Reviews of WALL-E

I Have Seen The Future. And It Works.

Posted : 3 months, 2 weeks ago on 11 September 2009 12:10 (A review of WALL-E)

It seems like these days, every season, an animated movie comes out displaying the next level of computer-generated visuals. For the year of 2008, it was this film & Kung Fu Panda. While not so surprising in that I (we?) expected the details in the graphics to be as detail & realistic as they were, it's still quite stunning to behold.
And even though Wall-E contains the basic formula elements one would expect from such a family film, it's still quite surprising how often & consistantly filmmakers are able to intergrate the amazing graphics into the quality of the storytelling in a manner that seems fresh & keeps the messages from feeling too cliche. At the rate that these types of highly sophisticated computer animated flicks are being released, it's remarkble that the ratio has been so much more good than bad.



A futuristic story that despite it's epic themes of environmentalism, technological over-dependence & the effects of idleness on the soul of humanity when it is stripped away from the natural strife of life, at it's heart, it's also an effective story of loneliness & longing between two computer-animated robots that despite their mechanical make-up, offer up enough heartfelt human emotion that is depicted with just a simple vocabulary that consists of nothing more than their names & a directive.




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O robô super-humano

Posted : 1 year ago on 27 December 2008 05:12 (A review of WALL-E)

Já faz um tempo que animações não servem apenas para divertir. Filmes animados agora nem são restritamente direcionados para os pequenos. A Pixar é um exemplo de empresa que fabrica longas animados sempre com teor reflexivo e com uma qualidade digital indiscutível. Os caras são gênios. E não estão simplesmente reinventando a animação hollywoodiana, eles estão recriando o cinema de Hollywood para o século XXI. Com Os "Incríveis", misturaram filmes de super-heróis com a importância da família. Em "Procurando Nemo", um road movie no oceano abordando conflitos de gerações. No "Ratatouille", um história de superação abordadando a supervalorização da imagem. Agora, é lançado "Wall-E", do mesmo diretor d'O Procurando Nemo, longa que mescla questão ambiental com história de amor.

Wall-E é, sem discussão, o personagem cinematográfico mais marcante de 2008, um robôzinho que possui sentimentos e se mostra mais humano que muitos humanos. Seu passatempo é assistir à mesma cena do musical “Alô, Dolly”, enquanto ensaia passos de dança desajeitados e sonha com...um amor. Que ele encontra quando a robô Eva é enviada ao planeta atrás de algum sinal de vida.

"Wall-E" mostra a Terra como um gigantesco lixão e o robô como o único que limpa. Enquanto Wall-E está compactando todo lixo, os humanos, sedentários, obesos, estão numa "colônia de férias" esperando voltar ao seu planeta natal. Colônia esta, comandada por outro sedentário e seu piloto automático inpirado no HAL-9000 de “2001”, clássico de Kubrick. O longa é um convite para pensar no futuro da Terra diante dessas atrocidades cometidas por quem a abita. E ainda consegue provar que, no meio de tanta desgraça, pode, sim, desenrolar-se uma linda história de amor dita como impossível.

Por isso relatado, o filme é feito para todos os públicos, sem exceção. Com certeza, um dos melhores filmes da época.

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wall e

Posted : 1 year ago on 18 December 2008 11:13 (A review of WALL-E)

haha this movie is a
great movie for couples
or for kids.

but ya its a nice, funny,
cute movie

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Absolutely wonderful! A masterpiece!

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 29 September 2008 10:30 (A review of WALL-E)

"Directive?"

To the untrained eye, Disney-Pixar's WALL-E probably appears to be just another ordinary animated family film or just another commonplace Pixar escapade. But WALL-E should not be carelessly dismissed with these misleading labels. Director Andrew Stanton (who was behind 2003's Finding Nemo) has created a masterpiece on the same level as recent films like There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Pan's Labyrinth and even The Departed. Put very frankly, this is a marvellous film with infinite appeal.

Over the past few years, Pixar's annual line-up usually receives its fair share of acclaim (from critics and audiences alike). In 2007, it was Ratatouille that had the Oscar committee talking. Other memorable titles include 2004's The Incredibles and 2006's Cars. Further animated films (courtesy of DreamWorks) include Madagascar, Shrek and several others. But 2008's WALL-E is an unprecedented event in both animated feature films and contemporary filmmaking in general. Through my eyes, this masterpiece deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Picture at the very least. No, not Best Animated Picture...I'm talking about the daddy Oscar statuette of Best Picture. I'm not the only person discussing this possibility, so that must tell you something.
This is a movie that the critics are raving about, and audiences are warmly receiving. The box office numbers are enough to convince you of that fact. As of late 2008, the film still holds a resounding rank on IMDb's Top 250. As much as it pains me to admit, I thought the hype and acclaim was ridiculous, and I misleadingly labelled the film as childish rubbish. However I'm extremely glad that I took a chance and gave this film a shot.

In the future, humans have abandoned Earth. WALL-E (voiced by Burtt) is the last of his kind: a small robot manufactured by the Buy-N-Large Corporation, created with the objective of cleaning up the rubbish left by humans. WALL-E (an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth class) lives a lonely life as he carries out the same routine everyday. He's a robot whose vocabulary never stretches past three words, and his sole friend is a mute cockroach. WALL-E spends his entire day rummaging through the rubbish. He compresses mounds of garbage into cubes (he also collects rubbish he finds fascinating - one man's garbage is another robot's treasure) by day, then spends his evenings watching Hello, Dolly! and longing for romance. Things drastically change for WALL-E when a robot known as EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, voiced by Knight) lands on his planet. It's love at first mechanised heart-beep. WALL-E and EVE are soon entangled in an outlandish space adventure with a host of fascinating robot characters.

So what makes WALL-E the masterpiece that has everyone talking? There are a number of reasons.
For starters, the animated is top drawer. All landscapes and locations are gorgeously rendered, to the extent that an audience will be stunned at the technological capabilities of modern computers.
Secondly, the kids will have an absolute ball. Even the adults will sit in awe. WALL-E will commendably keep both the kiddies and adults entertained for its entire running time. Thirdly, the film has great relevance to a modern society that's becoming increasingly reliant on technology. The film essentially acts as a social commentary. While the kids are greatly entertained, an adult will be able to comfortably absorb the film's underlying themes. It's a "green" theme that imbues the proceedings. Humans are depicted as obese, obsolete couch potatoes who rely on technology for their every whim. They no longer walk, and a transparent screen allows them to communicate with each other (even if they're sitting in arm's length). The human race aren't human anymore...in fact the robot characters are more humane. The implication is that this future isn't far off.

WALL-E is also a total blast: it's creative, clever, charming and comedic. You'll be laughing at the Chaplin-esque slapstick on offer, and you'll be sighing at the beautifully tender nature of the little robot. The film conveys a poignant and moving love story. It's an odd-couple romance tale that will strike a tone with its audience depending on generational reference points. There are traces of Charlie Chaplin and Virginia Cherrill in City Lights, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic, with traces of Star Wars and E.T. thrown in for good measure (there's also a slight dash of Shrek and Princess Fiona). This may be a love story between mechanical robots, but it's incredibly heart-warming and appealing.

The final factor that ensures this film is an absolute masterpiece is that it will never grow outdated. DreamWorks animated movies are filled with pop culture references, whereas WALL-E is devoid of them. The character of WALL-E enjoys watching the musical Hello, Dolly! and at one stage we see him indulging in a game of Pong on an old monitor. Had this been a DreamWorks picture, WALL-E would be watching High School Musical and playing Halo 3 on an X-Box 360. This denotes the difference between the two animation studios: in fifty years WALL-E will play flawlessly to a new audience who will laugh at the timeless slapstick, whereas a DreamWorks film (after the pop culture references lose their potency) will play to almost complete silence. Yes, I do enjoy DreamWorks films such as Shrek (the first one...and the first one only!) and Over the Hedge, but it's doubtful that they'll hold up in later years.

Like Pixar's previous films, the meaning of WALL-E is deeper and more profound than the merchandising prospects found therein. The film is undoubtedly a love story, but it's also a story about staying true to your own heart in the insipidly malevolent face of authority. The film is a moving tale about saving the small things and treasuring the world you exist in, regardless of how imperfect its surface may seem.
Andrew Stanton won an Oscar in 2004 for his previous animation film Finding Nemo. Now the director has unquestionably earned his place in the pantheon of animation pioneers. With WALL-E, Stanton has taken not only the art of animation, but the art of storytelling to new and unimaginable heights. Previous landmark science fiction masterpieces include Star Wars and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. To me, WALL-E is the next landmark sci-fi masterpiece in the form of a simple animated family feature.
Perhaps the only drawback would be a script that turns formulaic in its final quarter. The concluding few scenes had me riveted in my seat, but in the long run most of it wasn't overly necessary. And the customary happy ending is quite predictable. However 80% of the film cleverly circumvents the clichés.

For an animated movie aimed at an ordinary family audience, WALL-E is unbeatable. The visuals are masterful, the animation is absolutely beautiful, the storytelling is fairly original and there are laughs aplenty. This film has a right to take its place alongside Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and the countless other additions to the Pixar canon. To this day, WALL-E is definitely the best animated family movie in existence!

9.5/10

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Save the Environment, A Secret Warning...

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 19 September 2008 08:47 (A review of WALL-E)

''Directive?''

[Wall-E gathers up some trash, compacts it and spits it out.]

''Ta-da! ''

In the distant future, a small waste collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.

Ben Burtt: WALL-E / M-O (voice)

Elissa Knight: EVE (voice)

WALL-E is without a doubt one of the most accomplished, most well concieved animated films over flowing with story, emotion and will leave you wanting more and more.

It begins even with a short film of a magician and his Bunny Alex which provides plenty of laughs, then it gets onto the film itself. When we are first introduced to Wall-e, you instantly know in your heart you won't be able to resist his cuteness and lovableness. He collects interesting things from the debris and puts them in his home while watching old musicals classics and recording them on his box. What's also fascinating is that he is solar powered and can also recede into box form, so cute.

Earth has become an inhospitable dump, bristling with rubbish and junk. Wall-e's main function is to recycle materials to rebuild the crumbling remnants of humanities cities. Only problem is Wall-e seems to be on his own, last of his kind. Apart from his friend in the form of a cockroach who provides company.

When a space craft lands on this planet Wall-e gets to meet EVA a white robot sent to find something vital on Earth. What we get is some lovely sequences of her following her directive, WALL-E isn't just an animated film, its one of substance and story, and a love story at that.

When later in WALL-E he ends up on a huge spaceship and is swept alongside hundreds of other robots you just have to marvel at the sheer amount of time that has gone into creating this gorgeous animated film. Not only that but references to 2001 and a robot that even looks like Hal and similar behavior marks as one of the best homages an animated film has ever done. Not only that Casablanca also gets a nod with an iconic song.

It will make you laugh, make you cry in places especially near the end, and make you melt from sheer overload of a masterpiece that surely deserves to win an Oscar for Best Animated film.
WALL-E is perfect and a cheery alternative for this summer, that all the family can appreciate.

The credits I loved which I must mention, and Peter Gabriel's song at the end really added to what was already in my mind perfection. WALL-E concludes like it begins, making you feel good and leaving you breathless.

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Brilliant Film

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 30 July 2008 03:53 (A review of WALL-E)

When I said I was going to see Wall-E i was called a big kid, and laughed at! I ignored the response and I am glad I did.

It was a brilliant film, especially by Disneys standards, which made me laugh plenty of times.
It had a powerful message about waste and recycling and also about laziness and how we should look after ourselves and the planet. It didn't do this in an old fashioned lecturing way, it didn't even feature a single planeteer! But still the message was clear as day throughout the film, without actually being spoken.

The characters in this film were subtle and hilarious, they weren't thrown in your face and marketed at you ready for Christmas. There isn't anything I can think of in this film that is bad, where as normally you can expect a spin off, sequel or cheesy sing a long video to come later.

Disney have definitely excelled themselves in making this film, there is barely any script and it relies entirely on plot and animation. I was worried going in that it would just be a silent movie which would bore me, but it was extremely moving, and you weren't given the chance to notice there was not anything being said.

I cant wait to show this film to my kid in a few years, normally I cringe at Disney movies, but this is a classic.

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Great fun for the whole family

Posted : 1 year, 5 months ago on 8 July 2008 12:29 (A review of WALL-E)

My kids have been begging to watch this movie every sense the adds started. I've got to admit that was OK with me. I love Pixar's movies. This one will rank as one of their best to date.

I was amazed at how well the movie's story was told with the little amount of dialogue that was used. The expressions seen from the charaters told most of the emotions and story for you. This was wonderfully done. The movie will make you laugh and cheer for Wall-e. You will also feel sorrow for him at times. This is what makes the film work, you really will get an attachment for the characters.

Needless to say this was a great movie experience for my whole family. If you don't get out to the movies often because of the high prices, this one is worth making an investment in with your family. Get out of the heat and spend a couple of hours with Wall-e, you'll love it!

Flash

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WALL-E review

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 2 July 2008 08:45 (A review of WALL-E)

I was a little apprehensive going to see this tonight - I had just spoken with a co-worker who had been disappointed with the movie, so I wasn't sure whether it would live up to my expectations for it. Thankfully, it did.

The story of the last trash robot on earth who meets and falls in love with a new high-tech robot who is looking for life on earth is more touching than I would have expected. It's also highly amusing. One of the best things about Pixar, by far, is their ability to make things funny enough that both kids and adults will enjoy them.

This has been my favourite Pixar movie since Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo (though I have to admit that the credits this time around weren't nearly as fun as for the other two).

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Adorable and Funny

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 28 June 2008 06:27 (A review of WALL-E)

Pixar's new film about the only surviving trash compacting robot on earth is adorable. The scenes of Wall-E, going about his job and compacting trash in a world of nothing but trash even when there seems no point are touching, and his friendship with his pet cockroach is sweet. And the jokes and sight-gags all work splendidly, and keep you laughing throughout the entire movie. As there are practically no humans in the first half of the movie, there is practically no dialog, and yet they easily convey the story to you. Of course the visuals are excellent, it's Pixar. My only worry, is that it's so fast paced, that afterwards I don't have alot of memories of the film (or maybe that's from the allergy medicine), however for 103 minutes you are completely and utterly entertained!

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Cute Movie

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 27 June 2008 02:33 (A review of WALL-E)

I like Wall-E. I like this movie is cute and fun. This movie is a Adventure of all time. This movie in space.

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