WALL-E (some spoilers)

[ISiddiqui]

When I saw the previews originally, I thought that looks pretty decent, but I dunno if I'll see it in the theater... but my lord, I'm looking at the reviews and I'm amazed. See for yourself:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wall_e/

98% positive?! 100% of the cream of the crop?! Holy crap! I may now have to see this. I don't think I've ever seen a movie get this type of reviews before. And NY Times review was positively gushing.

[Cringer]

I have an 8 year old daughter who loves almost to give any animated movie a try, and her parents are pretty much the same. That means we are going. I think it will be good, especially going on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon when no one else is there.

[PackerFanatic]

Pixar has really put out some good stuff and I have loved them since day one (Toy Story is by far my favorite movie of all-time), so naturally, this looked pretty good to me.

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

Toy Story is by far my favorite movie of all-time.

Toy Story? Really? Toy Story?

[PackerFanatic]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

Toy Story? Really? Toy Story?

Haha, I was waiting for that.

Yes, really

[PackerFanatic]

dola -

Maybe not BY FAR...but it is my favorite, always on my list of favorite movies. I have far too many to list.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

Toy Story? Really? Toy Story?

/Jim Mora Impression

Finished that post off for you.

[spleen1015]

We'll be going to the 0900 showing Sunday morning when all of the crazies are at church.

[Kodos]

Johnny #5 is alive!

[Bad-example]

Judging by the previews, I fully expect this movie to be equally as good as Short Circuit, and by that I mean 'completely unwatchable'.

[Kodos]

What about Short Circuit 2: The Revenge?

[Wolfpack]

My four-year-old daughter has been looking forward to this ever since she saw a preview for it on (I believe) "The Jungle Book" DVD. Even tries to mimick the robotic "Wall-E" sound and recognizes the music from the preview if I hum it. Won't be this weekend, though, unless my wife takes her while they're visiting my folks.

[gstelmack]

Life is not a malfunction.

But really looking forward to this. When we went to see Kung Fu Panda, my 3 year old son was laughing pretty hard through the Wall-E trailer (he's big into slapstick and things banging together right now). We'll be seeing it, but not sure exactly when yet.

[KWhit]

My son will flip for this. And I pretty much think Pixar is the best movie studio in existence. There are incredibly consistent, with their worst movies at least in the good category for me.

[MacroGuru]

I am in the general consensus, it also depends on the wife and her schedule and the weather. We like the Drive-In right now, so if it's not there we wont go.

[Comey]

I got movie passes from the parents in the classroom I work (I work in autistic support, but my kid is in a regular classroom, and I helped teach the entire class when the situation called for it). My girlfriend and I are going to see this.

We don't have kids. We just both want to see it.


(Yes, it does help that we're going for free.)

[JetsIn06]

Absolutely. Fucking. Awesome

[BrianD]

I wanted nothing to do with this movie when the previews first started coming out, but later previews looked much better. I expect this to be a fun movie.

What is the hope for Pixar movies after this one? Apparently this is the last movie idea that came from a group lunch that spawned all the previous Pixar movies. Let's hope they remember the initial magic and have another productive group lunch...and let's hope that everybody is still around to participate.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I was listening to the radio this morning, and I heard Leonard Maltin taking a shit on this movie, but that probably doesn't mean much.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JetsIn06

Absolutely. Fucking. Awesome

Just saw it... have to echo this.

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

Absolutely amazing movie.

The opening half hour or so is just great and is a throwback to the silent movie era.

I almost wish this wasn't a kids movie because I think it would have been neat to make it a silent movie for the whole thing and really explore wall e's loneliness. But nevertheless, its a really great movie.

[ISiddiqui]

This is my review in the "last movie you watched" thread:

WALL-E - 9/10: Absolutely incredible! Top notch animation and a very fun love story, with some big political/social issues in the background. A great satire on environmentalism, modern consumerism, the big box stores (ie, Wal-Mart, I don't think the name of the movie is totally coincidental), even the cruise industry. Just hits it out of the park. I think its the best movie I've seen all year.

[Anthony]

took the wife to see this, and it was a phenomenal movie. this from a person who loathes these animated movies. excellent story. amazing how they coaxed so much emotion out of robots who hardly said anything.

[Young Drachma]

This thread has convinced me that I have to see this, so we're going to go tomorrow and check it out.

[JetsIn06]

I cried during this movie. There were some extremely sad moments, but also some happy and funny moments. Great animation, great story. It's amazing the emotions they get out of you within the first half an hour when there is no dialogue at all.

[JetsIn06]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

This thread has convinced me that I have to see this, so we're going to go tomorrow and check it out.

Good choice. It's definitely worth the price of admission.

[ISiddiqui]

Oh, one other thing... this is the type of movie one buys a Blu-Ray player for. It's gotta be jaw dropping on BR compared to standard DVD.

[Glengoyne]

Ah This was no Toy Story.

I'm not sure I watched the same movie as anyone gushing over this one.

It was good. I do agree with harkening back to Silent movies. Even a little Chaplin bit with a hat/hubcap. The animation was great.

Just all in all.....It didn't do it for me.

[Julio Riddols]

That would be the equivalent of finding out Jessica Alba is a boring lay. That said, I still want to see the film.

[Draft Dodger]

I enjoyed it. I'm not a fan of animated movies at all - I just find it too difficult to lose myself in the movie. For the first half of this movie, the animation and story were so good that I was able to enjoy it. Then the movie shifts (avoiding spoilers) and suddenly the animation is no longer able to keep me sucked in, and the story, while interesting, became far to similar to Idiocracy.

It was still very good, and I'd recommend seeing it. I'm like LWSFS above - I wish they'd just kept this one about the 2 robots.

[Marc Vaughan]

Put me in the 'good' but not fantastic crowd, its a little different to some of the animated stuff and my kids liked it ... but it didn't grab me in the way which Shrek and Toy Story did.

[Cringer]

I thought it was a great movie. My favorite Pixar movie yet, and the whole thing just sucked me in for some reason. It probably isn't the funniest of their movies, but something about it just has me loving it. My wife liked it, but just said it was on par with other Pixar movies, not better.

And I did like the last half of the movie as much as the first half.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

And I did like the last half of the movie as much as the first half.

My problem with the second half was it ripped from Idiocrocy(sp?) big time and also just didn't 'gel' that well with the style and emotion of the first half of the film ... just mho.

[Cringer]

I can understand that I guess, it does change a good amount. It is the first half of that film that has people talking Picture of the Year Oscar nomination already, and not the second half.

[lighthousekeeper]

Saw it yesterday with my 3.5 year old. I thought it was good but not deserving of the accolades people are using in this thread.


my daughter lost interest about halfway through. it was her first movie in the theater - and based on her reaction I think she's still probably too young to enjoy a full length movies at the theater.

another interesting point is that there were about a total of 8 people in the theater. (Saturday 9am showing)

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

My problem with the second half was it ripped from Idiocrocy(sp?) big time and also just didn't 'gel' that well with the style and emotion of the first half of the film ... just mho.

Well, just because one movie does one theme doesn't mean its off limits . Besides I think it was suitably different (the focus on robots in WALL-E being a major contributor)

And it fits well within the story. I don't think anything could have gelled perfectly with the style and emotion of the first half of the movie (kind of like Saving Private Ryan that way), simply because it was so powerful, but you couldn't make an hour and a half move out of it.

I actually did like the juxtaposition between the first half and the second half and the utter differences between the settings of both halves and what that has to say.

[samifan24]

I really enjoyed this movie. I agree that the first half was spectacular but the second half wasn't bad either. Good fun for all ages.

[rjolley]

Took my daughters to see this today. Everyone enjoyed it very much.

I would definitely recommend it for families. I can understand a child under 5 losing interest, but kids who are starting to follow more complex storylines may enjoy it more.

[Warhammer]

The first part of the movie was quite good. But I got really sick of the whole bashing of big box stores/consumerism. I felt it would have been much better served during the second half of the movie is they would have stuck with more of a sci-fi feel.

I did like that they incorporated an awful lot of sci-fi ideas and drew from many movies in the way they made the movie. They drew from Asimov, Clarke, Adams, and others, but again, I thought the message they were trying to convey was way too over the top.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

Saw it yesterday with my 3.5 year old. I thought it was good but not deserving of the accolades people are using in this thread.


my daughter lost interest about halfway through. it was her first movie in the theater - and based on her reaction I think she's still probably too young to enjoy a full length movies at the theater.

another interesting point is that there were about a total of 8 people in the theater. (Saturday 9am showing)

Don't be so sure about her being too young. This movie wasn't your typical animated movie. Kung Fu Panda would be a much better test of your theory.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

The first part of the movie was quite good. But I got really sick of the whole bashing of big box stores/consumerism.

I agree. I enjoyed the movie but it was hard to overlook the constant message of "big box stores/consumerism is bad." Ok, we get it, you don't like Walmart and you think the American people are lazy, fine, but you don't need to hit us over the head with it repeatedly.

[ISiddiqui]

Well that kind of was the point of the story, so it'd be hard not to hit you over the head with it .

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Well that kind of was the point of the story, so it'd be hard not to hit you over the head with it .

No there are other ways to do it without beating our heads with it. For that matter, why does it have to have any sort of message?

Look at The Incredibles. That movie had a very good message. Once you bring everyone to the same level, no one is special any more. Don't embrace mediocrity, etc., etc. But that movie did not beat you over the head with it. There were some subtle hints and then the one fight between EG and Mr. I.

It could have been very easy in this movie to have some simple explanation somewhere about too much trash, etc. Heck, have the diatribe against the big box stores, but mix it up rather than bash only the one.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good movie, but it is not the movie par excellance that everyone is making it out to be. It would have been a much stronger movie without trying to hammer home a message.

[ISiddiqui]

Look at The Incredibles. That movie had a very good message. Once you bring everyone to the same level, no one is special any more. Don't embrace mediocrity, etc., etc. But that movie did not beat you over the head with it.

Maybe you think it didn't beat you over the head because you agreed with the message .

For those who considered a conservative anti-Affirmative Action speal it most definitely did.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Well that kind of was the point of the story, so it'd be hard not to hit you over the head with it .

I disagree. I don't see why a movie like this "needs" a message at all. After watching the first half of the movie, the "biggest issue" I saw was how badly people treated the environment. I wouldn't have had a problem if the producers spent more time on this issue because it played an integral role in the storyline. But, alas, an animated movie needn't be a commentary on anything, much less consumerism and what the film's producers deem wrong with American society. If the producers want to include a message, that's their prerogative. There's something to be said for grace and subtlety and, in the context of this film's "message," Wall-E lacked both.

[Anthony]

don't read the below if you didn't see the movie.

if they didn't beat you over the head about the laziness of humans and overreliance on gadgets, then at the end when they finally do get up off their chairs and stand up for themselves it wouldn't have that much of an impact.
the scene where the captain finally does start to act like a captain and tries to retake the ship wouldn't have much meaning to it if he wasn't such a useless sloth. there obviously needed to be some type of message other than 2 robots falling in love, as good as the 1st half was 2 robotic non-speaking characters and a cockroach could only hold your attention for so long.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by samifan24

I disagree. I don't see why a movie like this "needs" a message at all. After watching the first half of the movie, the "biggest issue" I saw was how badly people treated the environment. I wouldn't have had a problem if the producers spent more time on this issue because it played an integral role in the storyline. But, alas, an animated movie needn't be a commentary on anything, much less consumerism and what the film's producers deem wrong with American society.

I really liked the movie, it was funny and a good time. But the message? There doesn't need to be a message. If you want to include one, fine, but do so gracefully and with subtlety.

animated movies, afer all, are for kids. while these days they've become more sophisticated, i don't think kids do subtle very well. maybe you should try "No Country For Old Men" for nuance and subtlety. its people like you who want to bash the Star Wars series, as if a movie about beeping robots, a monkey co-pilot and a talking frog was ever geared towards sophisticated adults.

[ISiddiqui]

I think HA hit it on the nail there. The final parts of the movie have such an impact because of what they've been saying throughout about humanity and the direction it is going. Sure, it is a massive exaggeration, but its also a wake up call.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by Hell Atlantic

its people like you who want to bash the Star Wars series, as if a movie about beeping robots, a monkey co-pilot and a talking frog was ever geared towards sophisticated adults.

Really? "People like me?" I have never posted anything on this site about Star Wars or any other movie franchises so I find this comment especially laughable. This has nothing to do with Wall-E or, as you allege, searching for subtlety where it shouldn't be found.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by samifan

I don't see why a movie like this "needs" a message at all.

Some of us do believe that movies are an artform . Sure you can have your mindless entertainment movies, but the ones that are truly great are promoting a message (and that is what makes them great... they have something to say rather than simply entertain you for an hour and a half).