Wall-E

[Alex]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

[€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.

[innerSpaceman]

Well, Andrew Stanton is no Brad Bird.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

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.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

...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.

[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.

[Isaac]

Originally Posted by 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.

I thought I saw something like that in the movie but don't remember where exactly.
Did anyone else notice the "PeopleMover" ?

[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.

[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.