just genuine curiosity. I'm fascinated by how different opinions can be.
Honestly, many of the characters annoyed me. Marlin is so negative (I know he was supposed to be), Dory is too over the top and the Turtle talk (although clever) grates a bit, Dude. That said -- I loved Gill and Nigel and Bruce -- and often use the "Mine! Mine! Mine!" of the seagulls. It was still a good movie, but of the 9 listed above, it is my least favourite, and the only one we do not own.

[Jared]

Honestly, many of the characters annoyed me. Marlin is so negative (I know he was supposed to be), Dory is too over the top and the Turtle talk (although clever) grates a bit, Dude. That said -- I loved Gill and Nigel and Bruce -- and often use the "Mine! Mine! Mine!" of the seagulls. It was still a good movie, but of the 9 listed above, it is my least favourite, and the only one we do not own.
That's fair enough. :thumbsup:

[Jeff G]

It's been interesting to see how different the opinions are with Pixar films. I've enjoyed them all. Here's my order of prefernce...


Toy Story
WALL-E
Toy Story 2
Monster's Inc
Ratatouille
The Incredibles
Cars
Finding Nemo
A Bug's Life


Toy Story is my favorite animated movie of all time with Wall-E close behind.


Honestly, many of the characters annoyed me. Marlin is so negative (I know he was supposed to be), Dory is too over the top and the Turtle talk (although clever) grates a bit, Dude. That said -- I loved Gill and Nigel and Bruce -- and often use the "Mine! Mine! Mine!" of the seagulls. It was still a good movie, but of the 9 listed above, it is my least favourite, and the only one we do not own.


Very good explanation. I feel they over developed some of the characters in Finding Nemo and went over the top . For me Dory is the one that stands out the most and borderlines on obnoxious. Since the character is in so many of the scenes it's hard to ignore and brings the movie down a level.

[mac badger]

i loved WALL-E. one of the best from pixar IMO. i know everyone has different tastes, but for me it was one of the most romantic movies i had seen in a long time. wall-e's love for Eve was very touching, made me quite teary-eyed

[MegaDisney]

I finally got to see Wall-E and I have to admit that I liked it quite a bit!

I was amazed at the character animation the way they used his binocular eyes to express emotion was simply incredible. Kudos to the animators! I found myself wrapped up emotionally with characters that not only were not human but didn't speak in any traditional way.

The love story was very charming.

Regarding the "Fat" humans, they are actually supposed to have never matured past a "baby" state. Having everything done for them forced a sort of reverse evolution. There is actually a word for it, but it alludes me right now.

Having been disappointed in Pixar's last release, Wall-E was a great treat! :thumbsup:

[thrillme]

Just got to see Wall-e last night. I really wasn't expecting to like it as much as we ALL did.

Well done!

But as far as the fat humans...I felt that the loss of "bone mass" was due more to the "lack of exercise" rather than the "micro gravity". Where it's TRUE that the lack of gravity can cause loss of bone mass in astronauts...even today they've discovered that "exercise" can help that. I'm quite certian in the future they will improve on that still.

I think a lot of that was trying to introduce people to get exercise and have a little more face to face real person contact.

The whole movie was quite enjoyable. When we got home. The dog and I went for a walk. Maybe it was subliminal or something.

[Tinkerfreak]

Just went to see this yesterday. The kids liked it but not as much as the other movies. I have to admit I felt the same way. I felt like I was waiting for the movie to get into full swing for a long time. I think I will probably like it more after I see it a couple more times but my first viewing was just a let down. I agree with another poster about there not being the cute or funny side characters that other movies have had. When it ended I thought "thats it".
I'm glad that some of you really enjoyed it and maybe after another viewing I will too.

[Niecyboo]

Well, I finally got to see Wall-E last night. We had my son's 6th birthday party at the theater and had 10 kids ranging from 4-11 and they all seemed to love it. The majority of the kids were 6 year old boys, and I was amazed how much of the movie they really understood. It didn't bother them at all that there was a lack of dialogue.

Personally I LOVED it. I found myself completely engrossed in the story. I felt it was less about the environment and more about not just surviving but LIVING (both human and robot).

One thing nobody else has mentioned that I noticed. When Wall-E first walked into his home and was looking at all his treasures, I wanted to start singing "Look at this Stuff. Isn't it neat. Wouldn't you think my collections complete." From the Little Mermaid. The song came into my head every time they showed his home. LOL

[Mickey'sGirl]

One thing nobody else has mentioned that I noticed. When Wall-E first walked into his home and was looking at all his treasures, I wanted to start singing "Look at this Stuff. Isn't it neat. Wouldn't you think my collections complete." From the Little Mermaid. The song came into my head every time they showed his home. LOLAn honest question....wasn't an instrumental version of that song playing in the background? DH and I thought it was...... Even if it wasn't, I thought the same thing as you!

[ASweetLov]

Wall-E was great:thumbsup: My boyfriend and I laughed the entire time

[Marceline]

My review...... LOVED IT!!! Adorable, I'd love to see it again.

I didn't see it as dark or political. I saw it as light-hearted social commentary wrapped around a simple sweet love story. Admittedly I was laughing aloud more than anyone else in the theater.

I am a little irked at this film constantly referred to as a "kid's movie" or aimed at just children. I don't think it is at all. Animation doesn't equal "kiddie film" in my book. As Disney lover's we should know that by heart. Animation grew up a long time ago, it is for people, not just young people. My 6 year old daughter had no interest in this movie from the previews, I however was very excited about it. She ended up actually liking it though.....hehehe I like it more however.:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[2Epcot]

I finally got around to see Wall-E on Tuesday night, and I thought it was very good. Another great film by Pixar!


To be honest, I have enough heaviness in my everyday life, and when I go to the movies with my kids, I want lighthearted, fun 'entertainment'. Wall-E didn't fit this bill.

There were not too many kids in the showing we went to on Tesday night, so I was wondering what kind of reaction kids would have from this film. I certainly understand not wanting to sit in a heavy film with the kids.



I am a little irked at this film constantly referred to as a "kid's movie" or aimed at just children. I don't think it is at all. Animation doesn't equal "kiddie film" in my book. As Disney lover's we should know that by heart. Animation grew up a long time ago, it is for people, not just young people. My 6 year old daughter had no interest in this movie from the previews, I however was very excited about it. She ended up actually liking it though.

I told my wife after we left the film that this seemed more of an "adult" Pixar film. I think kids would it enjoy, but it certainly wasn't a Toy Story or Finding Nemo. I found the film very interesting, but wondered if kids would get bored by the slower pace of the film.


The biggest problem I had with Happy Feet winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar was it's reliance on motion capture along with the other nominee in that year's category Monster House.

I felt the same way about Happy Feet winning. The category is for best Animated Feature. To me motion capture seems like cheating. The award should be given to those who take the time to view, study and animate, without just doing it "by-the-numbers". Motion capture is just a more advance way drawing the way we did as kids.

The animation in Wall-E was fantastic. The guys at Pixar just seem to get better with every film. I always find myself paying so much attention to the subtle detail of the animation and just being amazed.


But as far as the fat humans...I felt that the loss of "bone mass" was due more to the "lack of exercise" rather than the "micro gravity". Where it's TRUE that the lack of gravity can cause loss of bone mass in astronauts...even today they've discovered that "exercise" can help that.

Yet they still had so many little ones. :confused:

[Marceline]

I found the film very interesting, but wondered if kids would get bored by the slower pace of the film.

------------------------


Yet they still had so many little ones. :confused:


I took a 3, 5, and 6 y.o. to see it. The 3 year old started to fidget wander around our aisle and ask for multiple restroom visits, but then again he just does that at movies. The 5 and 6 y.o.'s sat wide eyed and giggled. The depth of the social commentary was lost on them but the sci-fi heroic love story was not. Wall E is a cute new hero for them.

When did the pace slow down? I was enthralled with the whole thing, didn't want it to end. :popcorn:


Oh and how did the humans keep making progeny while being to big to.......ummmm.....walk? I will make a cinematic assumption and say, test-tubes. :D

[2Epcot]

When did the pace slow down? I was enthralled with the whole thing, didn't want it to end. :popcorn:

I enjoyed the entire movie as well ... I was comparing the pace of this film to movies like Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

[Disney Doll]

I finally saw Wall-E this weekend and it was great! I hadn't been reading any reviews and truthfully I didn't even know what the movie was about so I had no idea what to expect. It was a little weird getting used to the lack of dialogue, but I quickly got over that and thought the movie was fab! DH and I were talking about it after the show and we both agreed that the dance scene was the best. The animation was just so good!

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Beverly Hills Chihuahua preview. What was that? It looked horrid and I was sad to see that it was an upcoming Disney movie. It reminded me of those awful Taco Bell ads.

[NotaGeek]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Beverly Hills Chihuahua preview. What was that? It looked horrid and I was sad to see that it was an upcoming Disney movie. It reminded me of those awful Taco Bell ads.

Unfortunately there's a WHOLE thread dedicated to discussing the preview. Beverly Hills Chihuahua discussion... (http://intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=136682)

[scoot241]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Beverly Hills Chihuahua preview. What was that? It looked horrid and I was sad to see that it was an upcoming Disney movie. It reminded me of those awful Taco Bell ads.

I didn't mention it because I completely forgot about it. Now that you mention it though, it did look terrible.

Wall-E was good enough to make me forget about that.

[NotaGeek]

'Wall-E' says 'Hello, Dolly'
Film's success spurs talk of Broadway revival

From Variety Magazine (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117988842.html?categoryid=13&cs=1):


Jerry Herman is singing "Hello, Wall-E."

Two songs from the Rialto composer's "Hello, Dolly!" -- "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" and "It Only Takes a Moment" -- play major roles in the hit Pixar film's story about a little robot left on a devastated Earth 700 years in the future with only a pair of show tunes to keep him going.

The success of the film is also spurring talk of a major Broadway revival of the 1964 musical.

Herman says there's been interest in a new "Dolly!" for the past several years, with the Nederlander Org producing, but now the release of "Wall-E" has unexpectedly amplified the buzz. "The movie will only make it more vital, more of an event, and I think a lot of kids would come and see where those songs came from," says the composer.

Herman, 77, says he was unaware of the importance of the songs to the film until he saw "Wall-E" on opening weekend. But in the movie's first moments, when he heard Michael Crawford singing "Put on Your Sunday Clothes," he was stunned and moved.

In the film, the robot plays an old videocassette of "Hello, Dolly!" and is transfixed by that upbeat song, as well as the romantic ballad "It Only Takes a Moment," sung by Crawford and Marianne McAndrew.

Herman has been thinking of possible actresses to topline the revival for some time. While he concedes the role demands "a big star," he declines to name any frontrunner. He acknowledges eyeing Queen Latifah to play Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, but says her busy film career would make that casting problematic -- at least so far.

Chat rooms and theater insiders have been volunteering casting ideas that range from the fantastic to the obvious: Oprah Winfrey ("An exciting idea, but I don't think she could devote a year to the production," says Herman); Meryl Streep ("She can do anything."); Barbra Streisand, star of the 1969 screen version ("She's the right age now, but she's never coming back to Broadway."); Patti LuPone ("Magnificent."); Reba McEntire ("I'm crazy for her, but I'm not sure about the accent."); Bernadette Peters ("We were close friends and I obviously love this lady, but I just don't know.").

"Hello, Dolly!" originally starred Carol Channing on Broadway, followed by a series of leading ladies from the screen and stage, including Ginger Rogers, Pearl Bailey, Betty Grable, Martha Raye, Mary Martin and Ethel Merman. The premiere production ran for 2,844 perfs. It was also revived on the Rialto with Bailey in 1975 and with Channing in 1978 and 1995.

[GrumpyFan]

My wife, daughter (12), son (11), and I saw Wall-E last week, and it was a split decision. They guys liked it, the girls thought it was just ok, but not great like some of the other Pixar movies.

I didn't like the grim picture that it started off with. The first 5-10 minutes painted a real bleak situation, which I understand was somewhat intended, but it just went too far IMHO. Anyway, once Wall-E came on screen and started going thru his antics, I thought the story picked up pretty well, and moved past the gloomy situation. I thought it was really interesting how "human-like" they portrayed him to be. He emulates feelings of fear, happiness, sadness, surprise and more and it's cute.

[tinkerbell04]

We too finally got around to seeing the movie. We took seven kids aged 3, 5,6,6,7,7,and 9. The kids loved it all of them, but I am still on the fence. I thought that it was just ok.

[MrPeetrie]

I guess I'm in the minority because I didn't like Wall-E at all. I did, however, enjoy the soundtrack (same group as Nemo) and bought it on iTunes last week.

DD5 claims she enjoyed the movie, but constantly asked "when is this movie over?"

For me, the movie had the potential of being tremendous. I really LOVED the relationship between Wall-E and Eve. But portraying humans as such slugs that we destroyed the planet and had become to lazy to even walk on their own, had me thinking throughout the movie "I"m being scolded by John Lassiter." I just wanted to enjoy a Disney movie with my daughter.

[Jared]

But portraying humans as such slugs that we destroyed the planet and had become to lazy to even walk on their own, had me thinking throughout the movie "I"m being scolded by John Lasseter." I just wanted to enjoy a Disney movie with my daughter.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Pixar is no longer aiming for what you are requesting, evidenced by "Ratatouille" and now "WALL-E." Those two movies are rated G but are simply not trying to be simple family entertainment. "Bolt," Disney's next animated feature without Pixar's help, will be the light children's fare you prefer.

Pixar, though, has higher aspirations right now, even if that upsets a portion of the fan base. I read an interview with Andrew Stanton, in which he outlined Pixar's responsibility, as the world's best animation studio, to constantly take risks and progress the medium. These films are appropriate for the entire family, but they are not necessarily for kids, and we will continue to see that with "Up" and "Newt" in the future. Though they will certainly have characters and humor that appeals to kids, they will also explore and illuminate morally complex and adult-oriented themes.

Interestingly, "WALL-E" and "Ratatouille" are Pixar's most critically acclaimed pictures since "Toy Story 2" -- even more than the miracle that is "Finding Nemo" -- but they most often criticized by Disney fans and the rest of the general public. What does that indicate? That Pixar is accidentally losing sight of its audience or attempting something greater.

[MegaDisney]

But portraying humans as such slugs that we destroyed the planet and had become to lazy to even walk on their own, had me thinking throughout the movie "I"m being scolded by John Lassiter." I just wanted to enjoy a Disney movie with my daughter.

Is it not possible to enjoy a movie and maybe come away with a lesson? I think the message was spot on and if I had children I feel teaching them to be responsible stewards of the planet would be an important message, as well as the lesson that sitting in front of the TV or Video Game is not the healthiest choice.

I think the movie did a great job of balancing an important message and providing family friendly entertainment.

[MegaDisney]

I also think that the lack of dialog, furry talking animals, and fantasy make this a little mature for young children.

Not all animation has to be made for children alone.

It was nice to see a more mature movie, for those with small children, there is always Kung Fu Panda...

[Jared]

It was nice to see a more mature movie, for those with small children, there is always Kung Fu Panda...
Exactly, and I hope you are not being sarcastic. "Kung Fu Panda" is definitely geared toward younger children, but it was still a good movie. Michael Phillips, the film critic for the Chicago Tribune, called it the best film through the first six months of 2008!

Animation is a medium, not a genre. I think that misconception is why pictures like "WALL-E" and "Ratatouille" are generally unappreciated by the general American public.

[Alligirl]

Allright so I guessI am the only one who found it a little jolting for Fred Willard to pop up on screen?! I mean ok the human figure changed due to no excercise and too much food, fine but...I dont know they went from real people to animation? This was the only thing I did not like. Even the Hello Dolly parts were kind of ok but odd. Sorry.

[MegaDisney]

Exactly, and I hope you are not being sarcastic.

No Sarcasm, I meant that to point out that there are many animated films geared specifically toward children and that it was nice that to see a "deeper" movie brought to life through the medium. I do think that the film has a important message for children to learn, that would be lost on younger children.

On a off topic note I did not like Ratatouille.

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

But portraying humans as such slugs that we destroyed the planet and had become to lazy to even walk on their own, had me thinking throughout the movie "I"m being scolded by John Lassiter." I just wanted to enjoy a Disney movie with my daughter.I kind of felt the same way. I'd also like to add that getting a lesson on the evils over the top commercialism from Disney was somewhat laughable. We saw the movie on opening day and they were giving out plastic watches to all the kids. Hmmm.

[RedSoxFan]

DD11 and I were in Rhode Island visiting with my sister and family and we finally saw Wall-E yesterday. My sister and her youngest daughter (19) came with us. DD was laughing throughout the entire movie. I thought it was a wonderful movie.

[offwego]

Dh & I liked it. (more after we thought about it then right away however)

I agree with the poster who mentioned the jarring bit of live action being odd. And while it was clearly on message most of the time it did have some fun with it. Overall I'd like to see it again to be sure.

And as the ranking of the pixar films I'd have such a hard time with that as different ones have appealed for different reasons and times. By far and away the toy story ones as they are my son's favorites. For myself it would be ratatouille but then I'm a food nut and DH would say the Incredibles. Thanks goodness ones DVD player is impartial!

[NotaGeek]

YES! I am not a collector of Disney Movies ... but I will definitely be purchasing this DVD asap! I can't wait to see it again... :thumbsup:

[Mufasa]

Now that you're able to watch WALL-E at home, can you spot some of the hidden items in WALL-E's home or on Earth that the Pixar animators hid in the film?


Rex the dinosaur from Toy Story
Barbie's car from Toy Story
Buzz Lightyear lunchbox from Toy Story
Lightning McQueen toy from Cars
The snow globe from the short film Knick Knack
An antenna ball of Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.
The bug zapper from A Bug's Life

Also, if you're interested you can download the actual script for WALL-E from the following Disney site (interesting to compare against the film)

http://disneystudiosawards.movies.go.com/wall-e_script.pdf

[tinkwest]

I am fairly certain I saw a Pizza Planet truck in one of the trash heaps on Earth when I saw the movie.

[NotaGeek]

Wow! i bought the DVD today at CostCo on a little afternoon trip to do work errands. I am looking forward to a lazy Friday night finding all this crazy stuff!

[goofy for pluto]

[QUOTE=Mufasa;1784200]Now that you're able to watch WALL-E at home, can you spot some of the hidden items in WALL-E's home or on Earth that the Pixar animators hid in the film?


Rex the dinosaur from Toy Story
Barbie's car from Toy Story
Buzz Lightyear lunchbox from Toy Story
Lightning McQueen toy from Cars
The snow globe from the short film Knick Knack
An antenna ball of Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.
The bug zapper from A Bug's Life



I remember seeing the bug zapper. :thumbsup:
Thanks Mufasa! My Ds and I will enjoy looking for the rest of the list.

:mickey:

[joanna71985]

The case for Wall-E (the 3-disc version anyway) is really interesting. The sides with the discs slide out. I like it.

And the movie was really good. I never saw it in theaters (:blush:), so this was my first time seeing it. And I loved it!

[SurferStitch]

DH and I have watched Wall-E twice already since Tuesday! We absolutely love this movie! And the Blu-Ray on our plasma give an amazing picture.

We also loved Presto! I couldn't wait to see that short again. One of Pixar's very best! Another great short is the one about Burn-E. Very funny.

I will definitely be putting Wall-E on my iPhone as soon as I rent the DVD version.:thumbsup:

[PirateLover]

I really hope someone gets this for me for my birthday! (Dec 3rd). If not, I will certainly be picking it up for myself. This is now my fave Pixar film.

[RedSoxFan]

I bought it on Blu-Ray yesterday. Can't wait to watch on the Plasma TV too.

[iDisney]

DH and I have watched Wall-E twice already since Tuesday! We absolutely love this movie! And the Blu-Ray on our plasma give an amazing picture.

We also loved Presto! I couldn't wait to see that short again. One of Pixar's very best! Another great short is the one about Burn-E. Very funny.

I will definitely be putting Wall-E on my iPhone as soon as I rent the DVD version.:thumbsup:

If you bought the Blu-Ray version as opposed to renting it (you didn't say) why not use the 3rd disk that came with it and transfer the specially created file to your iPhone?

[SurferStitch]

If you bought the Blu-Ray version as opposed to renting it (you didn't say) why not use the 3rd disk that came with it and transfer the specially created file to your iPhone?

We pre-ordered the Blu-Ray through the DS. There is no third disk with the Blu-Ray version from the DS (at least when pre-ordered). There are only 2 Blu-Ray disks.

We have the monthly Blockbuster rental program, so I'll just pick up the DVD rental and rip it. Then I can put it on my iPhone.

[MegaDisney]

The case for Wall-E (the 3-disc version anyway) is really interesting. The sides with the discs slide out. I like it.

I HATE the packaging!

[MegaDisney]

I was wondering why the packaging change and I found this on one of the inserts:

"Join Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment as we strive to develop and utilize the most enviromentally responsible business practices. For this release of Wall-E we developed a 100% recyclable DVD package"

I appreciate the "Go Green" idea but hate the packaging.

[tinkwest]

I was wondering why the packaging change and I found this on one of the inserts:

"Join Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment as we strive to develop and utilize the most enviromentally responsible business practices. For this release of Wall-E we developed a 100% recyclable DVD package"

I appreciate the "Go Green" idea but hate the packaging.

And why would I be recycling my DVD package?

[scoot241]

And why would I be recycling my DVD package?

:rotfl:

I also don't see the point of the packaging. At first I thought it said the packaging was made from recycled materials, which would make more sense. I don't know anyone who throws their DVD cases away...

[NotaGeek]

I think that in going with the theme of the movie, it's kind of cool. I imagine there are people that throw the cases away ... maybe there's a ton of old DVD cases in a landfill just waiting for WallE to get to work. :mickey:

[ValenciaCalling]

..and I loved it!!!! :thumbsup:

It reminded me of Horizons. Did anyone else think of that?