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Wall-E (Widescreen Single-Disc Edition)  | 
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| Director: Andrew Stanton
Actors: Ben Burtt, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Elissa Knight, John Ratzenberger
Studio: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $9.59
You Save: $20.40 (68%)
New (66) from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  445 reviews
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown)
Rating: G (General Audience)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 98
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.5 x 0.6
MPN: DISD54361D
UPC: 786936734911
EAN: 0786936734911
Theatrical Release Date: June 27, 2008
Release Date: November 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
As the last robot left on earth wall-e is one small robot wh holds the future of earth and mankind squarely in the palm of hismetal hand. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 11/18/2008 Starring: Ben Burtt Run time: 98 minutes Rating: G Director: Andrew Stanton
Amazon.com
Pixar genius reigns in this funny romantic comedy, which stars a robot who says absolutely nothing for a full 25 minutes yet somehow completely transfixes and endears himself to the audience within the first few minutes of the film. As the last robot left on earth, Wall-E (voiced by Ben Burtt) is one small robot--with a big, big heart--who holds the future of earth and mankind squarely in the palm of his metal hand. He's outlasted all the "Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class" robots that were assigned some 700 years ago to clean up the environmental mess that man made of earth while man vacationed aboard the luxury spaceship Axiom. Wall-E has dutifully gone about his job compacting trash, the extreme solitude broken only by his pet cockroach, but he's developed some oddly human habits and ideas. When the Axiom sends its regularly scheduled robotic EVE probe (Elissa Knight) to earth, Wall-E is instantly smitten and proceeds to try to impress EVE with his collection of human memorabilia. EVE's directive compels her to bring Wall-E's newly collected plant sprout to the captain of the Axiom and Wall-E follows in hot pursuit. Suddenly, the human world is turned upside down and the Captain (Jeff Garlin) joins forces with Wall-E and a cast of other misfit robots to lead the now lethargic people back home to earth. Wall-E is a great family film with the most impressive aspect being the depth of emotion conveyed by a simple robot--a machine typically considered devoid of emotion, but made so absolutely touching by the magic of Pixar animation. Also well-worth admiring are the sweeping views from space, the creative yet disturbing vision of what strange luxuries a future space vacation might offer, and the innovative use of trash in a future cityscape. Underneath the slapstick comedy and touching love story is a poignant message about the folly of human greed and its potential effects on earth and the entire human race. Wall-E is preceded in theaters by the comical short Presto in which a magician's rabbit, unfed one too many times takes his revenge against the egotistical magician. (Ages 3 and older) --Tami Horiuchi>
Stills from Wall-E (Click for larger image)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 440 more reviews...
 A masterpiece June 26, 2008
263 out of 288 found this review helpful
I am floored. I didn't think it was possible for Pixar to surpass Toy Story, but it has. A sophisticated treat for adults and teens, a cuddly romance for the juice-box set, this comedic science fiction thriller romance (really!) takes the company to a new, more mature level. Filled with artistry, depth, meaning and a lot of humor, WALL-E is a masterpiece. Where Cars was a kid's movie with added adult themes, this is an adult movie with added value for children.
DIALOGUE SCHMIALOGUE
Before I saw WALL-E I had read about the lack of dialogue, and how it might be a risky move for Pixar to make a film with characters that don't talk in a traditional sense. Well, trash that. The most emotionally powerful scenes in this movie are those with the LEAST dialogue. Fully developed and indeed almost human, the two main characters are Wall-E himself (the letters stand for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class; there's also a WALL-A) and EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator), two machines in love.
After about a half hour I was wondering if Pixar could continue to pull off this less-is-more concept for the rest of the film -- then the two robots started playing Pong! Such imaginative screenplay carries the film to what should be a Best Picture nomination. Seriously.
A TOUCHING STORY
WALL-E is a lonely little robotic trash compactor who was left behind after Earth was abandoned some 700 years earlier. He has been methodically cleaning up the trash-ridden planet ever since, and harboring a tiny plant he has found among the garbage. Eve, meanwhile, lives on the immense spaceship Axiom, which is also home to the fat, blob-like remains of the human race. She is a probe robot that flies to Earth to determine if the planet is ready for habitation. WALL-E takes one look at the streamlined, angelic Eve and falls in love.
It didn't take long for me to fall in love with the little robot. As soon as he giggled (after his pet cockroach tickled him) I was hooked. This hardworking rusty guy with his small home full of collected treasures is so poignant. His lonely life is so human. Eve is just as likable, but much more sleek. Near the end comes a heartbreaking moment when a key character seems to lose all personality, all self. So well done, it made me think of how families must feel when a loved one disappears inside him- or herself with Alzheimer's disease.
All ends well, of course. As the credits roll, the artwork illustrates how everyone and everything lives happily after ever.
AN ADULT MEANING
For adults, WALL-E is not so much about a cute little robot as it is about the future of man. What happens when humans become such creatures of the consumer culture, so fat they can't even stand up without assistance, living literally on auto-pilot, that they do nothing but buy cheap merchandise, stuff their faces at the Regurgitated Food Buffet and lie around watching video screens? Can they ever get back to the land and set their souls free? Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young asked that question decades ago; Pixar asks it today.
There is even a sly political reference. Broadcasting a message to the passengers of the spaceship, the CEO of monster corporation Buy 'n' Large -- played in live-action by the inimitable Fred Willard, and named Shelby Forthright -- says they will be continuing on their never-ending, hopeless cruise to nowhere because they must "Stay the course!" Hmmm, haven't I heard a president use that line?
EXTRA TOUCHES
WALL-E has so many wonderful touches! After the little robot is charged using his solar panels, he "turns on" with a sound any Macintosh owner will recognize. The robot's collected objects, much like the thingamabobs of The Little Mermaid's Ariel, are things that are uniquely human: bubble wrap, an iPod, a Rubics cube, a singing plastic trophy fish and -- blink and you'll miss it -- a carrousel horse from Walt Disney World. Especially inspired are the two things on this future Earth that are totally indestructible: a cockroach and Twinkies.
Stay for the credits. Recalling cave drawings, hieroglyphics, Monet and Van Gogh paintings and early computer graphics, the progressive sequence of art within them sneaks in the history of dialogue-free storytelling.
ANIMATED? REALLY?
The look of the movie is hard to describe. In one scene, when WALL-E and EVE are investigating a piece of bubble wrap, you can't tell it is an animated film. It actually appears to be live-action. Likewise, the outer space scenes have the same level of realism as any of the Star Wars movies. The trailing tower of squiggly smoke that's left behind by a launching spacecraft re-creates the Florida sky of a Space Shuttle launch to a T. For the most part, it is only when humans are portrayed that you are consciously aware that what you're watching was generated on circuit boards, not in cameras.
I've seen the movie three times, first in digital projection and then from a film projector. The digital showing was much sharper, which made all the realistic touches far easier to appreciate.
MOVIE REFERENCES
It's obvious the Pixar folks are movie lovers; there are so many cinematic inspirations in WALL-E that I lost count. The "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" sequence from Hello, Dolly! shows up -- literally -- maybe half a dozen times. (Disney World fans may also remember the song as one of the background melodies along Main Street U.S.A.) The Axiom spaceship's computer is clearly an homage to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey; that film's signature overture "Also Sprach Zarathustra" plays at a key moment. WALL-E himself combines the purrs of E.T., the attitude of R2-D2 and the moves of Charlie Chaplin. There's a brief reference to Titanic.
OPENING CARTOON
The movie is preceded by a Pixar short, "Presto," that had the entire audience I was sitting with in stitches. Its plot: When a magician neglects to feed his bunny a carrot, an escalating disaster results. It's so nice to start a feature with a cartoon. I wish other studios still did it. (Disney fans will note the magician's hat is similar to the one used by Mickey Mouse in Fantasia.)
SOUVENIR TOY
Might as well budget it in: if you take your kids to see this you're going to be buying a souvenir. Here's the coolest one I've found on Amazon: U Command Wall-E.
Will it ever run out? This continuous font of imagination from Pixar? With WALL-E, it sure doesn't look like it.
The 3-Disc edition gives WALL*E the deluxe treatment. August 28, 2008
159 out of 177 found this review helpful
Not yet listed on the Amazon page, here are the goodies that will be in this 3-disc version:
Standard bonus material:
director's commentary,
deleted scenes,
short film: Presto,
new short: BURN*E,
"Animation Sound Design",
"WALL*E's Tour of the Universe";
Exclusive to the 3-Disc Special Edition DVD:
more deleted scenes,
making-of featurettes,
BnL shorts,
documentary film The Pixar Story,
"WALL*E's Treasures and Trinkets",
"Lots of Bots"
DisneyFile digital copy.
An Imaginative and Heartfelt Masterpiece October 12, 2008
46 out of 48 found this review helpful
Though there have been some exceptional movies so far this year there but there have been few which I would call a classic. With WALL-E, things have just changed. WALL-E isn't only the best film of 2008 so far, it is a pure masterpiece. From start to finish, the film wraps you in utterly delightful charm and humanity. WALL-E is a piece of inventive beauty and wonder unlike any other that you will see at the cinema this summer. I absolutely guarantee it.
WALL-E (voiced by Ben Burtt) is the last operating robot on Earth. As for the human race, they left 700 years ago, when the huge amounts of self-produced trash caught up with them. WALL-E's task is to clean up the planet for the return of the humans. However, after being left on his own for so long, WALL-E has developed a personality. He is curious about many of the items that he finds whilst compacting trash, such as an old tape of the musical "Hello Dolly!" But he is also becoming lonely, which is understandable for someone who only has a friendly cockroach for company.
However, all of this changes with the arrival of EVE (voiced by Elissa Knight). Thought EVE is initially hostile towards WALL-E, this doesn't stop him from becoming smitten with her and trying to connect with her. However, EVE has come to Earth on a classified mission. Once that mission has been completed, EVE shuts down and waits to be taken back from whence she came. When her transport arrives, WALL-E can't bear to lose his friend and sneaks aboard. His search for EVE brings him into contact with the remainder of the human race, who have been taking refuge on a huge spaceship and who have become excessively reliable on machines to supply their every need. They don't even walk. However, WALL-E's arrival sets many events in motion which may help the human race to return to normality...
First of all, WALL-E's animation is flawless. However, as with the rest of the film, there is also a sense of risk and bravery which adds extra dimensions to the glorious animation. The first moments in the film, which show us the beauty of the stars before swooping down to gaze upon a barren and deserted Earth, are so detailed and emotionally engaging that you are immediately sucked into the tale without any hesitation. Even when the story becomes more traditional (that is in no way an attack on the film), the creativity and power of the film's visuals never falter.
The main focus of the plot is on the growing affection between WALL-E and EVE. This is one of the most moving romantic relationships in years. No, they're not even human. But watching the initial conflict of EVE's determination and WALL-E's innocence slowly mix into love and companionship is magnificent. The scenes between the two characters on Earth are simply wonderful, perfectly paced and confident in the set-up of this unusual couple. However, the best scene comes in the second half, when WALL-E and EVE dance through space together. Everything in this scene is perfect, the comedy of watching WALL-E propel himself through space by use of a fire extinguisher, the lovely visuals, Thomas Newman's marvelous score and the interaction between the two characters. When WALL-E looks likely to float off into space after the fire extinguisher runs out, EVE flies in and scoops him up in her arms. This scene is pure cinematic genius. Overall, there is a humanity and grace of execution in the relationship between WALL-E and EVE which elevates it far beyond the emotional impact of other romantic relationships.
The term of "cinematic genius" can also be applied to the iconic character of WALL-E and the fantastic direction by Finding Nemo director Andrew Staunton. Staunton shows that he is willing to inject some risk into his movie-making if it makes a better film. This decision pays off magnificently here. Staunton has lovingly constructed this film with invention, depth and bravura, and in doing so has crafted a piece of movie making which is likely to go down as at least a family classic. Not only will children be enthralled by the sheer brilliance of this film, but other audiences will also be open to its bewitching magic.
As for WALL-E himself, he is one of the most original movie creations in years. Speaking in sequences of robotic speech (bleeps, whirs, etc.) with only small moments of mechanical dialogue, the filmmakers have still managed to create one of the most human characters of the year. By mostly using his eyes, the animators are able to flawlessly display WALL-E's emotions. In one scene, his eyes droop with sadness when EVE calls him Wally. When he panics or is happy, his eyes rise in an outburst of emotion. The life that the filmmakers are able to find in such simple mannerisms is incredible. Even the beeps and whirs, provided masterfully by legendary sound designer Ben Burtt, increase an already rich and lovable character to terrific heights. The character of WALL-E is just superb, as is the rest of the movie.
WALL-E has just raised the bar for future animated movies. Pixar Animation Studios has already crafted many animated classics. WALL-E joins them without question. The visuals are compelling, the characters are endlessly endearing and the story is told with beauty, wit, imagination and humanity. I couldn't have asked for more.
 Great Movie! Horrible customer support! November 19, 2008
46 out of 89 found this review helpful
I saw this movie in the theatre and LOVED it! I thought it was brilliant. I couldn't wait for it to come out on dvd.
The day of its release I went to Wal-Mart and purchased the special edition as I really wanted the digital copy for my iPod and computer. I get home, insert the digital copy into my computer, only to realize there is no authorization code. I take it back to wal-mart and exchange it. The lady opens it there and again, no code. She explains that 10 other people have been in complaining about no codes and how none of the copies seem to have them. She says I should call disney as they can't be opening every dvd.
I get home and get on the phone with Disney "customer support". What it boils down to is they admitted it was their fault. The girl offers me a sincere apology. So I figure, great the problem will be rectified. Nope. Instead what I am sent via email is a process where by I, the paying customer, must now jump through hoops to get a copy of this code. I have to print out a form, fill it out, go make copies of my receipt and my proof of purchase and then either scan it, fax it or mail them the forms. After Disney receives it, they will mail me a code and I should get it in the mail (7-10 business days later). O_o
Now, while it may not seem to be too much hassle to scan and copy and print; there is no reason why I should have to do ANYTHING after I spent my money and Disney clearly admitted fault. Forgive me if I missed the whole concept of customer service, but shouldn't it be Disney who should be jumping through hoops to rectify the wrong? I paid extra money to have the product when I purchased it; not to take have to do some legging around and then wait almost 2 weeks later.
My advice; if you really want the digital copy buy the regular version for $15 and then hop on iTunes and download Wall-E there. You'll spend about the same amount of money and you'll save yourself a whole lot of time and aggravation.
I hate to give this product a low score as I think this is one of the best movies of all time with a terrific story and great message. But Disney screwed up big time with their customer service on this one. Way to not provide for your customers and then treat them like pirating criminals when they want what they should have had at purchase. It's perplexing. How can people successfully run a business this way?
Pixar's Best Since Finding Nemo July 9, 2008
39 out of 46 found this review helpful
Pixar's animation is the best in the world. They are the trendsetter & no other animation studio is even close. Pixar is the rabbit and they are the greyhounds.
If Wall-E had a terrible story, it would still be visually fascinating. As it is, the story is completely unique and compelling. Earth no longer sustains life and a lonely trash compactor spends his days making little trash cubes and being kept company by a pet cockroach and a videotape of Hello Dolly. Then a probe droid named Eve is dropped of on Earth to find evidence of plant life. Wall-E desperately tries to connect with Eve and the movie goes from there. Wall-E is, at heart, a love story. The entire first half of the movie is practically a silent movie as Eve and Wall-E talk in little beeps and whistles.
Then Eve and Wall-E are whisked away aboard a spaceship full of the last surviving humans and then the fun starts as they have a series of adventures complete with chases and shooting and near death experiences. I found the second half of the movie less compelling than the first because, by then, the novelty of the idea had worn off.
The second half of Wall-E is much more overtly socio-political and somewhat preachy. Humans are portrayed as monstrously fat, oblivious and lazy because robots tend to their every need. I wonder how they reproduce, seeing as how they are transfixed to tv screens built into their floating chairs and never notice each other. Apparently, in the future physical attractiveness is no longer sought after because it isn't a determining factor in choosing mates. Pixar is trying to make a point about the wastefulness of consumerism and gullibity. However, the movie inadvertently buys into the callous misunderstanding of overweight people as lazy and self-indulgent. I know alot of overweight people who are neither and a lot of thin people who are both.
The other "big theme" in the movie is environmentalism. Wall-E is a very pro human-caused-climate-change movie. Fair warning to the global warming deniers (today's Flat Earth Society members): you are going to hate Wall-E for it's "be less materialistic and selfish & protect and sustain the planet because it's all we've got & we haven't mastered space colonization just yet" message. Interesting to note Wall-E practices recycling in saving spare parts for himself. Get it? Recycling is practical because we are only saving ourselves by doing so.
The animation is literally out of this world, the story is compelling for the most part, the robots have personalities and there is plenty of humor and insight. The earlier Pixar movies are still my favorite but Wall-E is a solid five star movie and even, dare I say it, brilliant in spots.
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