Calling WALL•E, the new Disney/Pixar film, “brilliant,” the Austin American Statesman’s Dale Roe reports:
Pixar and Apple computer head Steve Jobs’ influence is seen here: Not only did Apple whiz Jonathan Ive consult on the design of the film’s love interest [EVE], one of the trinkets WALL•E has collected is a relatively clunky, first-edition iPod. And when WALL•E boots up, there’s that familiar startup chime. That’s right … WALL•E is a Macintosh!
Full review, 5 stars out of a possible 5, here.
Claudia Puig’s USA Today review of WALL•E, 4 stars out of a possible 4, is here.
The Chicago Sun-TImes’ Roger Ebert raves here.
Apple’s WALL•ETrailer page is here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Brocktoon” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Of course WALL•E is a Mac, he’s still working after 700+ years!
Now wonder he’s been running for over 700 years.
No doubt Wall-e has a G4 under the hood
Nice….
Now if only he can clean up my typos…
G4? I don’t think so. Wall-E is what become of the Powerbook G5!
From what I’ve seen so far from the trailers, and I know it’s probably premature to be judging, I think this is going to be one of those Pixar films that people will fall in love with. I’m looking forward to seeing it and have been since the first teaser. Of course not all Pixar films appeal to everyone (I didn’t much care for Toy Story 1 or 2), but like Nintendo has proven with the Wii, entertainment doesn’t have to be violent or explicit or raunchy for people to enjoy it.
Wall•E was the secret Asteroid project. Jonathan Ive got a Segway and a Dyson vacuum to mate.
fan boys rejoice… an animated robot is a mac.
he could fix himself everytime adobe indesign crashes…
nah…. Wall-E is powered by a newton.
You guys need to check out RottenTomatoes.com (Steve Jobs’ favorite movie website)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wall_e/
96% so far on the Tomatometer, baby!
WALL•E reminds me of that animated G4 iMac (the one with the swivel LCD display) that Pixar did for Apple.
The “Bra” Wall-E plays with was in fact Steve Ballmer’s first manzier (“Bro” for the low-brows)
*cough* Short Circuit *cough*
=:~)
A good family movie to be sure.
“MacDailyNews Take: Of course WALL•E is a Mac, he’s still working after 700+ years!”
Psst, MDN, WALL•E is a fictional cartoon character in an imaginary world!
Wall-E is pathetically annoying, the lovechild of Short Circuit and Jar Jar Binks. 1/2 star.
If MS people were behind this movie you’d all be sneering at how bad it is. Put Pixar behind it, then it’s gold. What if Wall-E made Windows sound effects instead?
A very poor effort by Pixar, and a sign of Disney’s bad influence.
It called cross channel advertising…. and it’s cool too!
@not impressed
You’re not very impressive either.
On the WALL-E website he has an Apple logo on his front.
First time I’ve watched all those trailers and the ‘shorts’ since I saw the first teaser trailer, and I must say it looks to me like it’ll be a complete smash.
Been in a foul mood since leaving work today, and now I can’t stop smiling.
Wall•E looks like such a warm and fuzzy film it’ll appeal to anyone who has a heart and a soul (that should rule out Balmer then!)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wall_e/?page=1&critic=columns&sortby=date&name_order=asc&view;=#mo
Wow! Check out these reviews! Awesomely fantastic movie reviews!
The End of The World goes mainstream as Pixar releases WALL-E, which is getting some of the best movie reviews I’ve ever seen.
Naturally Post-TEOTWAWKI with Apple saving the universe appeals to me! And apparently lot of other critical movie reviewers. Can’t wait to go see it.
“Synopsis: What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off?
Academy Award®-winning writer-director Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”) and the inventive storytellers and technical geniuses at Pixar Animation Studios (“The Incredibles,” “Cars,” “Ratatouille”) transport moviegoers to a galaxy not so very far away for a new computer-animated cosmic comedy about a determined robot named WALL•E.
After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL•E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen.
Joining WALL•E on his fantastic journey across a universe of never-before-imagined visions of the future, is a hilarious cast of characters including a pet cockroach, and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.
Filled with surprises, action, humor and heart, WALL•E was written and directed by Andrew Stanton, produced by Jim Morris, co-produced by Lindsey Collins and features original and innovative sound design by Academy Award®-winner Ben Burtt (“Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”). The film is due for release on June 27, 2008.”
“Wall-E is an improbable delight, a G-rated crowd-pleaser that seems poised to pack theaters as efficiently as the titular robot crams his chest cavity with rubble.
Here I am, surprised and delighted all over again at just how well these people can tell a story.
WALL*E is not only a triumph in terms of style, it’s also a triumph in terms of story. There’s a real emotional resonance and depth to this material
It is, undoubtedly, an earnest (though far from simplistic) ecological parable, but it is also a disarmingly sweet and simple love story, Chaplinesque in its emotional purity.
When it works, it really works, but it’s debatable whether its target audience will really enjoy anything more than the nifty robots. Which is fine, too. Robots are pretty cool.
It whisks you to another world, then makes it every inch our own.
It’s Pixar’s most daring experiment to date, but it still fits neatly into the studio’s pantheon: Made with as much focus on heart as on visual quality, it’s a sheer joy.
Only Pixar could pull off a story about robots in love with this much success.
Another Pixar triumph in storytelling…you’ll recognize in the wee machine a version of yourself.
While Wall-E dances whimsically, it’s a plodding, frighteningly hypocritical, and forbidding film that trips over its fogged intentions at every dreary turn.
A tale that’s equally satisfying as science fiction, cautionary satire, gentle love story and purely visual comedy.
Continuing a string of successes that pit Pixar films against only other Pixar films in terms of quality animation, WALL•E makes the count nine masterpieces in a row.
Daring and traditional, groundbreaking and familiar, apocalyptic and sentimental, Wall-E gains strength from embracing contradictions that would destroy other films.
An original, mature and borderline-artsy family film that makes a name for itself. Like the rest of Pixar’s titles, it is destined to endure for years to come.
How much further will they be able to raise the storytelling bar? And how on Earth will I pass the time until Pixar’s next endeavor, Up, arrives in theaters to charm, amaze, and enthrall us, as the studio has done time after time?
WALL-E does sustain a momentum as a gently crafted, sweetened tough love tale touching on senseless human waste, and rebellious robot computers with much more to teach humankind than just sending emails.
A beautiful sci-fi tale complete with all the feel-good vibes and fantastic, cutting-edge visuals we’ve come to expect from a film wearing the Pixar name.
The tender and touching story of a lonely robot on Earth who falls in love and becomes a spiritual teacher to all who encounter him.
Dangerously close to the sublime, a film that will be dissected and enjoyed for years to come.
Though perfection in film is a highly unlikely proposition, WALL-E indeed has become 2008’s first perfect film and one of the best Pixar projects of all time.”
“WALL-E goes beyond inviting comparisons to E.T., Number 5, R2D2, even Chaplin’s Little Tramp–the Waste Allocation Load Lifter relies on them, for writer-director Andrew Stanton understands this robot janitor as a study in memory and inheritance.
Enough to restore your sense of wonder not only in movies, but in the universe as well.
Enough to restore your sense of wonder not only in movies, but in the universe as well.
Never before have the world’s most influential animators been as bold and forthright about their dark vision for humanity as in WALL-E, a potent environmental message wrapped up in an irresistibly cute romance between robots.
WALL-E is probably the sweetest movie ever made about humans destroying the earth.
Like Charlie Chaplin’s best silents — a clear influence — WALL-E is pure visual magic. As a bonus, it packs a wicked satirical punch.
For adults there aren’t a lot of surprises, but that doesn’t mean you won’t revel in the Pixar-perfect execution of another story well told.
The genius of WALL-E is how so many disparate influences…are incorporated and evoked while creating something unique…What a wonderful world it would be if the talents they manifest here could somehow be marshalled to address real-life problems.
Pleasant enough–and certainly pretty enough–to serve: a lesser Pixar effort, but one that most viewers, young and old, will enjoy if not be transported by.
The idea that an ancient Hollywood musical, with its love duets and foot-tapping dance numbers, would be the thing that awakens emotions in both humans and robots, is pure genius.
Eco-friendly, pro-exercise and featuring a glorious use of a fire extinguisher, WALL-E sparks with genuine creativity.
Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton tops himself with this adorably loopy Pixar animation that sends up consumerism, musicals, Apple computers, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
By turns sad, hilarious, exciting and, ultimately, hopeful, this is a film of Great Truths masquerading as child’s play.
A triumph of style over substance.
A jewel of a film in conception, execution and message.
A work of art expressing that the products of our hands can hold, if we look well and deeply, the secrets to our own salvation.
Lou Lumenick
Some day, there will be college courses devoted to this movie.
Pixar’s WALL•E succeeds at being three things at once: an enthralling animated film, a visual wonderment and a decent science-fiction story.
Who would guess that a movie with minimal dialogue and a love story between robots could emerge as one of the best films of the summer? And who would think a tale could be both post-apocalyptic and charming?
This is Pixar’s most audacious film yet, and some small children may become impatient with the film’s long wordless stretches. But the storytelling is so meticulous and skilled, some may not even notice the absence of dialogue.”
“Andrew Stanton is resourceful enough to find infinite ways for them to express themselves — amusingly, achingly, and with emotional precision. He’s also created, with the help of a team of animators, a visual marvel.
Pixar’s ninth consecutive wonder of the animated world is a simple yet deeply imagined piece of speculative fiction…it has plenty to say, but does so in a light, insouciant manner that allows you to take the message or leave it on the table.
Who’d have thought the year’s most romantic on-screen duo would be a couple of robots?
Despite being subtle, sophisticated and light on dialogue, it’s every bit the crowd-pleaser we expect from this studio: funny, romantic, imaginative, and utterly gripping.
Wall-E is not only the best movie of the year by galaxy-sized leaps and bounds, it’s one of my favorite movies in a long, long time.
It’s best not to ask too many questions during Wall-E…Take the film’s outstretched hand and go with it. That’s the best way to enjoy a film that’s as charming as a tale of two robots falling in love can be.
It’s remarkable to see any film, in any genre, blend honest sentiment with genuine wit and a visual landscape unlike any other.
With its lack of dialogue, inventive visual comedy and satirical view of working life, WALL-E plays like an animated addendum to Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times.
If you can imagine Buster Keaton as a small box with binoculars for eyes and tank treads for legs – and WALL-E makes this easy to imagine – then the movie’s first half represents the purest visual storytelling since movies started to talk.
While paying tribiute to seminal American sci-fi, such as 2001, Star Wars and E.T., the endlessly inventive Pixar has succeeded in creating a unique milieu with distinctive look and feel that transports viewers to a magical, almost surreal world.
Not since Titanic will you have heard two prospective partners cry out each other’s names with as much longing (and frequency) and if there’s any karma, fate, or pure love out there to believe in than WALL-E will equal its attendance and then some.
This is getting to sound like a broken record: Pixar Animation Studios has just topped itself. Again.
Stanton and Pixar have achieved a new plateau in their craft, creating what’s destined to be a beloved classic, right up there with the likes of Snow White, Bambi and Cinderella …
A wondrous work of the imagination and, to date, the year’s best film.
The film poses as thinking-fans animation, but there’s little room for wonder or interpretation in the on-the-nose presentation.
While the film’s most daring gambits pay off in full, the inclusion of a standard outwit-the-bad-guys storyline dulls the magic that WALL-E so often achieves.
The animation is stunning; the landscapes of the futuristic Earth offer the Pixar folks ample opportunity to show off their wares.
The pole position in the race for the next Best Animated Feature Oscar has clearly been staked out.
A film that’s both breathtakingly majestic and heartbreakingly intimate.
There are no accolades too generous for the film that turns out to be so good that it’s now my favorite story from the Pixar library.
One of the best movies of the year. Just so beautifully done.”
Be sure to check out closely the Buy n Large Web site. The site was created by Pixar as a tease for Wall-E. It’s a “corporate” site for a mega-store / mega corporation that is part of the story. If you surf the site carefully, at first it looks like yet another corporate Web site. But dig deeper and you’ll see Pixar’s handiwork all over the site. It’s subtle and very funny at the same time. Oh, and be sure to visit their company store. I’ve got my BnL coffee mug – do you?
Here’s the link: http://www.buynlarge.com. Enjoy!