The talent over at Pixar Animation Studios have really outdone themselves this time. They are master storytellers - gurus in the art of crafting complex, lovable characters - and then adding sound effects, lighting, spectacular visuals, and adorable voices to make films that will easily be on a top favorites list of children and adults alike. I have fallen in love with each and every story they've produced - from Finding Nemo to The Incredibles - but never before have I become so smitten, so quickly with an animated film than I have with Wall-E.
About the Blu-ray Release
In addition to all of the regular DVD release features (which are a bit sparse, but include the short film that accompanied the theatrical release, "Presto," an audio commentary, and deleted scenes) , the special 2-Disc and 3-Disc Blu-ray editions add four Wall-E-themed arcade video games (I had a "blast" playing Eve's Bot Blaster), a special Cine-Explore viewing option featuring exclusive filmmaker commentary, and "Geek Track" (my personal favorite) - a sci-fi commentary that narrates via a special in-movie silhouette.
As if that weren't enough, the Blu-ray release also offers a host of out-of-this-world, cutting edge technological advances that are perfect for online enthusiasts and multi-tasking Web 2.0 aficionados. Test your Disney movie knowledge while watching Wall-E with the interactive online Movie Challenge game, select your favorite scene from Wall-E and create your own video message to send to a friend, or chat with your friends about the movie using the slick Movie Chat function; your comments, game answers, and more will show up on the screen while you're watching the film!
Plus - and this is cool! - for the 3-Disc Blu-ray edition (which only runs a buck or two more than the 2-Disc Blu-ray version), they've also included a special digital version of Wall-E that can be played on your PC or laptop, which is perfect while traveling with your family - or if you just want a copy of the beloved film to have on hand.
Blu-ray collectors will definitely want to add the 3-Disc edition to their libraries, as this is one of the most visually stunning animated films to hit the market. And the entire family will love the extras, which will add dozens of viewing options and additions to the already adorable film.
Wall-E(Three-Disc Special Blu-ray Edition with Digital Copy and BD Live) Disney Pixar Studios, Rated G. Available online at Amazon.com.
The story of Wall-E is set many hundreds of years into the future. Planet Earth has been overrun with garbage and neglect. Humans have populated - and then trashed - the planet like it were one big frat party, leaving only a large crew of Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) robots to clean up the mess. The Wall-E robots' mission is to clean up the planet by gathering up garbage, compressing it into their square-shaped tummies, and, in a very organized fashion, spitting it back out and arranging it in huge towers. In the meantime, humanity is planning to avoid all responsibility by taking off out into space for a 5-year cruise. Once Earth has been cleaned up, the plan is for humanity to return and take up where they left off.
At the beginning of Wall-E, however, that 5-year cruise has turned into a 700-year journey - as word has still not been sent that Earth is inhabitable. Likely, that's because only one Wall-E robot remains (the rest have, inexplicably, quit functioning), and there's only so much that one little robot can do... right?
Wall-E himself is a happy yet decidedly lonely robot. He wakes up in the morning and goes about his day much like any blue-collar worker: he wakes up bleary-eyed, puts on his shoes (or, in this case, his chained tire treads), grabs his lunch box (which, in Wall-E's case functions as his treasure collector), and heads off to work. As he sifts through garbage, compacting it and stacking it, he also finds unique little treasures (lighters, silverware, various boxes in shapes and sizes, and - his favorite - a VHS video of the musical "Hello, Dolly" that he repeatedly views and dances along with) that he brings home to play with and store. His only friend is a small nameless cockroach - who (in standard cockroach form) managed to survive even the most gruesome of planetary disasters.
When a robot named EVE arrives on the planet during an annual search for life, Wall-E instantly falls in love - and ends up beginning a huge adventure that only he could have ever imagined. Ultimately, it will be up to Wall-E not only to save the planet Earth - but to save the entire human race.
In Wall-E, the story alone is enough to make audiences smile (I mean, who wouldn't find it adorable to see a lonely robot rocking himself to sleep?!), but what really makes the film is that there are very few words spoken throughout. Most of the expressions and conversations are made entirely from sound effects (think R2D2 from the Star Wars films; in fact, the same talent - Ben Burtt - provided the voice and sound talent for both Star Wars and Wall-E) - and they are flat. out. adorable. You might think that a movie without dialogue would be tough to understand. Not here. In Wall-E, every sound, every nuance, every blip, beep, and buzz mean something - and you can tell right away what they're trying to communicate.
Ultimately, Wall-E is adorable, hilarious, and fun. The entire time I watched it, I giggled and "aaawwwed" at the sheer cuteness of the movie - which is part childlike adventure and part romantic comedy. But, it's just like Pixar to create a story that also has a message - and the message here points right at humanity's propensity for creating greed, waste, and destruction. Essentially, Wall-E is a fantastic and fun romantic sci-fi comedy - that's also loaded with a lot of heart.
DVD Special Features
The standard Wall-E DVD (single-disc widescreen edition) release includes deleted scenes with introductions and commentary from director Andrew Stanton, a sneak peek of a special online tour of the Wall-E universe, a featurette on the work of legendary sound effects genius Ben Burtt and the efforts put into the Wall-E release, and a film audio commentary with Stanton - all of which aren't bad for a standard widescreen release.
But the real gems come with the Blu-ray editions of the Wall-E DVD release (see the special sidebar, right). They are jam-packed with special feature greatness, and are highly recommended - especially the 3-Disc Blu-ray edition, which includes a special digital version of the film.
More than worth the price of the Blu-ray edition is the hilarious short feature "Burn-E" (also included on the standard widescreen edition), which follows one of the movie's supporting characters throughout his struggles with Wall-E - as well as the short featurette "Wall-E's Treasures and Trinkets," which shows the inquisitive robot playing with a variety of objects (a magnet, soccer ball, fire hydrant, hula hoop...) to hilarious ends.
Wall-E starring Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, and Fred Willard Disney Pixar, Rated G. Available online at Amazon.com.
About the Author
Carly Hope Finseth spends much of her time pondering what she wants to be when she grows up. She alternates between days filled with cozy socks, hot tea, and meditative reflection - and others, which are loaded with caffeine fixes, grueling commutes, and one fire to put out after another. When she’s not sifting through e-mails, dropping her cell phone, or sticking another reminder Post-It on her desk, Carly also somehow finds the time to write and reflect on important (and the occasional not-so-important) feminist issues.
My main focus in art is color, design and composition. I have a true passion for color as the art subject itself - how colors fit together, how they communicate with each other within the design, how certain colors combined with one another evoke a certain feeling - this is paramount in my work. I am a social worker, artist and poet living in Austin, TX. Read More...
The talent over at Pixar Animation Studios have really outdone themselves this time. They are master storytellers - gurus in the art of crafting complex, lovable characters - and then adding sound effects, lighting, spectacular visuals, and adorable voices to make films that will easily be on a top favorites list of children and adults alike. I have fallen in love with each and every story they've produced - from Finding Nemo to The Incredibles - but never before have I become so smitten, so quickly with an animated film than I have with Wall-E.
In addition to all of the regular DVD release features (which are a bit sparse, but include the short film that accompanied the theatrical release, "Presto," an audio commentary, and deleted scenes) , the special 2-Disc and 3-Disc Blu-ray editions add four Wall-E-themed arcade video games (I had a "blast" playing Eve's Bot Blaster), a special Cine-Explore viewing option featuring exclusive filmmaker commentary, and "Geek Track" (my personal favorite) - a sci-fi commentary that narrates via a special in-movie silhouette. 
Carly Hope Finseth spends much of her time pondering what she wants to be when she grows up. She alternates between days filled with cozy socks, hot tea, and meditative reflection - and others, which are loaded with caffeine fixes, grueling commutes, and one fire to put out after another. When she’s not sifting through e-mails, dropping her cell phone, or sticking another reminder Post-It on her desk, Carly also somehow finds the time to write and reflect on important (and the occasional not-so-important) feminist issues.
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