Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: WALL-E (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

I always hesitate to comment on PQ & SQ, Man, because of the limitations of my system compared to the higher-end stuff most forum members seem to have.

But since Brian made his remarks which so closely mirrored my experience and he was also passing the audio on analog outs from his receiver, I figured I would simply validate what he noticed. I certainly had no experience of my room shaking madly as Ron described in his remarks.

 

[Edwin-S]

I can't agree with a word of this, considering that Pixar's goal has always been to bring computer animation up to the organic look and fluid motion of Disney's classic animated films. Disney's 2D animated films have always excelled at creating the "illusion of life". Pixar's goal was to reach that plateau with computer animation. They are almost there, but their films still have a sameness of texture that says computer animation. Ratatouille is probably the closest that Pixar has ever gotten to creating the classic look of a Disney 2D feature, while still creating a "3D" look.

Even Pixar's storytelling has been an effort to attain the quality of storytelling that occurred in Disney's golden age.

 

[Brent Hutto]

I can't dispute what sort of story one person find compelling and another does not. But Jesse's point is correct in that the storytelling style of Disney in the Sleeping Beauty/Snow White era could hardly be more different than Pixar's today. At one extreme (let's say Finding Nemo) you can find a Pixar story that is simply a modest updating of the classic lost-child quest. But when you watch something like Wall-E or The Incredibles you're experience the influence of a very different storytelling muse than ever visited the writers and directors of the Disney classics.

And there's absolutely no objective criteria on which to base an assumption that one or the other is better. I will say that for my part the fairy tales seem a part of my childhood and the modern Pixar stories resonate completely. But that's just one 40-something person's experience.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I totally agree w/ that. Thanks for saying what I was trying to find words to describe -- saved me the effort there.

_Man_

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

Like I said before, I believe this to be very far from the truth. Almost every single one of Disney's animated features has been a retelling of a story that was already well-entrenched in folktales or literature, and then almost always the most "popular" or "accepted" version of that story. I mean, when's the last time you saw the Grimm Brothers version of any of their stories? And that's when they're not out-and-out stealing styles (see also: "Aladdin") or entire movies (like "The Lion King") shamelessly.

To me, these stories--"classic" as they may be--are just not in the same league as Pixar, which can take a general theme but go in a completely different direction with it than anybody else. This isn't to say I don't appreciate the older Disney films (like Brent, I'm amazed at "Sleeping Beauty"), but to say that they're high-quality examples while Pixar is essentially bankrupt of innovation or storytelling compared to fairytale retreads is, IMO, misguided and in most cases the opposite is true. Not to one's taste, sure, but that's completely different.

 

[Johnny Angell]

My goodness, I think the Pixar films are much more organic than the 2D films. I find as much life or more, in Pixar animation. The only film of Pixar's that I didn't buy into was Cars. What's not fluid in Pixar films? Starting with Toy Story, the movements of the characters are very realistic (if one can use that word with animated toys). They even got me to accept the toy soldiers would really walk that way.

 

[Vern Dias]

We watched this last night and the bass response shook several items off the shelves in the HT and adjacent rooms. No fatalities, however. Anyone who finds the bass to be weak might be having issues with system compatibility or the likes.

HTPC Arcsoft TMT, 7.1 channel analog audio.

4 subs, 2 SVS PB12 Ultra and 2 Klipch +tactile transducers in the couch.

Vern

 

[Southpaw]

 

[Edwin-S]

Guess we'll disagree as, to me, Pixar has used Disney's classics as the template for deciding what elements go into making a good story. Also, I never said that Pixar is bankrupt of innovation or storytelling. Pixar makes very good movies. They have essentially recreated the Disney animation studio of the 30s and 40s, but with a modern take.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I can understand what you mean by "computerized" look, but I still don't quite follow what you mean by "organic" for the traditional hand-drawn stuff. If you just mean "2D analog" or "film" or "(water)painting-like", that's one thing, but "organic", I'm not sure. It still just sounds like a matter of personal preference which look works better (for a given film or given type of film).

_Man_

 

[Todd smith]

Quite a few STRONG LFE scenes. Ones that come to mind are when the rocket first lands bringing EVE, when the rocket takes off with WALL E clinging on, the big ships that get blown up on Earth (by EVE as I remember) and the biggest one of all which is the finaly with the huge ship landing on Earth......this one was foundation threatening!

SVS 12/2 Ultra + DUAL PB13 Ultras + DUAL Buttkickers mounted to a custom mini riser which the couch sits on.....no lack of LFE here

 

[Edwin-S]

I rented and watched it Friday night. The film played much better for me at home than it did at the theatre. At the theatre it felt like it was playing a little long, but at home it felt like no time had passed at all as it finished. The earth sequences in this film are still a marvel to look at. The attention to detail is incredible. The use of depth of field and the lighting really gave you the feeling of looking at a real world.

The extras on the disc were worth watching too, especially "The Pixar Story" documentary. I would have liked to watch the entire film with the Geek track on, but I had to take the film back to avoid late charges. What I sampled of the Geek track wasn't too bad. I never had a chance to listen to any of the commentary. All in all a good disc with great PQ and AQ and some worthwhile extras, along with a few duds.

 

[brap]

Anyone else have the Audio Selection menu showing English Dolby Digital 5.1? The DTS-HD track is there and no DD, but it really gave a WTF moment.
I have the Canadian release, but I think the NA releases are the same since it has english, french, and spanish. CDN releases usually just have English and French.

P.S. I definitely need to replace my BD-P1400. The disc seamlessly branches for scenes with text to match the chosen language. Even on english it is far from seemless. At no fault of the disc. The same happened with Close Encounters.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I should report in on two fronts since I've finished watching this disc:

One: I still am feeling like the bass impact is lackluster. Keep in mind I am watching this using the 5.1 analog outs from a Panny BD-10. Maybe I'm just not getting the same "oomph" as someone with an HDMI connection. But I've watched a number of other titles since in which the bass really had a more severe impact.

Two: I really enjoyed the full movie much more the second time around. I was waiting for the film to "get preachy" like I remembered in the theater. It didn't happen. There were moments, of course, where there was a message but nothing that bothered me like it did in the theater. Maybe I was just more focused on enjoying the little robot and his quest. But I really enjoyed it a whole lot more this time around.

I will admit that there have been a few Disney animated features (realizing this is a Pixar--not Disney--film) which i was less-than-thrilled after my first viewing but grew to really LOVE after subsequent viewings. I don't know why that seems to happen with me more with animated features than live action films. But, it does.

 

[Phil Carter]

I got this for Christmas and have finally gotten back home where my TV is to watch it. WOW, does this look amazing. And such an incredibly sweet movie...this has rapidly become one of my top Pixar favorites.

Two things which I found interesting:

1. While watching the documentary on the creating and recording of Thomas Newman's score, near the end of the doc there's a "dead pixel" problem in the bottom center area of the screen. I panicked, thinking my one-month-old TV was developing a dead pixel somehow, then realized it's in the source material. I guess you really CAN see every flaw in 1080p material!

2. The documentary "The Pixar Story" is one of the best "here's how it happened" documentaries I've ever seen, rivaling even the excellent "The Saga Begins" doc on the first Star Wars Trilogy set. Also, the snippets of the other Pixar films that are shown in crisp high-def makes me want to see "The Incredibles" and "Finding Nemo" in Blu-Ray NOW. Like, yesterday.

This is a great disc set and it made a fantastic addition to my library.

cheers,
Phil

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Can anyone tell me how to access The Pixar Story on disc 2? I can't find it anywhere in the menus.

 

[BrettB]

IIRC there is a tiny arrow at the bottom of the parent menu that a lot of people miss... scroll down.

 

[Brian Borst]

Although the film was a bit disappointing on the first viewing (my expectations were high, so it was bound to disappoint) it has grown on me on the subsequent times I watched the films. It's now one of my favorite Pixar films. It's funny, I felt the same about Ratatouille.
I was also one of the few who hardly got any bass out of their subs. It was a bit annoying, especially because I didn't think it would be my system because The Dark Knight shook my entire room (hospital scene, you know). But apparently, my BD player (Sony BDP-S350) had the DRC turned on automatically. I turned it off, and the sub was finally audible during the film. It was also much more apparent during Iron Man. So, I'm going to watch these two films again in a short time. I would also advice anyone with trouble to check their player's settings.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

DRC is evil, and should only be engaged if you live in an apartment with incredibly thin walls. Agreed?

 

[benbess]

I'm bringing back this thread because I just watched WALL-E for the first time in many years, this time with the director's audio commentary. Many put WALL-E in the top three of all Pixar movies ever made, and I've seen at least two lists that put it first.

Here's part of what Matt Hough wrote in his perceptive review fourteen years ago....

"....The film’s first half hour alone is remarkable in its ingenuity and execution. With no real spoken dialog and just the magic of CGI animation directing these robots (and cockroach), the Earth of the future piled miles high with compacted trash while this robot goes about his business makes for a one-of-a-kind visual experience. WALL-E’s enraptured fascination with “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from Hello, Dolly! (he even finds a garbage pail lid he can use as a bowler), his steely determination to continue doing his job alone even down to self-maintenance, and his infatuation with EVE despite her initial indifference and business-like attitude, all make for a main character with whom the audience can easily identify. Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon’s screenplay (based on a story by Stanton and Pete Docter) then take the science fiction tale into the galaxy for the next hour in a succession of funny and exciting adventures which the two robots undergo, all in the service of mankind and against the nemesis of the Big Brother entity Buy n Large.

Is the story an allegory, warning our generation of its wasteful indulgences and cautioning quietly about allowing a large organization to do our thinking for us while we luxuriate in our own automated comforts? Maybe...."

WALL-E is a rather striking dystopia, and really rather grim.

My top Pixar movie is still Inside out. After that, it's probably a four-way tie for second place for all four of the Toy Story movies. But this movie is somewhere in my top ten for Pixar.