Wall-E (MiceChat Reviews)

[Rex Dopey24]

Originally Posted by C-HOX

3 stars. Meh, its a decent movie, nothing I'd ever want to watch again. I don't know, I liked Toy Story and A Bug's Life, but I have a hard time getting the big draw of Pixar.

I had a hard time watching it as well. I barely managed it to get it.

[Melonballer]

Just saw it again, I loved it even more. One piece of advice, if you can see it in digital, do it. I saw it that way the first time, but this time went to a local theater and I could really tell the difference. Much more fuzzy and lacking in details the digital had.

[GrumpynTN]

Originally Posted by Katella Gate

Do you happen to work for the Disney Stores? How is Wall-E being merchandised?

Cars was a natural money maker for toys, but I am awfully curious how they are going to do the merchandise line for a mobile trash compactor. Eve would make a swell egg-timer.

I'm not, but I sleep next to one.

So far all I've seen are tee shirts and some plush. I don't know what the plan will be. From that standpoint, I'm not sure the 2-12 year old crowd is going to be all that in tune with 'the message' and as someone else stated earlier, I can't really think of anything spectacularly funny in the movie. 'Cute' is what I got, not hilarious. Then again I've never thought W.D.'s m.o. was to send a 'message'. Entertainment was more his game. I wasn't all that entertained.

My wife and I were talking about the Disney experience for our 16 and 18 year olds when they were little. I'll never forget my daughter as a 2 year old dancing in the theater isles with this huge smile on her face when Beauty and the Beast was playing and when my son was captivated when Lion King started with the computer generated 'herds' and the music. We had to buy a 2nd and 3rd VHS tape for that child. Our 8 year old has what? Disney needs another golden age for this generation of little guys. Forget the message and entertain your demographic.

[Browncoat]

Originally Posted by GothicManor

So that means 9.49 billion had to die to achieve this positive optimistic ending?

yeah, but they were all bad

[SILVERMOUSE21]

I saw Wall-E on Saturday and let me say PIXAR has still got it. They went and took a very risky jump with Wall-E but I think they have payed off. To top it all off I believe Presto was the greatest short PIXAR has ever done. The great part about Wall-E is a very deep story is told with a hero that doesn't really know what is going on half the movie and you still grow to love him and cheer for him. PIXAR has still got it!

[Twist_of_Fate]

As odd as this is, when I first saw the trailer for Wall-E last year (prior to reading anything about it), I told myself this would not be a movie for kids. When I got on the net and started reading about the movie and its quirks (no dialogue for the entire first...oh 30-40 minutes), I told myself that again. It is more surprising to me that it IS captivating a younger audience than that it isn't. I can understand that reading about a movie to the level that I usually do can be problematic because it ruins some surprises (other than the quirks, didn't ruin Wall-E one bit), I feel it's a lot better to be informed on what I am expecting. Trailers usually portray movies in an entirely different light.

After all, I loved The Village because I knew that, despite the previews, it was a love story, not a monster movie. On the other hand, I didn't read too much about Zodiac and didn't enjoy the movie because the trailer was radically different than what the movie gave us.

As far as kids go, Disney seems to be casting a wide net. I think some of their forthcoming slate is going to be a return of a golden age, even if it's not the classic animation style that we all know and love. Then again, Disney is also releasing Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Talking dogs have a certain "thing" with kids.

[hollywood1939]

Originally Posted by GothicManor

So that means 9.49 billion had to die to achieve this positive optimistic ending?

It's called a movie, not real life. This movie is a "What if" type. Do they need to go all the way back and say "hey this is what happend and a bunch of people died so we can cover our butts for a part of the story that doesn't need explaining because it's effect on the actual plot is nothing" do they? If you want a movie that explains everything that happened before your going to get a 30 hour movie.

To all that are quite literal about this, whether you liked it or you didn't, it's a movie. You can't deduce everything that Pixar put and didn't put in this piece. Because then why not be so literal about any movie? I'm sure every great movie out there has some small and pointless plot holes. It happens.

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by Browncoat

yeah, but they were all bad

You sound like Governator in TRUE LIES!

[Mac Daddy]

I just came back from seeing this with my kids. I think the poll isn't set up as well as it could be as I consider ALL of the Pixar films to be incredible. If I was comparing this film with other animated films in general, I would have given it five stars.

We all loved the film and might go and see it again...but there's quite a few films out now that we want to see, so we might have to wait for the DVD.

Did anyone else catch why the opening tune from "Hello Dolly" was so familiar? I didn't figure it out until I was on my way out of the theater. It was driving me crazy. It was "Put on your Sunday Clothes" which I only hear about twenty times on Main Street every time I go to Disneyland. Several of you may have already commented on this, but I was only able to read a few of the reviews so far.

Anyway...back to the movie. I think it's amazing that the entire script of the film could probably fit on two or three sheets of paper. I was wondering if these two robots could hold the audience's attention throughout the film with only two of three words, and was surprised at how well it turned out.


Also ironic that all of the file film footage was live action (the messages from the president, etc) while everything else was CG. Also loved the Mac OS start ups. Most of the PC crowd just stares while all the mac users chuckle.

And the short before the film, as always, was brilliant.

Thumbs up from all of the Macs.

[pratt55]

Originally Posted by hollywood1939

To all that are quite literal about this, whether you liked it or you didn't, it's a movie.

Thank you for reminding people it is just a movie and everyone's opinion is just as valid as the next whether you liked it or not.

[Wendygirl]

Today daughter (who is 24) and I (who gets in at the senior price ) went to see this in digital. Loved it! Absolutely loved it. I gave it 5 stars. There was so much to this movie, seeing it once is not enough but I will also have to wait for the DVD. Wall-E made us both cry in a couple of spots. My daughter was reflecting on how she has never cried at an animated movie before. I cried in Toy Story 2 during the song Jessie sang, "When She Loved Me." This movie has so much heart.

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by Wendygirl

Today daughter (who is 24) and I (who gets in at the senior price ) went to see this in digital. Loved it! Absolutely loved it. I gave it 5 stars. There was so much to this movie, seeing it once is not enough but I will also have to wait for the DVD. Wall-E made us both cry in a couple of spots. My daughter was reflecting on how she has never cried at an animated movie before. I cried in Toy Story 2 during the song Jessie sang, "When She Loved Me." This movie has so much heart.

I'm thinking about when I almost cried in an animated film.... and while I don't believe I ever have, I can actually remember when I came darn close. Finding Nemo is the culprit and it was when Nemo hears that his dad has gone through so much to find him... I just thought that was a really sweet moment and very touching.

[MasterGracey]

I'm a bit late to this thread, but I saw the film on Sunday and left the theater in a complete state of disbelief. Disbelief that I had just watched one of the best films I had ever seen.

The film is truly remarkable in every aspect. It is unlike anything I've ever watched and I cannot wait until I can see it again. I'll be visiting the theater at least a couple more times to experience this masterpiece.

I quoted two reviews below because I agree wholeheartedly with them. Coheteboy makes a great point that this film isn't for everybody. And I agree. Despite what director Andrew Stanton says, the film is far more than a simple love story - and I think the political and social commentary contained in the film will play a huge role in one's overall enjoyment of the film - luckily, the message in this film spoke loudly to me, and I appreciated it.

The love story, too, is a beautiful tale, and its incredible that Pixar can evoke so much emotion in rusty metal and shiny sleek white.

The live action, which when I first heard about it, worked perfectly in the film for me. I've heard that some people felt it was jarring. Others didn't understand why it was even considered, let alone actually in the film -- but I thought it was a bold move and I didn't think it devalued the film at all. I thought it worked perfectly well, like everything else in the film.

The score was simply brilliant, and the finale song by Peter Gabriel was a perfect ending piece to this perfect film --- and I'm not even a Peter Gabriel fan.

This film is a tale about hope, love, and a bright future - even if that bright future might take a while to get to. I left the film feeling like this was a perfect compliment to Walt Disney's sentiments about talking down to audiences. Walt didn't do it, and Pixar certainly isn't either. If Ratatouille was a bold step for Pixar, then WALL-E is simply groundbreaking.

"I don't believe in talking down to children.
I don't believe in talking down to any certain segment.
. . . Children are always reaching.
-Walt Disney

Originally Posted by Coheteboy

To rank Pixar's latest with the rest is almost a waste of time in my opinion. The reason being is that WALL-E has to be seen to be understood. You can't just hear a summary or plot outline and think you know it. Because you won't.

WALL-E is a masterpiece. I really don't know how else to describe it. It's one of the most fascinating films I've seen this year, perhaps even the decade.

There are a few interesting artistic choices though and I'm still wrapping my head around the reasoning behind some of the live-action that we see. My only guess would be is that the filmmakers are telling us that this isn't just a cartoon. It could happen for real.... and as cool as the Axiom ship looks, it's a future that we really shouldn't be hoping to see.

WALL-E is a remarkable achievement not just in animation, but film as a whole. My high rating of this doesn't guarantee that you will love it though, it's definitely not a story for everyone.

4 1/2 stars out of 5. On this poll, I put 5.

Originally Posted by Monorail Man

Wall●E: A Review

I had high hopes going into Wall●E, because it had everything I enjoy about a great SciFi movie (a world commentary, a post apocalyptic future, and it was a Pixar film. So, I arrived at a dimly lit theater, just shy of midnight. Bought my ticket, and a large popcorn – and stepped into the theater. To my surprise, there wasn’t a single child, instead, 80 anxious giddy adults who have been waiting for this film for a year we’re excited to see Wall●E on the screen.

As the trailers for generic, “cookie-cutter” 3d films passed us by, I was even more excited. I realized that Pixar has the drive that sets these movies apart, and that the Pixar crew knew how to tell a story, not just hire actors.
But first, the new Pixar short “Presto”, the story of a magician’s rabbit just trying to get a carrot. It was great, and while the entire short was just typical slapstick comedy, the overall expression on the rabbit’s face is great, and in typical Disney fashion, it all works out in the end. Highly Recommended

Next, the film starts. We see wonderful pictures of our universe, and then it zooms into the earth, a dry, barren, wasteland filled with trash and we are introduced to Wall●E. Cheers come from the crowd. And this is where my spoilers stop, because the story shouldn’t just be told, it should be experienced. Overall, the film is great, and I loved the opening part, introducing Wall●E, his friend (the cockroach), and his loneliness. The opening is a story that everyone can connect to, only instead of feeling like he’s all alone, he actually is. How this one Wall●E survived, we do not know, but it’s VERY sad seeing him pass others of his kind, all broken. Then, we kick into him meeting Eve and the ‘story’ aspect of the film, which is also well executed. A great story, and look at what happens if you let our population just cruise for 700 years (with no ports of call!).

Overall, I loved the film and the characters. There’s so much visual delight, and the overall tone of the film starts out dark, and that’s something Pixar rarely does. However, it’s the characters that really shine. Just as Pixar made me cry for a toy, I now have cried for a robot. It takes work to make someone believe that these characters are real, and everyone in the theater was moved, something I haven’t seen in a long time.

Once the film was over, there was thunderous applause from the theater. Everyone loved it. This movie is truly Pixar, and everything the company and storytelling is all about. Once I got back in the car, I was driving home, and at the same time, realized why that dim-dark earth that Wall●E must fix, is coming to us. As I set my GPS, my tires whipped up the trash in the parking lot, and I passed all the construction of shopping malls on the interstate - I realized that this film also shares an important lesson that life is more than consumerism; it is feelings, love, and compassion for others, and it takes Wall●E and Eve to show us that.

[ZeekSlider]

Originally Posted by Wendygirl

Today daughter (who is 24) and I (who gets in at the senior price ) went to see this in digital. Loved it! Absolutely loved it. I gave it 5 stars. There was so much to this movie, seeing it once is not enough but I will also have to wait for the DVD. Wall-E made us both cry in a couple of spots. My daughter was reflecting on how she has never cried at an animated movie before. I cried in Toy Story 2 during the song Jessie sang, "When She Loved Me." This movie has so much heart.

Originally Posted by Coheteboy

I'm thinking about when I almost cried in an animated film.... and while I don't believe I ever have, I can actually remember when I came darn close. Finding Nemo is the culprit and it was when Nemo hears that his dad has gone through so much to find him... I just thought that was a really sweet moment and very touching.

Monsters Inc. was what did it for me. I don't even have to watch the whole movie to get the tears to well up. Just show me the scene where Scully has to say good-bye to Boo, and you'll have me in a mess of tears.

[Wendygirl]

Originally Posted by ZeekSlider

Monsters Inc. was what did it for me. I don't even have to watch the whole movie to get the tears to well up. Just show me the scene where Scully has to say good-bye to Boo, and you'll have me in a mess of tears.

Ah, yes. I forgot about that. I shed a few when Scully fixes the door and pops his head in and says "Boo".

I didn't cry at Nemo but it did get to me because at the time my daughter was nearing the age when I knew she was going to be spreading her wings and I was going to have to let go and let her fly.

Songs from Hello Dolly played in my head all night