Wall-E

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I know it's not good to build anticipation for a movie. But I'm perhaps more excited for Wall-E than I was for Ind-y.

It doesn't hurt that I have a ginormous artist-crush on Andrew Stanton (and, OK, man-crush - and OK, yes, I do apparently have a type because, yes, I am aware he looks a bit like Tom. And Joss Whedon. What can I say? I really like geeky creative types.)

Anyway. Terrific interview with Stanton on comingsoon (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=45885), and terrific Wall-E article in Time (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1813964-1,00.html).

Anybody else excited? Anybody else want to see it with us, maybe the Saturday it comes out, maybe the El Cap?

[BarTopDancer]

It looks like it is going to be a cute movie. But every time I see the previews I can't help but say "Number 5 is aalliiivvveeeee".

When does it come out?

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Friday June 27th.

[mousepod]

We bought tickets for the 27th at 9:45 at El Cap.

[innerSpaceman]

I'm the least excited about Wall-E than I have been about any Pixar movie. Not only does the design of the character SCREAM Short Circuit, which turns me off like a mechanical switch ... but I feel betrayed by the trailer which, to my surprise and disgust, gave away the entire movie.

Pixar trailers have been known to be deceptively sub-par. But they have never before, to my witnessing, given away every setpiece and plot point the way modern liveactioner trailers often do. So now I feel as if I've seen Wall-E and the element of surprise will be sorely lacking when I do see it.


And I do intend to. I do not expect it to be bad. It's Pixar. I expect it to be entertaining and enjoyable. But I'm sad it will be significantly less surprising to me than all the prior Pixar films.



B.A.H.

[Snowflake]

I want to see it, absolutely. I'm excited, yes. I want to steal a couple of the bus shelter posters in SF. I won't, but I love them.

[Disneyphile]

Number Five is alive!!! (Yes, iSm - Ken and I both had the same reaction when we saw the first teaser.)

But, we're pretty excited about it. I love the Pixar stuff.

We have tickets for the 10:30am Saturday matinee at AMC at DtD. (Only $6 for being before noon!)

[CoasterMatt]

Anything'll be better than Cars...

[Cadaverous Pallor]

B.A.H.Here's your proof that a) it will be good, and b) iSm will like it. ;)


I'm totally up for this but I think we'll stick to our tried and true Pixar moviegoing plan.

Friday night.
"Hey, what are we doing tonight?"
"Well, the new Pixar film just came out."
"Oh, cool. Let's see it at the closest theater with digital projection."
"Cool."

[innerSpaceman]

The funny thing, the trailer made it look better than the teaser. But, grrrr, I didn't need that. I was already going to see it. Um, duh, it's PIXAR.

I would have been pleasantly suprised at the turn of events. Now it will be pleasant enough, but I hope it's far more than that (and yeah, way better than Cars).

[€uroMeinke]

I'm looking forward to it

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Yeah, I don't think the trailer revealed too much. From what I've read about it, that first half-hour is silent movie-style comedy introducing you to an extremely compelling character. I'm psyched for that alone, not to mention the rest of the film.

Gaah, everyone is going Friday! We have to wait for Saturday because of Tom working nights.

[Not Afraid]

We've decided to stalk MP and H.

[RStar]

I'll be seeing it, of course. I'm looking forward to it, as it looks like a great job done creating a likable character from an emotionless machine.

But I may be more entertained by Lisa's Pug Butt avator......

:D

[Tref]

I am as excited about seeing Wall-E as I have been for any Pixar film since The Incredibles.

[Alex]

I'll admit that just like every other Pixar movie the basic story idea and advertising has left me cold. And hopefully like every other Pixar movie I'll be very, very pleased leaving the theater.

[Chernabog]

All the buzz on this movie is good :) Nick bought tickets for the El Cap for him and I but I don't know which showing....

[Kevy Baby]

I know it's not good to build anticipation for a movie. But I'm perhaps more excited for Wall-E than I was for Ind-y.I am very much looking forward to it - more so than any other movie this year.

Anything'll be better than Cars...Loser.





Hrmph... didn't like Cars! Doesn't even know how to spell...

[innerSpaceman]

Cars was Meh. Enjoyable, but not a keeper.

[Tref]

Cars was Meh. Enjoyable, but not a keeper.

I could barely get through it. If I hadn't been watching with my friends kids I would have bailed long before the final race.

[Chernabog]

I loved Cars. Saw it twice in the theatre, and am dazzled by it on Blu-ray (iSm, next time you're over I'll show you a bluray clip... your jaw will drop).

And the movie sold $5 BILLION in merchandise. FIVE FREAKING BILLION DOLLARS (and they expect 2.5 billion in sales during 2008.. for a movie released in 2006!). That's insane. Yeah a lot of people liked the movie.

And yes, the middle of the movie slowed down, but that was sort of the point. I liked the characters and the animation so much that it was amazing just to take it all in.

The worst Pixar movie IMHO was Bug's Life, which I've only seen once because it was only marginally entertaining and had ho-hum characters (with the exception of of Heimlich, of course!).

Back to the topic at hand, I spoke to Al the other day and he said he's read a few advance reviews of Wall-E -- all of them gushing about the film. Pretty cool.

[Tref]

Yeah a lot of people liked the movie.


A lot of people like the Police Academy movies too, but what can you do?

[Chernabog]

A lot of people like the Police Academy movies too, but what can you do?

And Scooby Doo too. :p

But I think it's pretty universally accepted that those are bad throwaway movies. I don't think Cars is along the same lines as that, not by a long shot. Lots of people thought it was a GOOD movie. (Or, at least had good toys, lol).

Btw, I just talked to Nick and we're going to the 9:45 Wall-E on the 27th also, yay!!!

[Tref]

Btw, I just talked to Nick and we're going to the 9:45 Wall-E on the 27th also, yay!!!

I'll be at the 9:44 showing.

[Not Afraid]

Stalker. ;)

[Chernabog]

I'll be at the 9:44 showing.

Ooooh I'll be at that one too. Look for the guy wiggling his butt in the balcony.

Stalker. ;)

The only way to deal with a stalker is to cut off his stalk! Errrrr...... I mean...


Actually a "Tref movie commentary" night would be highly amusing :)

[Kevy Baby]

Actually a "Tref movie commentary" night would be highly amusing :)Yes, but that would mean that Tref would then actually have to show his face at a meet and I don't see THAT happening any time soon.

[innerSpaceman]

I've made a pledge to Izak to see Bug's Life again, because I thought it was lame and he loves it. I'll give it another chance.


Cars was entertaining, but too formulaic for me to repeat much. (Once in theaters, once at home ... I'm done). It was Doc Hollywood with Cars. Very sweetly done.


Yes, merchandise made a killing. Toy cars, d'uh. Being that the movie was meh, it almost cynically seems as if it were made primarily to peddle toys.

[cirquelover]

I am looking forward to Wall-E and have been anxiously awaiting it's release! I haven't found a Pixar film that I hate, there's some that are better than others. But I live for the shorts, no one makes a better short than Pixar and hopefully this one will be great too!

[Gemini Cricket]

This film is getting really good word of mouth. The buzz is great.
It's early, but it's getting a 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
Can't wait to see it.
:)

[innerSpaceman]

Me, too. But with my finances being what they are, I'm on the fence about paying $18 for lousy seats at the El Cap. I'd like to see it with friends on opening night, but sticker shock will likely see me looking for something more in line with ten bucks to sit anywhere in the house.

[Alex]

I've seen it. My publicity contacts have really been harping on respecting the review embargo, even in casual posting, so I can't indicate what I thought until tomorrow.

Unrelated, there is a giant inflatable Wall-E on Pixar's front line this morning. I have to say that Wall-E is not a character that fits that presentation well. The giant Luxor Jr., though, is cool.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Me, too. But with my finances being what they are, I'm on the fence about paying $18 for lousy seats at the El Cap. I'd like to see it with friends on opening night, but sticker shock will likely see me looking for something more in line with ten bucks to sit anywhere in the house.

El Cap's Saturday shows sold out before we could buy, so we're looking into seeing it at a big screen AMC on Saturday evening, possibly out Joe's way (they line up inside instead of outside, and then we could just mosey over to the party.) I know it's not opening night, but want to join us?

[innerSpaceman]

Oooh, yes. Can you scope the place and time, and let me know?


OMG, once again, busiest weekend ever. Gotta love it though. Can't complain too much about FUN.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Can't complain too much about FUN.Don't sell yourself short, I'm sure you can find a way. You're a professional!

[innerSpaceman]

Well, I do complain about clonelessness all the zillion times per year I'm double-booked for fun social occassions.

[BarTopDancer]

Depending on the timing, I'd be up for a Wall-E screening pre-shindig.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

What do you guys think about the Arclight Sherman Oaks? There's a showing at 5 - it'll be a big screen - then we'd be out around the time we could start heading to Joe's. Good tckets are available.

[BarTopDancer]

Whatever is easiest for you guys.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

No waiting in line!!

[innerSpaceman]

I'm in. Tickets on line anywhere???

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Yep - but as they're assigned, we should buy together. Tom and I are happy to buy again. Should we wait a little to see if anyone else wants to join?

[innerSpaceman]

Ok, but not TOO long, mind you. And, thanks!

[Gemini Cricket]

Ok, but not TOO long, mind you.
I've said [I]that before.
:D

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I've seen it. My publicity contacts have really been harping on respecting the review embargo, even in casual posting, so I can't indicate what I thought until tomorrow.

Really? Even Roger Ebert (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/REVIEWS/963071290) has released his review. 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, AND a 93% on MetaCritic (which is an AMAZING score because it doesn't figure its percentage on two options like fresh or rotten; they give each review a percentage and then average them.)

[Gemini Cricket]

I'm going to guess Alex liked it.
Just a hunch.
:)

[Alex]

I know. It is frustrating to watch half the world talk about it. But I'm extremely small potatoes and live at the mercy of a couple publicists and they may not care (especially if I'm saying good things) but I'm not going to risk it. No one would care a whit if my name were to simply get crossed off a list.

[Gemini Cricket]

I know. It is frustrating to watch half the world talk about it. But I'm extremely small potatoes and live at the mercy of a couple publicists and they may not care (especially if I'm saying good things) but I'm not going to risk it. No one would care a whit if my name were to simply get crossed off a list.
:)

That reminds me. I still have to watch Once. I have it on DVD, I just haven't watched it yet.

[Chernabog]

YAY "Presto Change-o" is the short.

From Ebert: Note: The movie is preceded by “Presto Chango,” a new Pixar short about a disagreement over a carrot between a magician and his rabbit.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

We've got our tickets for the 5:00 Sherman Oaks Arclight - Looking forward to seeing it with Tom, Steve, Brad and Marla!

[Ghoulish Delight]

YAY "Presto Change-o" is the short.

From Ebert: Note: The movie is preceded by “Presto Chango,” a new Pixar short about a disagreement over a carrot between a magician and his rabbit.Bunny!!

[Alex]

I will go out on a limb and say that Presto (which I think is the title, not Presto Change-o) is very amusing. Pure fluff and slapstick but funny.

[Chernabog]

Bunny!!

Well I don't know! LOL iSm and Gn2Dlnd are particularly anal about knowing anything about anything prior to first viewing... I mean.. seriously!

[Ghoulish Delight]

Pure fluff Haha, fluff. I get it.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, which is what PISSED ME OFF about the Wall-E trailer. After exclusively bad trailers which gave away nothing, or the one good trailer for The Incredibles which was cleverly based on a moment from the film, but contained 100% original footage not in the film ... the freaking Wall-E trailer gave away the ENTIRE MOVIE, from the looks of it.


UGH. Now I will have to walk out on Pixar trailers as well, instead of trusting them to poorly represent the greatest movies with the crappiest trailers.

[Chernabog]

Pixar movies ALWAYS have crappy trailers though IMHO. Actually I've noticed that the crappier the trailer, the better the Pixar film (thought maybe that is just due to lowered expectations based on the trailer)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Pixar movies ALWAYS have crappy trailers though IMHO. Actually I've noticed that the crappier the trailer, the better the Pixar film (thought maybe that is just due to lowered expectations based on the trailer)I was scared to death for Ratatouille because I loved the trailer. I figured that must be a bad sign. Guess not.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Ehh, I thought the Wall-E trailers and promotional spots have been great. And I'm pretty sure that the bulk of the enjoyment of the film is going to come from little moments, not the story arc. Well, mine is - I love silent-movie-style stuff. I dunno for sure, but I do know that they're talking up the love story, and you really don't get that from the trailers at all.

[Gemini Cricket]

Happily, I have not seen much of the Wall-E trailer.
:)

[BarTopDancer]

short circuit.
short circuit.

number 5 is aliveeeeeee

[Snowflake]

Let me just say, I'm bitter I won't be there. :(

I have a $40 gift card fro AMC 14 on Van Ness, but can I face an opening weekend alone?

[Gemini Cricket]

Wall-E is at 97% with 79 reviews in.
That's dang good!

[Alex]

I'm going to bed. It is tomorrow on the east coast. One sentence:

It is upper middle of the pack for Pixar. But keep in mind that is kind of like saying someone was an average Rhodes Scholar. The first act was phenomenal but then, for me, there was a bit of a slow leak in the energy.


Ok, three sentences.

[Gemini Cricket]

98% 93 reviews in. Wow!
:)

And, uh, why did Eisner not want to continue Disney's relationship with Pixar at one point? What a dinglecheese.

[Alex]

Well, it wasn't that he didn't want to continue the relationship. It was that he didn't want to continue the relationship under the terms it would have required.

And he was probably right. If Disney hadn't bought Pixar the next negotiated distribution deal would have probably put Disney in Paramount's situation where they have made almost no money off of movies that have done a combined $1 billion in domestic box office.

[Gemini Cricket]

Well, it wasn't that he didn't want to continue the relationship. It was that he didn't want to continue the relationship under the terms it would have required.

And he was probably right. If Disney hadn't bought Pixar the next negotiated distribution deal would have probably put Disney in Paramount's situation where they have made almost no money off of movies that have done a combined $1 billion in domestic box office.
I see.

Cool review (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=sr080627as), Alex!

[Alex]

By the way, my review at MousePlanet isn't very well written, in my opinion. I had a hell of time trying to get a hook into what I wanted to say (that despite flaws it is still pretty good).

Mick LaSalle at the SF Chronicle, pretty much captured perfectly (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/26/DDI011F0KL.DTL) what I was trying for.

[Ghoulish Delight]

By the way, my review at MousePlanet isn't very well written, in my opinion. I had a hell of time trying to get a hook into what I wanted to say (that despite flaws it is still pretty good).

Mick LaSalle at the SF Chronicle, pretty much captured perfectly (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/26/DDI011F0KL.DTL) what I was trying for.And you've got an "it's/its" error.

[Alex]

Where? I'm not finding it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Where? I'm not finding it.
Nevermind, I read the sentence wrong.

[Kevy Baby]

Where? I'm not finding it.Its right here

[cirquelover]

Thanks Alex. I'm hoping to see it tonight. My son says they're supposed to be giving out a free watch, we'll see.

[Gemini Cricket]

QUEENIE
Oh when the saints go marching in
Lord how I want to be in that-
Oh! Lookout, children! Ahhhhh!
Help me! Don't just stand there, you stupid kids, help Queenie out you sticky bastards! Oh man, why did I switch today with the other Queenie?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

DUDE! :eek: :snap:

The story blew me away, the empathy you have for the characters (robots!) is incredible, and of course, it was gorgeous. My jaw was on the floor for much of it.

Anyone who thinks the trailer gives the whole movie away is WRONG. Go see it.

Spoilered review:
How does Pixar do it?? They get away with absolutely ripping apart the cruise/entertainment industry, mega-monolith companies, and our own slovenly nature - in such a way that is too true for Disney or anyone else to say it goes over the line. They say things that many of the rest of us are too frightened to say about society. Much like the theme in the Incredibles, where they actually say that we aren't ALL special, these are ideas that I am happily surprised to see addressed.

The love story was perfection. The contrasts in technology, fantastic. The ruined earth in the beginning touched me to my very root of guilt and concern.

One thing that I found interesting was that immediately after the movie, GD mentioned Wal-Mart, and I realized that even as I cringed every time BnL's logo came up, it wasn't pushing that particular trigger. I was thinking of media/entertainment conglomerates. The point of BnL to me is that it doesn't matter where it started, because it was everything. It seems that I'm more afraid of them than I am of Wal-Mart. Oh, and Best Buy came to mind as well. ;)

The over-sweet, rather unlikely happy ending was the only flaw I saw - but there was no other way for them to play it. How could the humans just "wake up" by bumping into Wall-E and suddenly want to start working for a living? Yeah, they were stuck.

I keep thinking of all the imagery, and I don't think it'll leave me any time soon. Awesome film.

Oh yeah, and the Main Street song! :D

:snap:

[Gemini Cricket]

QUEENIE
Oh when the saints go marching in
Lord how I want to be in that-
Oh! Lookout, children! Ahhhhh!
Help me! Don't just stand there, you stupid kids, help Queenie out you sticky bastards! Oh man, why did I switch today with the other Queenie?
Ha ha. Wrong thread.
Ha ha ha... nothing to see here...
:D

[€uroMeinke]

I loved it

I especially loved all the 2001 references - "It's the eye of HAL I squeed to Lisa during the film," Star Trek references (5-year cruise), Star Wars references, etc - it was like someone who grew up with my childhood sci-fi favorites made the film (oh wait, they did). Add to that the WallE start-up sound...

We'll be doing the frame-by-frame walkthrough as soon as it's out on DVD

[LSPoorEeyorick]

DUDE! :eek: :snap:

The story blew me away, the empathy you have for the characters (robots!) is incredible, and of course, it was gorgeous. My jaw was on the floor for much of it.

Anyone who thinks the trailer gives the whole movie away is WRONG. Go see it.


Doh, when you quote a spoiloriffic review, it's revealed in the quote! Fortunately I scrolled right over.

I had thought the trailer-gives-away wouldn't be so and I'm very glad to know I was right. And we're both awake this morning, and I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT! Alas, our screening starts at 5. But it'll be fun, and with fun people...

[Ghoulish Delight]

Spoilered, just in case:


I really liked it. But I could have done without most of the plot. Not that it was bad, but for me, the love story between the two of them FAR outshined the story of the ship and the humans getting back to Earth. It was entertaining filler, but kinda thin and I just wanted to get back to the silence and the love story. Really artfully and brilliantly done, loved it loved it loved it.

Speaking of Star Trek, the ship docking scene totally triggered Trek in my mind. Two other references we noticed were when the roach first came out of the can, the can made the Pixar lamp noise. And of course there was a song from Main Street in there (CP caught it, not I).

Overall, despite the weak (weak only in comparison to the far superior rest of the movie) filler plot I thoroughly liked this movie. Damn they're good.

[Not Afraid]

I LOVED it! I just wish I wasn't so damn tired when I saw it. I think I wasn't aware enough to see some of the little details.

Tron, 2001, Star Wars & Mac references all made me smile. I sooooo want to go frame by frame to see what Wall-E had collected in his "home". Looked for the pizza truck but didn't see it (but I have a few places I suspect it appears. Chris thinks he saw a Wally Shawn Toy Story guy in there. The music was just fabulous and quite unexpected.

I think the most surprising and wonderful thing about the film is that there is almost no dialog, yet there is no problem understanding emotions and plot movements.

[cirquelover]

I loved it! The boy and I are going to the one screen theater today to watch it again. I'll be a little more awake this time. Plus the boy hopes to score a Wall-E watch this time and so we can see the credits and extras.

Presto was superb to me and a great way to start the movie, as always. I just can't get enough Pixar shorts.

[flippyshark]

Just got back from a showing. In addition to enjoying the numerous references to my favorite movie (2001), I also couldn't help thinking that Wall-E kind of plays as an unofficial but happy semi-sequel to SILENT RUNNING.

Edited to add: Also, PRESTO is my favorite Pixar short in quite a while.

[€uroMeinke]

Just got back from a showing. In addition to enjoying the numerous references to my favorite movie (2001), I also couldn't help thinking that Wall-E kind of plays as an unofficial but happy semi-sequel to SILENT RUNNING.

Edited to add: Also, PRESTO is my favorite Pixar short in quite a while.

Definitely agree - and think the cruise line theme borrowed from Silent Running and Star Lost concept of leaving a dieing earth in hope of recollinization

[frodo potter]

The movie was just amazing. First and for most it was probably the most visually stunning piece of animation since Fantasia.

The score was perfect It really captured the feel of the movie without overpowering you the way that some composers try to do especially with epics of this scale.

I can't wait to see it again

[innerSpaceman]

Ok, that was fanfreakingtastic. Loved every second of it. Hahaha, so many references, and - like CP said - such a pleasant skewering of so much of society. Great love story. Fun and excitement, beauty and romance.

Great new ideas for a trash-tower Tomorrowland (and yes, the credits featured far more people in the Theme Park department than the Consumer Products dept.)

Oh, and the art history end credits were terrific, too.

[wendybeth]

I'm the least excited about Wall-E than I have been about any Pixar movie. Not only does the design of the character SCREAM Short Circuit, which turns me off like a mechanical switch ... but I feel betrayed by the trailer which, to my surprise and disgust, gave away the entire movie.

Pixar trailers have been known to be deceptively sub-par. But they have never before, to my witnessing, given away every setpiece and plot point the way modern liveactioner trailers often do. So now I feel as if I've seen Wall-E and the element of surprise will be sorely lacking when I do see it.


And I do intend to. I do not expect it to be bad. It's Pixar. I expect it to be entertaining and enjoyable. But I'm sad it will be significantly less surprising to me than all the prior Pixar films.



B.A.H.

Still agree with this early assessment, iSM?;)

I'm glad you loved it, and I admit I fell into the same Pixar trap that you did, but for opposite reasons: I was entirely underwhelmed by initial trailers. The last one I saw piqued my interest, in that they fleshed it out plot-wise (instead of just showing a forlorn robot scavenging in the debris of a vanished humanity) and showed a few funny moments. Maybe Pixar realized their trademark underselling might be a bit too effective and decided to ramp it up a bit. Anyway, it's heartening to know that you and others who opinions I value like it so much- we will see it this week!

[innerSpaceman]

I'm glad I loved it ... because I would have loved it a lot more if I hadn't known, for instance, that a good part of the movie takes place in outer space. But if I had just "liked" it, then perhaps the spoilerific trailer would have prevented me from "loving" it.


Anyway, it's all good now. And I just won't be watching any more Pixar trailers.




Oh, and the pre-show cartoon was great also!!!

[swanie]

We took the kiddies and saw it this afternoon, and we loved it.

Presto was fantastic. Wall-e was simply brilliant.


To my surprise, our 4 year old was far more interested in the early Earth scenes than she was once they got on the ship. She really "got" the simple situational humor, but the more frantic action scenes didn't hold her interest.

Now, our 10 year old said it wasn't the movie she thought it was going to be but she still really liked it. Which brings me to wonder how well it is going to play to average America. I loved this movie for it's originality as well as the endless clever references, but what worries me is the kind of comment I got from a guy behind me in the ticket line. He said he didn't really like it and his daughter (I'm guessing she was 2) was squirley for a good half of the film. When I pressed him for more of an explanation he said, "Well, it is just kind of sad." I'm hoping he's not indicative of the greater population, because this movie is special and I'd hate for it to not have the special consideration it deserves.

[Gemini Cricket]

I loved it!
:)
I loved everything about this film. As soon as the song started with that song, I knew I would love it.
Loved the mice in the ship's trash dungeon.
The uses of the Hello Dolly songs were brilliant. Interesting that there was not one shot of Babs anywhere...
I liked the plot with the humans. Boy, what a bleak future for Earth and the the people with no bone density...
Pixar continues to impress. I love this film. It's my favorite film this year by far. Interesting that Ratatouille was my favorite last year...
Loved that the crazy misfit robots helped save the day.

[Gemini Cricket]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/wallecomiccon.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/wallecomiccon2.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/wallecomiccon3.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/wallecomiccon4.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/wallecomiccon51.jpg

[wendybeth]

We could use a Wall-E here. He'd totally fit in.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Very interesting choice they made to use Fred Willard, non-animated footage of Hello Dolly, and a photograph of the initial cruise ship captains. Don't know if I liked it or not.

I'd like to thank the management of the Century Stadium theater in Orange. They made a couple of brilliant decisions for a kids' movie that made the experience of being in a theater full of kids 10 times better. Until the previews started, they kept the work lights on and the sound on the advertisements barely audible. What this meant was that parents could see perfectly well to help their kids settle in and not worry about wandering off or someone not being able to find the. And it meant that the children weren't competing with the theater sound. They were able to talk and play, getting it out of their system, and when they trailers started, with louder sound and lights off, they got the message that it was time to sit and watch. It helped, of course, that the movie was great and kept their attention, but I think those two details made a world of difference.

[innerSpaceman]

Those posters are awesome G.C.


< I'm stealing one for my avatar. Thanks, mr. avatar-per-day.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Man, I all-kinds-of loved it. I've been chewing on it since yesterday evening, but I'll go ahead and say it: I think it's the best movie love story since... man, I don't even know what "since" to use. When was the last time you saw a movie where you totally bought a love-at-first-sight, and watched it develop into something so deep and rich? (And was it ever animated?) Seriously: love is when you know your directive but you're more concerned about helping your beloved reach theirs. This is as universal a statement as they get.

Sure, the environmental message, the "stand up and make a difference" message, the "we're being lulled into complacency" message - they're all there. But as opposed to some who think that the message is too preachy, I actually buy what Stanton was saying about coming up with those secondarily to support the love story.

My favorite making-of tidbit is that Stanton made the team watch a silent movie at lunch, every day for a year. No wonder Wall-E is a goofy, unassuming little tramp. No wonder so much can be expressed without words. Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd - the masters - were doing it so long ago. And Pixar clearly understands that you must saturate yourself with good work in order to make good work.

In turn, now that I'm saturated with Wall-E, perhaps I can move forward past this little creative block I've been having. It was one of those movies that make you want to make movies.

[Gemini Cricket]

The people on their chairs surfing the internet and drinking food Slurpees was such a cool message. We are turning into a country of sloths.

One message really hit a homerun for me. When Fred Willard, with his country falling apart around him, says "Stay the course." Nice homage to Bush Jr.

[flippyshark]

The people on their chairs surfing the internet and drinking food Slurpees was such a cool message. We are turning into a country of sloths.

One message really hit a homerun for me. When Fred Willard, with his country falling apart around him, says "Stay the course." Nice homage to Bush Jr.

Actually, the second bit you refer to is the only one I wish had not been included. It yanked me right out of the story and held up a big sign that said, "Hey, scored one off of GWB!" Even though I am one hundred per cent in sympathy with the implied criticism, I hate being reminded of partisan politics during an enchanting animated feature. And I am sure this will become a talking point when WALL-E becomes the next hot topic in culture war debates. Too bad, because it's a universally appealing story that can and should be available to anyone. (Not that there shouldn't be art that is more directly confrontational - but WALL-E could reach hearts and change minds moer subtly. I hope it isn't percieved as being exclusionary.)

[Gemini Cricket]

Actually, the second bit you refer to is the only one I wish had not been included. It yanked me right out of the story and held up a big sign that said, "Hey, scored one off of GWB!" Even though I am one hundred per cent in sympathy with the implied criticism, I hate being reminded of partisan politics during an enchanting animated feature. And I am sure this will become a talking point when WALL-E becomes the next hot topic in culture war debates. Too bad, because it's a universally appealing story that can and should be available to anyone. (Not that there shouldn't be art that is more directly confrontational - but WALL-E could reach hearts and change minds moer subtly. I hope it isn't percieved as being exclusionary.)
Yes, I see your point. But subtle, imho, is becoming less and less of an option when people in this country (who are actually turning into the manatee people on Wall-E) aren't paying attention or are being too complacent.

And if Wall-E does become some talking point, more people will go out and see what all the fuss is about. These people then might actually learn something.

[innerSpaceman]

Eh, that line will go right over most people's heads. Yes, it's a little more pointed than the rest of the satire for those who understand the reference, but the film already has plenty of political points it's making. Maybe not political in the sense of specific politicians, but rather pointed indictments in the fields of environmentalism, big business, societal decay and other rather political issues for a "cartoon."

[flippyshark]

Y'all may be right. Part of my reaction is that the line made me think of issues unrelated to the story at hand, (Iraq, specifically) rather than the more global "what are we becoming" points inherent in the story. So, it struck me as distracting and needlessly partisan. But, amen to it anyway.

I must say that, one day later, as I am here at Epcot watching people go by, I am VERY aware of how badly the American public needs the mirror that WALL-E is holding up, myself included.

[mousepod]

We saw it at El Cap. On the way out, we walked through the store. I asked my friend Jeff if he wanted to buy something as a souvenir.

"I'd like something that I can leave for a future generation to clean up," he replied snarkily.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We saw it at El Cap. On the way out, we walked through the store. I asked my friend Jeff if he wanted to buy something as a souvenir.

"I'd like something that I can leave for a future generation to clean up," he replied snarkily.:snap:

[Kevy Baby]

Just watched. I think Susan and I were the only couple there without kids.

Loved the 2001 Space Odyssey references. Also loved that they used the old Mac startup sound whenever Wall E rebooted.

And the mice. LOVED the mice.

And I am in strong agreement with LSPE: a timeless classic true love story.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

AA Wall-E spotted (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/14/must-watch-animatronic-wall-e-spotted-in-la/?=rssfeed)

[Kevy Baby]

AA Wall-E spotted (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/14/must-watch-animatronic-wall-e-spotted-in-la/?=rssfeed)COOL!!!

[Pirate Bill]

AA Wall-E spotted (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/05/14/must-watch-animatronic-wall-e-spotted-in-la/?=rssfeed)

Cool! You can also build your own (http://www.instructables.com/id/Wall-E-Robot/).

I saw Wall-E on Saturday and loved it. A very touching, whimsical, and beautiful film. My kids loved it too.

Now I want to rent Hello Dolly for my kids to watch.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I want one that compacts trash. And collects objects. :D

[Alex]

I'm feeling kind of sad being a bit on the outside on this one.

The better half was transcendent and the other half almost pedestrian. Still very, very good overall but for me it is at best 3rd among the Pixar movies.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'm feeling kind of sad being a bit on the outside on this one.

The better half was transcendent and the other half almost pedestrian. Still very, very good overall but for me it is at best 3rd among the Pixar movies.I've got at least one foot out the door with you.

Sure, the environmental message, the "stand up and make a difference" message, the "we're being lulled into complacency" message - they're all there. But as opposed to some who think that the message is too preachy, I actually buy what Stanton was saying about coming up with those secondarily to support the love story. This was the point I was kinda trying to make earlier. It was like all those movies where you come out saying, "It was good, but man, they just slapped that love story together to move things along and pander a little," in reverse.

I think what's getting me is that I think the "preachy" side of the movie raised some really good questions, but fell flat on the exploration of those questions. It was just kinda shallow, a lot of it was left dangling, and yeah I'd agree with Alex's "pedestrian".

But I'm also aware that that part of the story suffers an unfair penalty in my mind being paired with the spectacular love story. It's still probably enough for me to not call it my favorite Pixar movie (as it once again gets incrementally more difficult to declare that winner), but I do really really love the movie despite those criticisms.

[innerSpaceman]

Much as I love lists, I don't see the need to compare it to other Pixar movies, as if Pixar is a genre. Just like the folks from Pixar will cringe if you call Animation a genre.


This was a science fiction film that happened to be computer animated and happened to be produced by the studio, and some of the creative team, that produced other movies I love.


Yes, I liked some of those more than Wall-E, and some less. But unless Pixar films are the product of one man and his lone art, I see no need to compare Wall-E to Finding Nemo any more than it's appropriate to compare Wall-E to The Love Guru.

[€uroMeinke]

But given a finite amount of time you just might have to make that choice of choosing one over the other - genre or not

[innerSpaceman]

I find it easier to say I liked Wall-E better than Silent Running and less than 2001. At least those comparisons were invited.

[Alex]

Much as I love lists, I don't see the need to compare it to other Pixar movies, as if Pixar is a genre. Just like the folks from Pixar will cringe if you call Animation a genre.

The only reason that this board considered Wall-E to be a must-see-event is because the names Pixar and Disney are attached. If the Dreamworks name had been above the title word of mouth may have eventually put every one of our butts in a theater but there'd have been no organized opening weekend group outings. Comparing to other efforts from Pixar (or at least the other Andrew Stanton titles) seems reasonable to me.

Pixar's fillms are a body of work that has been produced from a relatively small, relatively stable group of creative inputs. Comparing within a "genre" is potentially just as silly. Are Dark City and Earth Girls are Easy somehow more appropriate for side by side comparison than Wall-E and Cars simply because they both involve aliens?

But unless Pixar films are the product of one man and his lone art, I see no need to compare Wall-E to Finding Nemo any more than it's appropriate to compare Wall-E to The Love Guru.

Wall-E and Finding Nemo are the product of one man (though obviously with a lot of help). And I'd say Finding Nemo was more fun and Wall-E was more artistic.

But yes, it should be considered fully on its own as well. And on its own I consider the second half to have some significant flaws that are more than outweighed by greatness in other areas.

I'm just sad because I was so hoping that Andrew Stanton would rekindle the awe I felt at the end of last year's Ratatouille. He didn't. He showed me a good time on the level of Cars, I just want to be raving about it like most of you get to. That feeling is something I want and I didn't get it this time.


Comparing within the science fiction genre only hurts Wall-E, in my opinion,because while it was set in a science fiction world, the particulars of the universe created for the core love story were minimally explored and developed. What is good about the movie has nothing (in my view) to do with the science fiction elements.

[innerSpaceman]

Well, Andrew Stanton is no Brad Bird.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I keep forgetting to mention this. I'm failing to recall the exact context, but there was a ship or building or something with an obvious Space Mountain silhouette in there.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Well, Andrew Stanton is no Brad Bird.

I rather think Brad Bird is no Andrew Stanton. If I had to rate Pixar movies - well, I usually wait to rate until I've seen a few times and digested over months - but right now, Stanton's most recent two are tied for #1.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Stanton has more under his belt that I like (Monster's Inc, Nemo, WALL E, and even Bugs Life. I'm not hot on Toy Story 2). But Brad Bird has 2 of the best told stories, imo, to his name, even if only 1 is Pixar (Iron Giant and Ratatouille). Those two from Bird are more well told from beginning to end than any from Stanton according to my tastes.

The thing that makes comparing Pixar movies make sense is that, whomever is actually producing it, they all share the same focus on character, and all succeed at it to varying degrees. What they do share, beyond technical aspects, goes well beyond genre and definitely invites comparison. And the fact that WALL E contains a host of characters that are introduced without following through on their story arcs is out of character for a Pixar film and what, to my mind, hurts WALL E. It doesn't diminish the brilliance of what was done right, but it does diminish the movie as a whole.

[Gemini Cricket]

...but right now, Stanton's most recent two are tied for #1.
My top five are now:
Finding Nemo
Ratatouille
Wall-E
The Incredibles
Monsters Inc.
:)

[innerSpaceman]

Brad Bird's got The Iron Giant, Ratatouille and The Incredibles. Game Over.


Don't get me wrong, I love Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and Monters, Inc. But Stanton's also got the two Pixars I really don't care for, Bug's Life and Toy Story 2. Demerits.


Match-up goes to Bird in my book.


And perhaps Alex is right that I went to the cinema because Wall-E was under the Pixar banner indicative of quality, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have Netflixed the film if it got positive word-of-mouth.

[Gemini Cricket]

TS2 was an improvement over TS1. I truly didn't care for Bug's Life...

[innerSpaceman]

There you go not knowing things again. TS2 was worthy of its unimaginative sequel name. Not without its charms and wit, the story was pure direct-to-video quality sequel crap.


The original was brilliant.







Feel free to continue displaying your cinematic naivete however.;)

[Gemini Cricket]

iSm, your ignorance is boring us.
TS1 was all about 'hey, look what we can do with a computer'.
TS2 had a more interesting story attached to it. It's a worthy sequel that was better than its predecessor. A direct-to-DVD plot would include Woody and Buzz on vacation in Miami or something.
Neither makes my top five, though.

[innerSpaceman]

Toy Story was one of the best buddy movies ever made. I suppose it revolutionized the animation industry and put Pixar on the map because it was just a computer generated film.






Or was that Tron?

[Gemini Cricket]

Toy Story was one of the best buddy movies ever made. I suppose it revolutionized the animation industry and put Pixar on the map because it was just a computer generated film.
Pssh. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the best buddy film ever.
The most interesting thing about buddy movies is to decide at what point in the film the characters had butt sex off screen. In BCATSK, it was after the jump from the cliff. "I can't swim" is code for "I'm a virgin. Teach me."

Or was that Tron?
I bet you love that piece of dreck as well.

[innerSpaceman]

Perhaps that's why Toy Story was only ONE OF the best buddy movies, and not THE best. I don't think Woody even had a butt.

[Gemini Cricket]

Perhaps that's why Toy Story was only ONE OF the best buddy movies, and not THE best. I don't think Woody even had a butt.
Bah, clearly you changed your post. With characters without butt cracks, the Toy Story movies don't even qualify as buddy movies.

[Gemini Cricket]

Back to Wall-E:
It made $62.5 mil this weekend.

[Kevy Baby]

Back to Wall-E:
It made $62.5 mil this weekend.Glad our $17.00 could help (we went to a matinee).

[innerSpaceman]

Back to backsides.


Only butty movies require butt cracks. Buddy movies do not.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Obviously Pixar brings out people's strong tastes. They're very specific movies with very specific voices; it's no wonder one over another appeals to different people. To me, Brad Bird's movies have never touched me as emotionally as Stanton's. It's a clear, clear winner. While I enjoy Ratatouille, Incredibles, and Giant, I have to admit: each of them leaves me a little bit cold.* None of Stanton's ever have. My top Pixar choices would be:

1: Finding Nemo/Wall-E (tie)
2: Toy Story 2 (if you think it's bad, maybe take another look, there's a lot of heart.)
3: Toy Story
4: Ratatouille
5: Incredibles
6: Monster's Inc
7: Cars
8: Bug's Life

I really think the list is going to vary highly for everyone.

*cold in comparison with the higher films on my list. Certainly they kick the asses of most films being made these days.

[Gemini Cricket]

I really liked the dialogue in Ratatouille, which is why it was higher up the list than Wall-E for me. But I was thinking about how much Wall-E conveyed without using dialogue. That's quite an accomplishment. I also think that Wall-E is the first environment that Pixar created that I would not want to live in or visit.
:D

[Ghoulish Delight]

2: Toy Story 2 (if you think it's bad, maybe take another look, there's a lot of heart.)Meh, I've seen it several times (more than I've seen the first) and I think I like it a little less each time.

My Pixar list is an ever-morphing beast, but currently it would look something like:

1. Ratatouille
2. WALL E
3. Nemo
4. Monster's Inc.
5. Cars
6. Incredibles
7. Toy Story
8. Bug's Life
9. Toy Story 2

the two in bold are likely to ping back and forth depending on my mood, and the 3 in italics are highly unstable in their position and definitely flip around on a whim.

As I said before, Stanton's got the lead in raw numbers (which is an unfair fight seeing as he's got more credits than Bird, both in general and at Pixar) and that does speak to some amount of admirable consistency from him, but when Bird gets it right, he outshines Stanton in my eyes. If I were to put Iron Giant in there, just for kicks, it'd settle in between the #1 spots.

[flippyshark]

Gosh, it's hard to rank them as the list grows longer and the films diversify. So, here is an arbitrary measure.

Pixar Movies That Made Flippyshark Cry Like a Weenie:
(in roughly ascending order from least to most blubbery I got on first viewing)

- Cars
- Toy Story
- Toy Story 2
- Wall-E
- Monsters, Inc.

So, pretty subjective, and that doesn't necessarily make these my favorites. (Though, Monsters is my number one still.) Ratatouille is obviously a major achievement, and one I will revisit often. Both Toy Stories were wonderful, and obviously moving, but they are on my "don't need to revisit soon" list. Nemo, Incredibles - terrific entertainment that will keep on giving, and I can safely watch them in mixed company without keeping hankies nearby. Bug's Life - meh - admirable but I think I can go without it from here on out.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

See for me, it'd end up below Bug's Life. But then, personal taste, it's all about personal taste. I see Bird's technical skill and action chops, but his emotional moments kind of lack... emotion... for me, at least. And I personally think technical skills and action are worthless if it doesn't move me. Not that it doesn't move me at all, just that it doesn't move me as much as, say, Stanton. I can see how others would have different preferences, though.

[Gemini Cricket]

flippyshark - what made you sob during Cars? For me, it was a dry eye film for me.

I sobbed during The Incredibles. The whole Holly Hunter "I'm so proud of you" speech really got me.

The ending of Monsters Inc gets me every time.

Finding Nemo - Dory's "I'm home" speech is weep material, totally.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Ooh! The crying is a good measure.

Most blubbery > least

Wall-E
Finding Nemo
Toy Story 2
Monsters Inc
Cars

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Interesting, GC - Cars made me cry, but Incredibles didn't, not whatsoever. (Love that score, though.)

[Gemini Cricket]

Wall-E got me several times. Mostly when she sees how he took care of her.

[Tom]

I will support my wife on this one. Sort of. Toy Story 2 remains my favorite Pixar film to date. I also enjoy The Incredibles and Finding Nemo somewhat less than most (standard disclaimer about general Pixar quality applies).

My list would be something like:

1. Toy Story 2
2. WALL-E
3. Monsters, Inc.
4. Ratatouille
5. Cars
6. Toy Story
7. Finding Nemo
8. The Incredibles
9. A Bug's Life

[flippyshark]

Cars got me a couple of times, but especially during the nostalgic montage with the Randy Newman song. (Indeed, ditto for the two Toy Stories. Darn those winsome Newman montages.)

Yes, the last few seconds of Monsters, Inc slays me every single time. (mists up thinking about it...)

Wall-E for exactly the reasons GC states above- WOW!

[innerSpaceman]

Ok, that settles it. I'm putting Toy Story 2 and Bug's Life on my netflix queue and giving each a second chance. Because right now, they are at the slimy bottom of my Pixar list ... which, for the sake of thread continuity and meme-ish participation runs as follows.


1. The Incredibles
2. The Incredibles
3. The Incredibles
4. Finding Nemo
5. Ratatouille
6. Toy Story
7. Wall-E *
8. Monsters, Inc.
BIG GAP
9. Cars
GIANT MEGA GASH OF A GAP
10. It's a Bugs Life
11. Toy Story 2



* I have to assimilate Wall-E some more before its proper placement. It's a testament to how much I love the movies above it on the list, since I'm absolutely in love with Wall-E.

[Disneyphile]

We loved it, and can't wait to see it again, because it was so captivating.

I also liked...
...the fact that they touched on a very real issue about the increasing sedentary lifestyles that people are succumbing to these days. I especially liked the display of showing how people get so caught up in the screen in front of them, that they don't even notice people actually next to them, or that they can socialize outside the screen. Again, that's a very real aspect of today's society, because a lot of people are spending more hours online than they do offline, thus ignoring the real world around them.

Visually, it's an absolute masterpiece, and I almost wondered what sets they used for filming. ;)

I'm very happy we finally have a film that not only provides breath-taking entertainment, but provokes thought as well.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Ah, the Pixar Debate - one that is Everlasting and always Intriguing. :D

[innerSpaceman]

And to touch on something GD said pages or so ago, I don't think the societal skewering was without enough substance. Satire does not need to go too deep to be satire. Quite the contrary, when a barbed point is so on point it's instantly recognizable and humorous, what's more to tell about it other than the pointing itself?

[Ghoulish Delight]

And to touch on something GD said pages or so ago, I don't think the societal skewering was without enough substance. Satire does not need to go too deep to be satire. Quite the contrary, when a barbed point is so on point it's instantly recognizable and humorous, what's more to tell about it other than the pointing itself?It's not so much that the satire didn't go anywhere, it was that the characters within the satire didn't go anywhere. All we saw was a bunch of half-baked random encounters with no character arc. There was nothing for me to care about, no emotional connection to these non-pedal decedents of mine that had me caring one way or another whether they made it back to Earth or not. Pixar movies are usually far better about that, where characters aren't just set pieces to push a plot along but actual emotional beings the audience cares about. Starting with an excellent social commentary is not enough to make up for lack of good story telling. Especially when that social commentary isn't all that unique (a lot of the same stuff was brought up by Idiocracy, and even that highly imperfect movie covered far more interesting ground than this did, imo).

[innerSpaceman]

Well, to be honest, there were only 3 human characters, and two of those were barely cameos. There was the lady and her potential beau, voiced by the Pixar perennial John Ratzenberger, who were "awakened" from their hover-stupor to view the world with wonder and the promise of love. That was their entire arc, admittedly weak. But they were the most minor of minor characters.

The other human, the Captain, I thought had a rather decent character arc, no less thoroughly predictable than the more fully realized arc of Eve.

Did Wall-E even have any kind of character arc? I don't think so. He was likeable ... but besides falling in love, was he any different at the end of the movie than at its start?

[Alex]

Well, to be honest, there were only 3 human characters, and two of those were barely cameos.

That's kind of my point in considering that part of the story weak. Since we never get to learn anything really about the humans why should I care whether they return to earth. Or the sense of wonder they have when they do. Or why it is that you can stack them 20 deep in a steeply tilted spaceship and none come to harm (or why tilting a spaceship with artificial gravity would even have any effect on the humans inside).

Did Wall-E even have any kind of character arc? I don't think so. He was likeable ... but besides falling in love, was he any different at the end of the movie than at its start?

While Wall-E is the central cute character, I don't really think his was the story arc but rather it was Eve that provided it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

(or why tilting a spaceship with artificial gravity would even have any effect on the humans inside).
Or why residents of a spaceship with artificial gravity would be subject to the deterioration associated with microgravity. Or why WALL E breaking someone's display screen causes sudden onset of awareness whereas the emergency robots chasing rogue robots can knock people off their chairs with reckless abandon. Or why Fred Willard would have bothered with giving the autopilot special orders to stay away from earth since if the reason was that life was unsustainable then there would have been no plant life to start the return process anyway, or........

I've thus far avoided going into the many many weaknesses I found in that plot. It's full of gaping holes. But I don't want to dwell on them because it's just going to make me like the movie less and I'd really prefer to keep liking it. So I'm trying to just kinda ignore it and focus on the far superior element of the movie.

As for WALL E's character arc, perhaps he himself doesn't have an arc, but he is intimately involved in one (EVE's/the relationships's) and one that is done in a thoroughly artistic manner. He may not grow much, but he is a fully fleshed out character that the audience can actually connect to, not a prop piece.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

SPOILERS, people. Looks like the boxes are gone. Those that haven't seen it should probably stop reading the thread now (or rather, have stopped reading it a few posts earlier).















I admit it, the humans "waking up" bugged me. And the fact that they actually wanted to go back to earth bugged me as well. As I said before, the happy-sappy, easy-peasy ending was mandatory, but didn't make a whole lot of sense. I didn't mind though because I knew the rest of the amazing film couldn't have been made by anyone else - and as it had to have a happy kids ending, there we are.

[Kevy Baby]

And the fact that they actually wanted to go back to earth bugged me as well.I don't see the issue with wanting to go back. While I cannot totally understand living on a cruise ship for my entire life, and I admit that these people do not have a point of reference for 'something else' (such as Earth), I would think that basic human nature (for an educated person, which I would presume these people are) would want to be somewhere else besides the one and only place they have ever existed. I had presumed that the notion of 'going home' had been passed down from generation to generation in some form, even if the real experience had long ago been lost.

At least that's how I experienced it.

And I did not spoilerize this as at this point, if someone who hasn't seen the movie is still reading, there's not much more damage that can be done.

[€uroMeinke]

I haven't ranked the films yet and Ratatouille and the Incredibles are as biased to me as Cars is to NirvanaMan.

In my mind Tour Guide Barbie was all it took for me to rank TSII over I

I kinda like that in Wall-E you care more about the machines than the people - I find it a smart meta-commentary on the overall theme of the story.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, you were mostly routing for the insane robots from the cyber-asylum, and only tangentially for the humans because they are us (and they were not presented unsympathetically) in a situation (return to Earth after exile) we were naturally routing for as Earthlings.

As such, I didn't mind that the humans (other than the captain) were cyphers ... and appreciated that a story from the robots' point of view would have the robots be the main heroes ... and the main villains.


I don't even have a problem with the black plot holes of deep space. Artificial gravity probably takes a lot of energy. So they don't have full earth gravity, they have, perhaps, moon-level gravity. And the gravity generator can have issues, so when the ship goes off kilter at a time when the grav is having issues for drama sake (just as all good SciFi technology does), the humans fall Poseidon-Adventure style to one edge of the giant cruise ship.

Yeah, they don't get hurt from the pile-up. D'uh, they're marshmallow people with no skeletons.



Oh, and they're cartoons.

[Alex]

Or why residents of a spaceship with artificial gravity would be subject to the deterioration associated with microgravity. ..

With the big bold disclaimer that these issues of science and physical consistency did not at all detract from my enjoyment of the movie. Just things I noticed, some other things I noticed and thought while watching:


The Axion used some kind of FTL drive to return to Earth but the probe ship used subluminal speeds to return to the Axion from Earth. A speed that would have taken years, if not centuries, for the trip shown.

Using chemical reactive propulsion to land a giant ship and then take off again is a horribly inefficient way to get six Eve's down to the surface of earth. Especially when repeated to retrieve them. Especially when the technology for artificial gravity and anti-gravity apparently exists and is used widely (Eve flies without any apparent form of propulsion).

It is essentially impossible to evacuate earth. The planet's population increases by about 250,000 every day. Based on the size of the Axiom as seen when it lands on Earth, just to hold the population of Earth steady would require at least one new Axion be build every day and probably dozens if you want to evacuate the planet in any short period of time.

If the planet was evacuated, where are all of the other cruise ships out in space and will they be returning?

If the planet wasn't evacuated, where are the signs of 6+ billion corpses among all the trash?

Either that is the universes smallest nebula that the Axion is living behind or the Axion was much bigger in space than it was on Earth.

I'm pretty sure that 700 years far exceeds the data life of VHS (and in reality a VHS tape would be decades older than the Earth evacuation). An, really, the artifacts he was finding were amazingly well preserved for being 700+ years old in an area ravaged by severe storms.

Why is a short term probe designed to look for plantlife on an otherwise sterile planet so heavily armed and aggressively programmed? What is Eve designed to defend herself from?

It was pretty, but of course the rings of Saturn are not so dense that you can run a hand through them.

Why did the Axion have a complement of plant-seeking probes when they apparently departed on their 5-year cruise expecting it to be just 5 years and with earth still occupied by a clean up force consisting of at least Fred Willard?

Earth deprived of plant life for 700 years would be extremely oxygen deprived. The existence of a single photosynthesizing plant would hardly indicate that the atmosphere had returned to a survivable balance.

If there had been no plants on the planet for 700 years where did the plant found germinate from?

Presumably there are plenty of other cockroaches or is the one we meet 700 years old? If so, what are they eating since no new food is being created?

Since Wall-E is solar powered and the trip from Earth to the Axion must have taken days or weeks (even if not shown but obviously not the years or centuries of reality) and most of the would have been in the essentially zero-light of extra-solar space travel how was he still charged when reaching the Axion?




Yes, I know it is just a cartoon and I want to reiterate that the above questions/issues really didn't impact my enjoyment of the movie. They're just things that occurred to me from a purely technical point of view of the world presented.

[Gemini Cricket]

I don't know. Do you think it would have been kinda grim to show dead bodies scattered about while Wall-E and Eve make out robot style? I guess it's no worse than seeing the dead hanging rats in Ratatouille...

[Alex]

Yeah, it would have been grim.

I just gave the two possibilities because I assumed the entire planet was evacuated but Lani thought the Axion was the only ship out there. Either option brought to mind consequences unseen in the movie (not that they should have been seen, they were just things brought to mind).

[Ghoulish Delight]

I seem to recall that the first video we saw about the evacuation indicated multiple ships, with the Axiom being the flagship. But I could be wrong.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

If the planet wasn't evacuated, where are the signs of 6+ billion corpses among all the trash?

Oh, simple... they use CALL-E - she's the Corpse Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class.

[Alex]

Mmmmm, that must produce some oozy cubes.

[innerSpaceman]

Um, you are spot-on about videotapes not surving 700 years (hahaha, not even 70) ... so why on earth (yeah, perhaps pun intended) would you expect any biological human remains to exist after 700 years?


That one's as big a physical gaffe on your part as any of the physical gaffes on the filmmakers' ... so I guess you're even.

[Gemini Cricket]

Hmmm. How would anyone know if videotapes last 700 years or not? There hasn't been an experiment that has lasted that long yet.
:D

[Kevy Baby]

Those weren't VHS tapes: they were oversized digital video tapes on a new polymer base that has a half life of of just over 6,000 years. They were fine.

I can't believe you missed that detail.

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Apparently there are few conservatives who don't think kindly of this movie.

Shannen Coffin: From the first moment of the film, my kids were bombarded with leftist propaganda about the evils of mankind. It’s a shame, too, because the robot had promise. The story was just awful, however.

Greg Pollowitz: It was like a 90-minute lecture on the dangers of over consumption, big corporations, and the destruction of the environment. … Much to Disney’s chagrin, I will do my part to avoid future environmental armageddon by boycotting any and all WALL-E merchandise and I hope others join my crusade.

Glenn Beck: I can’t wait to teach my kids how we’ve destroyed the Earth. … Pixar is teaching. I can’t wait. You know if your kid has ever come home and said, “Dad, how come we use so much styrofoam,” oh, this is the movie for you.

Dirty Harry: Have we lost Pixar? Have we lost the wonderful studio who brought us The Incredibles and Ratatouille to Bush Derangement Syndrome? Here you have a winning streak going back ten-years, enormous amounts of public goodwill, equal amounts of credibility as serious storytellers, and they stop things cold, yanking you out of the story with the liberal nonsense. Quite a disappointment.

Jonah Goldberg: I agree with the charges of hypocrisy. I agree that the Malthusian fear mongering was annoying

Anyone shocked? ;)

[innerSpaceman]

Hahahahaha - Eat My Butt, you stupid Neo, Proto, and Retardo Cons!


Yes, Pixar is TEACHING YOUR KIDS better than you ever will.





(Although, I admit it was pretty hypocritical to actually credit the Consumer Products Division in the film, when that wasn't really necessary or, I believe, ever done before in the history of cinema. Pretty stupid to start with this particular movie, imo.)

[flippyshark]

Yeah, I saw this coming. :rolleyes:

[Alex]

That one's as big a physical gaffe on your part as any of the physical gaffes on the filmmakers' ... so I guess you're even.

Because human remains do frequently last that long. However, since the VHS and other artifacts existed as if they were in a vacuum for 700 years, so would any human remains. So at least having them lying around, perfectly preserved if a bit dusty would be entirely consistent.

Also, the car alarm that continues to function after 700 years (I know, it was a gag).

Again, these observations were not things that in any way detracted from my enjoyment of the movie. Just things I noticed, though some of them could have easily been resolved without any additional effort. As I said above I don't really consider it a science fiction movie since it spends almost exactly zero time exploring its science fiction milieu. Since it never tries to say "this is a science fiction world that makes sense" I don't mind the inconsistencies.

It is a fairy tale and everything should serve that goal and it need not make any more rational sense than The Princess Bride does in telling its love story. In fact, to the extent I have complaints about the movie it is that it distracts itself with the filler of the humanity's return storyline. It is as if Cinderella had an extra 30 minutes showing her campaign to establish a wildlife preserve for her animal friends.

[flippyshark]

(semi-spoiler-ish, if that matters anymore)

The rumor mill was going a while ago, prior to the release of WALL-E, that this might be the movie that manages to justify a revival of the People Movers in Tomorrowland, CA.

Now that I've seen the movie, I can just picture it - float along on a lounge chair, slurping sugary mush through a straw and watching a video screen just in front of your face that plays continual corporate advertisements.

[innerSpaceman]

Well, I thought of it as a science fiction film in the way that Star Wars is generally considered a sci fi film. It's much more a throwback swashbuckler, but since it takes place in an off-Earth world of another galaxy, it's "automatically" sci fi, too.

As is Wall-E. Sure, it's of other genres more primarily. But I didn't feel the human story was tacked on. It was the McGuffin and was no more tacked on nor less explored in depth than any classic McGuffin.

It was given more weight than a good many McGuffin, so it veered very nicely into sci fi territory. McGuffin plot was sci fi, and the main characters were all robots. Hmm, yes, love story or not ... this was a science fiction film.

And perhaps I'm giving it too much free parking because it was animated, but I think Alex is also overanalyzing its improbabilities.


* * ** *
* Just because a movie doesn't show something does not mean it doesn't exist. If the Axiom was shown traveling faster than light to return to Earth, but the probe ship was not ... that doesn't necessarily mean the probe ship travelled at sub-light speeds. In fact, since that's clearly an impossible journey, the fact that they didn't speficially show the light speed portion of that journey means nothing (to me, at least).

* Yes, chemical propulsion was a stupid way to have a giant ship arrive and depart from earth. But it looks so cool. I suppose that's why the Enterprise had shuttle craft and transporters ... but by the time of Voyager, they made sure to land the entire freaking spaceship on some planets because it was irresistibly awesome not to.

We don't know squat about the details of Eve's anti-gravity. Perhaps it only works on small objects, and would be inefficiant and perhaps impossible for very large objects. Who the frell knows? But just because they didn't stop for a disertation does not mean they didn't have a plausible explanation. I think the demonstration that small objects have anti-grav and large objects don't fits fine with common sense film language physics.

* Maybe I missed it, but who said Earth was evacuated? I think G.Delight was right that there were more than one escape ship ... but I never got the notion that the ships held all 7 billion people on the planet. That's just dumb. :rolleyes:

* And again, just because they didn't show the other ships meet with disaster or whatever happened to them whereever they are. Maybe there'll be a spin-off tv series about each of those.

* Similarly, even if the 7 billion skeletons haven't decomposed, not showing them doesn't mean they don't exist. It sorta makes sense (to me) that bio disposal would be one of the first jobs, completed over 600 years ago.

* Kevy already explained about the videotape. :D

* As for Eve's directive or capabilities, who's to say that the robots were not repurposed, or new ones built, or new programming done for new tasks, or robots - especially spacefaring ones - having many capabilities quite apart from fullfilling their prime directive.

* Yeah, Saturn's rings. Ya got me.

* Ok, very little oxygen on the Earth. Hopefully, all the humans asphyxiate 10 minutes after the end credits roll. Yeah, I got nothing for that one.

But Eve hardly conducted a massive planet-wide search. Perhaps there are plants in other zones, and seeds blew upon the stormy winds and were placed in the refrigerator by the ghosts of the decendents of Indiana Jones through his Mutt line of heirs.

And while there were no plants to form a food chain in Wall-E's city, perhaps there was an endless supply of twinkies to support a small clan of cockroaches.


* * * * *
I'm sure I missed some of Alex's points, but my free time has expired.

[Alex]

Your taking my thoughts too seriously, just as you seem to feel I am being too serious in having them.

Of course the fact that something isn't shown doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I'm not saying each of these things needed to be explained in the movie or that they couldn't be reasonably explained. They're just things I wondered about while watching the movie. It presented a world different from mine so I naturally start to wonder how it all hangs together; I don't require the questions be answered but that doesn't stop me from thinking about them (and in this regard I did respond to it just as I do to any decent science fiction story).

I also find it interesting to consider the questions of whether some apparent inconsistency exists because the filmmaker never considered it, because they didn't care, or because they thought it made for a better movie that way. Andrew Stanton and dozens of writers and animators lived with this for years, I'm curious as to how they expanded this universe even if it doesn't end up in the movie. And if inconsistencies are left in because they feel it makes a better movie then I can respect that completely.

However

I think the demonstration that small objects have anti-grav and large objects don't fits fine with common sense film language physics.

They did show large objects having anti-gravity. The Axion had a comprehensive gravity field (even in parts of the ship where no human would ever go) and it was much larger than the ship that carried Eve to Earth. Anti-gravity would just be turning whatever creates that upside down.

And:

but the probe ship was not ... that doesn't necessarily mean the probe ship travelled at sub-light speeds.

Except there was a montage of the probe ship passing various landmarks on its way to the Axion. So either it didn't use FTL or it was constantly turning it on an off for purposes of a montage. With FTL how would you end up running your fingers through the rings of Saturn.


Yes, it is a science fiction movie. Just one that didn't particularly care about being a science fiction movie. We'll just have to disagree on how well the "humanity's return" part of the story contributed to the whole. For me was more distraction and filler than help to the story. Add another 10-15 minutes (and WALL-E is already somewhat short by recent Pixar standards) and it could have been fleshed out into a good b-line.

Of course, it is all subjective

[Gemini Cricket]

The Buy n Large Website (http://www.buynlarge.com/)

;)

[Nephythys]

There is a certain irony to be found in the fact that in the movie earth is overrun by too much trash- and that my daughter received a free Wall-E watch when entering the threatre that tells us the watch batteries are non-replaceable so when they die- the watch is trash.

[Ghoulish Delight]

So I'm no longer hearing the "Johnny 5" comparisons around. Once you've seen the movie, those superficial similarities disappear completely.

Actually, one friend made a good call. He's more like a cross between E.T. and R2-D2.

[innerSpaceman]

Heheh, that website is awesome, Gemini Cricket.




I don't know who Johnny 5 is (is that the Short Circuit robot?), but I found Wall-E very much akin to E.T.'s personality, but hardly like R2D2.

[Alex]

Yeah, unlike R2-D2, Wall-E has a clear functional reason for existing.

[Gemini Cricket]

Yeah, unlike R2-D2, Wall-E has a clear functional reason for existing.
Well, R2-D2 did save his cohorts' lives a couple of times in all three of the real movies and in the prequels, too.
:)

[Alex]

True, but somehow I doubt that at the design meetings to build him they said "we need a droid that would be perfect in assisting the escape of a ragtag group of rebels from an Imperial Cruiser."

I was just never clear (from the movies) on what his function was supposed to be beyond sitting in the back of a x-wing screeching.

[Gemini Cricket]

Hey, I just thought of something that was kind of a plus for me with Wall-E and Ratatouille for that matter... no Randy Newman song!
:)

[Crazybirdman]

what did you think of the Peter Gabriel song?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Meh.

[Gemini Cricket]

what did you think of the Peter Gabriel song?
I was kind of meh about it too.

[mousepod]

Hey, I just thought of something that was kind of a plus for me with Wall-E and Ratatouille for that matter... no Randy Newman song!
:)

But his cousin Thomas wrote the score.

[Gemini Cricket]

But his cousin Thomas wrote the score.
Which, for me, was a plus. I liked the score for Nemo a lot.
:)

[Kevy Baby]

I don't know who Johnny 5 is (is that the Short Circuit robot?)...Yes

[cirquelover]

My son showed me the BnL website and I thought it was a riot! I remember saying to him in the theater that I bet Disney bought that web addy. Sure enough.

You know with Pixar you have to step back from reality. I mean look at any of their movies. Although my son turned to me a few times and said "That wouldn't be there still."

By the way, the roach ate twinkies obviously. Did you miss that part;) Which my son found amusing that a twinkie was ok to eat still!

[€uroMeinke]

The Buy n Large Website (http://www.buynlarge.com/)

;)

I love their privacy statement - of course, now that I've read it, they own my soul

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Peter Gabriel - reliably upbeat in my book, though the song didn't blow me away, it was a nice ending.

I could read the BnL website forever. I still can't believe this is related to Disney. (http://www.buynlarge.com/NewsCenter.html?storyId=23) How do they get away with it??

[Gemini Cricket]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/xan_pagev1.jpg
:D

[innerSpaceman]

Hysterical Stuff. Alas for Pixar's pocketbook ... the new way to support them is to avoid buying any related merchandise (though purchase of the actual films, music and other actual art product is still kosher, I suppose).

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Socialist summer camps! Brilliant! :D

[wendybeth]

Peter Gabriel - reliably upbeat in my book, though the song didn't blow me away, it was a nice ending.

I could read the BnL website forever. I still can't believe this is related to Disney. (http://www.buynlarge.com/NewsCenter.html?storyId=23) How do they get away with it??


Peter Gabriel's done both songs and voice work for the Myst series (Burn You Up/Burn You Down is featured on Uru), which is produced by the company my sis works for- Cyan Worlds. Great guy. I love his voice.

[Not Afraid]

"Not taking Xanadou while shopping my result in a desire to wear drab clothing....."


:)

[Not Afraid]

I just got caught up on about a week's worth of WALL-E discussion. An few random replies:

In my opinion, animated films/shows/shorts/ etc. can get away with story details that are unrealistic. I learned early in life that moose don't walk upright and squirrels don't talk. I am a LOT more accepting of laternate realities with animation that I am with live action.

Favorite Pixar:

The Incredibles
Ratatouille
WALL-E
Monsters Inc
Findng Nemo (although the overkill at Disneyland has made me tired of the film)
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 1
Bugs Life

Least favorite: Cars. The more time passes, I find that I didn't like the film at all.


Has anyone seen it a second time? I'm sure there are many little details hidden in the film and I want to know what they are.

[Gemini Cricket]

I saw Cars a second and third time and still don't really get what people like about it. It's kinda dull. Although, I do like Owen Wilson a lot.
:)

[innerSpaceman]

I think Cars is sweet. I watched it once after I saw it in theaters, and enjoyed it. But it's a measure of how fantastic most Pixar films are that "enjoyable," "sweet," even "thoroughly entertaining" just do not bring a film into the pantheon of greatness that the great majority of Pixars achieve.

[CoasterMatt]

The biggest thing against Car for me is that I absolutely hate Owen Wilson's voice - possibly the only voice that makes me cringe more is Rachael Ray - if I don't mute her in less than 20 seconds, I start screaming obscenities in languages that I don't even know.

[Morrigoon]

Yummo.

:evil:

[BDBopper]

I am very happy that I had the chance to go see Wall-E. So awesome and visually stunning! Presto was so funny and charming! The music was great. I never knew that I would enjoy a movie with so litle dialogue. I feel terrible for people who are completely blind and will not be able to get much of anything out of this movie.

Believe it or not - this is only the third movie I've been to this year. It's not for a lack of wanting to go. It's very rare that I can get a ride to go to amovie I want to go see. Unfortunately that means if I miss a movie that I have some interest in seeing it might be a few years before I see it on TV. I'm not interested in paying 20 bucks to buy a DVD that I might only watch once. I'm not complaining (although you wouldn't blame me) - I'm just telling you what reality is for me

Anyways, If you haven't seen Wall-E, you should go see it! It's an all-around great movie! I enjoyed every moment of it. I'd love to see it again...I am sure there are things I visually missed that Y'all were able to notice.

[flippyshark]

I'm not interested in paying 20 bucks to buy a DVD that I might only watch once. I'm not complaining (although you wouldn't blame me) - I'm just telling you what reality is for me


Is Netflix an option for you? I find it indispensable. I go to the theater about as often as you do, but I see about three movies a week via Netflix.

By the way, you chose very well your one summer movie, n'est ce pas?

[BDBopper]

Is Netflix an option for you? I find it indispensable. I go to the theater about as often as you do, but I see about three movies a week via Netflix.

By the way, you chose very well your one summer movie, n'est ce pas?

Thanks! Netflix does sound like a good idea...especially in the (hopefully near) future when I have little more disposable income.

[NirvanaMan]

Saw the flick this weekend and enjoyed it very much. I never have been one to over-analyze entertainment and I certainly will not start now.

It was fun, it was beautiful and it was surprising. Surprising in that I felt an emotional tug of the heart strings, over robot love. Who woulda thunk?

I did find a good bit of irony in the fact that a large corporation produced something railing against the evils of large corporations. But I shouldn't be surprised by that lack of self-awareness at this point and it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the film. I did roll my eyes a bit at the beginning with the humans destroy the earth storyline. The beauty of the animation and the robot love got me past it quickly however. Though it could have been done better, they needed some reason for their existence and as ridiculous, preachy, and over-the-top as the notion is, I suppose it is no more ridiculous than talking fish and cars.

The only thing that really did seem to bother me was the Zippo that worked 700 years later. The fluid in mine fully evaporates about 22 seconds after I fill them. What a load of crap! :)

The 2001 references were perhaps a tad too blatant, but fun. The Mac startup sound for Wall-E was cute, though I was again reminded of the giant corporation attacking giant corporations thing. Heh.

I did enjoy a couple stabs of a smaller nature of people ignoring the world around them to spend all their time in the depths of the internet. Hmm.

[flippyshark]

I suspect the creative folks at Pixar see themselves as "in the corporation , but not OF it." I know that's how a lot of WDI folks would like to think of themselves. (We're creating something worthwhile, even if we have to keep making deals with the devil to do it.)

[Disneyphile]

Ever since seeing this, I now feel some kind of sympathy towards our Roomba. It is just wrong.

[BDBopper]

Okay I can see it now...a Wall-E Roomba! that would kick butt! :)

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Ever since seeing this, I now feel some kind of sympathy towards our Roomba. It is just wrong.Perhaps it will fall in love with the toaster oven?

[Disneyphile]

We have no toaster oven, but I noticed it sighing as it passed the microwave.

Well, it either means love or that its brushes need cleaning. ;)

[Morrigoon]

I did find a good bit of irony in the fact that a large corporation produced something railing against the evils of large corporations.

Who better to highlight the evils of large corporations than those who experience it on a day-to-day basis? Especially those who were once part of a small company that got absorbed by a large corporation.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Chaplin, Lloyd, Keaton...WALL-E! I'm a huge fan of silent film and loved seeing an animated robotic love story that maintained its subtleties and slapstick. The first half of the film had me glowing with happiness as I, with rapid heart beat, developed a real affection for the characters. I even had to bite back tears when WALL-E held his own hand. It is one of the best and most human love stories ever told, I think.

But I didn't care at all for the use of live action. It made sense at first. The more realistic animators try to make 3D animated / CGI people look the creepier they look. Even an ounce of something other than human, and it's a freaky golem . You cannot help but notice there is something off about the creation. Exaggerating human features in animation makes the artifice palatable somehow, and we more easily recognize them as human than their more human-like CGI counterparts. Given how realistic the WALL-E robot and his environment were animated, I assumed the animators decided live-action people would be more believable in context. I didn't much care for the actor they chose, but I could look beyond that.

I had a lot of trouble looking beyond the evolution of the human race. CP and GP mentioned a book they were reading at mousepod's that detailed the animators original plans for an evolved race of blob people, and I think I would have much preferred that. That, or a consistent use of live-action, similar to Happy Feet.

Regardless, I just didn't care enough about the human characters to maintain an interest in their story. The message interested me, and I thought that was beautifully conveyed in the first half of the film. And even in the animation that accompanied the credits. But something just didn't sit right about the lazy space cadets, and I didn't appreciate the tossed in bone density explanation at the end. Bah.

I dug the Hal reference but wished it had been a bit more subtle. I could have done without the 2001 music...

Anyhoow, overall, a love story to love and love again, but I'll probably fast-forward through the parts I enjoyed less whenever I watch it again.

[NirvanaMan]

I suspect the creative folks at Pixar see themselves as "in the corporation , but not OF it." I know that's how a lot of WDI folks would like to think of themselves. (We're creating something worthwhile, even if we have to keep making deals with the devil to do it.)

I bet they do (I did note the lack of self-awareness). This sentiment is assuredly shared by many other people in assorted big large evil corporations. So if all of these big evil corporations are filled with people trying to basically do good, who are these big evil corporations again?

[Morrigoon]

Shareholders, investment bankers, and MBAs

[Gemini Cricket]

Pixar did poke fun at itself being a big corporation. At the end of the credits, after the Pixar Logo, the BnL logo popped up. I found that funny.
:)

[Cadaverous Pallor]

To clarify what EH1812 said - in the art of Wall-E book it said that the original concept was that you weren't told that the blobby alien-like creatures were actually humans after 700 years of (de-)evolution until the very end. The concept drawings were much more jelly like and totally non-human. I think that might have been better but the book claimed that it confused people, and in a movie with little dialogue they ruled it out as too much of a risk.

[innerSpaceman]

I loved it the way it was. I didn't need any attempt at an M. Night "twist" ending.

And while the BnL company and the cruise ship Axiom were timely specifics, the "message" of Earth environmentally destroyed by humans, (with or without a surviving remnant of the species adrift in space) is a staple of science fiction ... an homage by Pixar rather than an invention they can be either blamed or praised for.

[mistyisjafo]

I have to say that the Pixar people's artistic ability has gone up another notch. I'm always amazed at the computer animation and how good its gotten. I completely fell in love with the story line and found it every bit entertaining and fun.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

On second viewing, I noticed something I hadn't before. Sigourney Weaver was cast as the voice of the computer. The voice of the computer almost always repeated something someone else said. I thought this might've been a clever nod at Galaxy Quest, in which her Star Trek-like character's job was to repeat things the other characters said for the benefit of the computer (as though it only understood her voice.)

It didn't hold up quite as well on second viewing, but that may have been the sleep deprival and the jet lag, as we'd had a redeye flight that landed half a day before.

[Kevy Baby]

I dug the Hal reference but wished it had been a bit more subtle. I could have done without the 2001 music...I had thought the same thing initially. But I came to realize that not everyone would be so quick to pick up the subtler reference (without the music). I know some people didn't get it until the music played.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I feel the need to reiterate that the nitpicky issues I had with the human side of the story are inconsequential to me, mentioned only if asked. And I'm sure I could find a fair share of equally nitpicky issues with the robot side of the story (car alarm, zippo, the fact that he was totally desperate to get inside his shelter when the first storm came around but seemed no worse for wear when he later got caught outside, etc. etc.).

My overall problem lies not in those details but in the strength of the storytelling as it related to the Axiom's journey. It grabbed me at first with the setup but never managed to make me care very much about it. We can talk precedent, references, message, etc. all we want, the fact remains that the humans and their blobbly plight engendered in me but a miniscule fraction of the emotion I felt for Wall-E and Eve. So it detracted from my experience and felt very removed from the movie as a whole.

So for me, my memory of the movie is of the brilliant love story. Talk of BNL and microgravity is of no interest to me one way or another anymore. I'm just going to kind of ignore it.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I feel the need to reiterate that the nitpicky issues I had with the human side of the story are inconsequential to me, mentioned only if asked. And I'm sure I could find a fair share of equally nitpicky issues with the robot side of the story (car alarm, zippo, the fact that he was totally desperate to get inside his shelter when the first storm came around but seemed no worse for wear when he later got caught outside, etc. etc.).

My overall problem lies not in those details but in the strength of the storytelling as it related to the Axiom's journey. It grabbed me at first with the setup but never managed to make me care very much about it. We can talk precedent, references, message, etc. all we want, the fact remains that the humans and their blobbly plight engendered in me but a miniscule fraction of the emotion I felt for Wall-E and Eve. So it detracted from my experience and felt very removed from the movie as a whole.

So for me, my memory of the movie is of the brilliant love story. Talk of BNL and microgravity is of no interest to me one way or another anymore. I'm just going to kind of ignore it.

That is, I imagine, how I will ultimately feel about this movie. I will think no more beyond robot love and silent movie...hurrah!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

And I will continue to be in awe that they even partially tackled the question of how much luxury is too much luxury.

[innerSpaceman]

Yep, to each their own. I enjoyed the social commentary just as much as the love story. So there. It wouldn't be half the movie to me if it was just the gooey story of Wall-E and Eve.


Nobody need feel one way or the other. I'm glad I appreciated both elements of the film.

[lashbear]

I think I might go see this movie this weekend.......

[Gemini Cricket]

This thread has more words in it than the movie does.
:D

[lashbear]

OMG: Imagine "Sooooo..., The Movie" - That'd be longer than Gone with the wind !

[Kels]

I saw WALL-E over the weekend and really enjoyed it even though I went in with uncertainty. I'm a big fan of what Pixar and Disney can do, but with both Findng Nemo and Cars it took a while to truly appreciate them.

Of course, there were a few things that I nitpicked, like the car alarm. Really? After 700 years that battery is still working? And Fred Willard's non-animated appearance bugged me a little. Couldn't they have animated Fred?

Like I said, nitpick. Overall I thought it was well done.


kels.

[innerSpaceman]

Is it because it was an animated cartoon that completely implausible, nearly retarded things like car batteries and zippo lighters working after 700 are nitpick items, while a live action film with, to my mind, no more ridiculous items as, oh say, a nuclear survival crashed refrigerator thingy is a shark jump?

[€uroMeinke]

See I thought the car alarm, as the Twinkie was an odd nod to that late night musing of - I bet after the apocalypse that damn car alarm will be going off every 700 years. I took these as the kind of gags I'd expect from a pic like this - it was after all a fantasy.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, that's my point. It was, after all a fantasy. And I think because it was animated, we allow it all sorts of fantastic things.


Why is Indiana Jones any less of a fantasy? Certainly not because of its pedigree. I think the primary difference is live action. Even in more blatant comic book films (Spider-Man, Batman, IronMan and the rest of the men), I think they have to stick to certain rules of physics ... and in animation, those can go right out the window.


Heck, I think even the incorporation of live action Fred Willard and Hello Dolly worked in animation! They can get away with anything!!!

[Kels]

The car alarm was more of an afterthought nitpick for me; during the bit, I laughed with the audience.

It was Fed Willard's human presence that maybe bugged me the most (but not enough to dislike the film). This film was so great at pulling me into it's reality, that see his human presence brought me out of the fantasy just a little.

But, like I said, I enjoyed the film dispite my misgivings. :)

I loved the Twinkie bit!

[innerSpaceman]

Ah, but that's the thing .... during Indy, I laughed along with the audience at the refrigerator bit .... but within a week, it was touted as the moment western civilzation came to an end.

[BDBopper]

OMG: Imagine "Sooooo..., The Movie" - That'd be longer than Gone with the wind !

And it would be so expensive to make. It would have to be made in parts and the plot twists would be be more twisty than a pretzel! However It would be a very humorous movie at times. I'd pay good money to see it.

I wonder how good a movie "Bacon Is Meat Candy" would be. However I see that being a better title of a Broadway musical or play instead

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I saw it today at El Cap with Ty. It was good - but not great. The animation is fantastic, but I was a bit bored by it. I'd like to see it again to see if there is anything I missed. Then again, there was some B**ch taking pictures of her kids during the movie

[MouseWife]

I saw it today, too! I thought Hubster and I were the only two people left who hadn't seen it. I was surprised that we weren't alone in the theater. It wasn't packed, of course, but we didn't get our favorite spot, either.

I really enjoyed it.

Yeah, a fantasy is that a lighter would work after about 3 months or a lightbulb for that matter. But, it was a fantasy.

I was worried because I was being realistic and I fretted about the dry looking bays and such...where was the water?

I did go out and pre-order the Little Mermaid movie, the one that is before the first movie {yeah, how can that be???} .

Can anyone tell me, how many years do they have now inbetween movie releases and putting them back in the 'vault'?

[Kevy Baby]

Can anyone tell me, how many years do they have now inbetween movie releases and putting them back in the 'vault'?Probably when sales start to slow, they will announce that it is about to go in the vault.

[MouseWife]

Oh, okay, thanks.

I thought perhaps it went along with the old time line. If I am right, didn't they used to bring out movies {to the theater} every 7 years? I forget.

[Isaac]

I finally saw this movie last Saturday.

I LOVED it, but now I have "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" stuck in my head. I downloaded the Hello Dolly soundtrack yesterday and I've been playing that song over and over again. I'm listening to it right now.

LOL!

[Isaac]

I keep forgetting to mention this. I'm failing to recall the exact context, but there was a ship or building or something with an obvious Space Mountain silhouette in there.
I thought I saw something like that in the movie but don't remember where exactly.
Did anyone else notice the "PeopleMover" ?

[innerSpaceman]

No. But considering what happened with Indiana Jones and then Batman, I'm afraid to go thru with my plans to see Wall-E again.

[Isaac]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/pmover1.jpg

[Ghoulish Delight]

You know, as much as i like the look, it'd be kinda fvcked up to put anything from this movie in Tomorrowland. I mean talk about anathema to the entire spirit of Tomorrowland. I much prefer my TL optomistic, I don't really care if the prevailing mood is pesimism. Escapism, people!


And is that a Murakami "DoB" in the upper left?

[innerSpaceman]

oh, you mean we should stick to Tomorrowland themeing like America Sings or Finding Nemo, or Star Tours or Buzz Lightyear?


Sorry, I'll take pessimistaic actual humanity future predictions any day over that string of total Nothing-To-Do-With-Tomorrow bullsh!t.


Bring on the Giant Towers of Trash ... and yes, the cool Futuristic Escape Cruise Ship in Space built around the old Peoplemover track!

[Stan4dSteph]

What is a Murakami DOB?

[mousepod]

What is a Murakami DOB?

http://english.kaikaikiki.co.jp/images/uploads/DOBkun_s_u.jpg

[Alex]

Trying to picture the marketing on a Wall-E version of the Peoplemover.

"Yes, now you can be the fat slobs of our dystopian future. As a special benefit, park guests who are so obese that it is causing mobility problems get front-of-the-line passes and access to our 'ultra-themed' set of ride units!"

[Ghoulish Delight]

Sorry, I'll take pessimistaic actual humanity future predictions any day over that string of total Nothing-To-Do-With-Tomorrow bullsh!t.I consider both of those options equally sucky.

[innerSpaceman]

Yes, but as with most elections, we must choose the lesser of two evils.

Which would you pick if you had to choose?









(Apparently we can't choose Not-Pixar.)

[Alex]

I'd pick the version with no Peoplemover. I'm of the camp that they should just tear down the track so people will shut up and move on.

[innerSpaceman]

Which brings up an ancillary point.

Are whiners at fault for Peoplemover Longings and, in its day, Carousel of Progress angst? Or is Disney at fault for leaving the Peoplemover track up, visible, and obviously unsused and the vast Carousel building empty for decades yet occupying prime real estate? (Leaving out the question of whether Innoventions is better or worse than empty was.)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Between those two options I'd obstain.

[innerSpaceman]

Courteously, I hope. ;)

[Ghoulish Delight]

Courteously, I hope. ;)
I'm no New Yorker.

[Alex]

Yes, Disney deserves most of the blame for the years of hope (only sometimes crossing into what I'd call whining) for the return of submarines and the Peoplemover.

Nobody seriously begs (though there is the occasional wistful sigh) for the return of the Skyway. Why? Because they tore down the towers and filled in the Matterhorn hole.

I've said it before but I think Disneyland should be constantly moving forward. If a ride is open for eternity, great. But once you close it, move on. If the subsequent use fails, close it and try something else. Don't go back to what was there the first time. Rocket Rods didn't work? Move on to the next thing or tear it out. The day after the subs closed, if they didn't have an immediate lagoon based plan for it they should have started paving it over. Just my opinion. Bringing back the subs. If they bring back the Peopolemove you don't just have Pixar Tomorrowland you have Pixar Yesterdayland.

[BarTopDancer]

How about something else on the Peoplemover tracks. Would putting up an attraction themed to the Incredible's be moving backwards or forwards?

[innerSpaceman]

If closing things was just to maintain a static number of attractions rather than a creative choice for the advancement of Disneyland, I have no problem with going back to things that were cravenly removed for the sake of cost savings only.


There was nothing wrong with the Peoplemover. It was not a wildly popular attraction, but pleasant enough ... and served to create kinetic movement in an area of the park that needs it.

In fact, all areas of the park could benefit from kinetic movement. Putting Big Thunder Mountain on an island may not look authentic in France's Frontierland, but the entire land benefits from the ultra-visibility of the constantly kareening trains.

The skyway was a benefit to Fantasyland for this same reason.

In a place where the main attraction is RIDES (even if not the carnival kind), the visible movement of some of the rides is of great appeal beyond the mere ridership of those rides.



Oh, is this about Wall-E? Well, it may not be a perfect fit. But since the Parks are destined to be dominated by Pixar, and Tomorrowland in particular ... I'm thrilled there's a Pixar movie that actually takes place in Earth's future. I don't care if it's pessimistic, let's roll with it. It can depict the wonderful Earth rebirth that happens after the credits roll. Wall-E and Eve and the cockroach lead the way to a great big, beautiful tomorrow!

[Alex]

I suppose it would depend on what form it took.