Wall-E: The thread

[Drtooth]

I think “Wall-E” is one of the rare films that can bridge the generational divide. I personally hope it performs better than “Cars”. I know it's getting a sequel and it is a beautiful film (all Pixar films are beautiful) but it's one of my least favorites. I did, however, like the theme that - winning at any cost isn't really winning - and believe it to be a valuable and timely message to the conservative element of the NASCAR crowd. I'll stop there with the philosophical and political analysis, but I do believe that was intentional and I did notice.

I agree. I loved Cars, but it seemed a bit too pop for Pixar (yet not pop enough for a Dreamworks film). And there are some thing I just didn't like... the use of pre-existing music for one.
Personally, I always took the film to be semi anti-Mass consumerist. The whole point of the film for me was that this once thriving town became a ghost town due to the inclusion of a highway, all the while small businesses went belly up. Something similar, mind you, to small businesses crumbling due to the mass market stores like Wal Mart for its conviniance and cheaper prices.

Basically, I came away with the moral, what's easiest and fastest isn't usually the best, and to take things slowly.

But I digress.

I wonder how the audiences will warm up to the fact that, in the post apocoliptic future, mankind now weighs 300 pounds, and has trouble moving. NOT due to nutritinal reasons, mind you. The fact that robots do everything for them, AND the fact Earth's off it's rotation or something and they have a higher gravity (I forget what the exact semantics were).

 

[frogboy4]

I wonder how the audiences will warm up to the fact that, in the post apocoliptic future, mankind now weighs 300 pounds, and has trouble moving. NOT due to nutritinal reasons, mind you. The fact that robots do everything for them, AND the fact Earth's off it's rotation or something and they have a higher gravity (I forget what the exact semantics were).

I don't know why, but I am imagining a futuristic Peter Griffin dressed up like Jabba the Hutt right now.

 

[Barry Lee]

Im totally seeing this. And have yall seen the Robot animitronic they did for promotion tv shows? Like Entertainment Tonight or GMA. the actual robot is awesome hah

 

[wiley207]

Thank god this isn't another talking animal movie!

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Im totally seeing this. And have yall seen the Robot animitronic they did for promotion tv shows? Like Entertainment Tonight or GMA. the actual robot is awesome hah

Yeah, I've seen that the other day. Very awesome robot indeed.

I did Well, actually I thought "Number Johnny Five is Alive!" becuase I can never remember the name of the movie...but same thing.

I love Jonny Five. That is an awesome movie!

I had a preview of the toys available for this a while back ... mountains of stuff. Way more even than Shrek, Cars or any of those type of movies. They've really done well with all the tie-ins.

That is interesting because this was actually harder to market than Ratatouille was.

Thank god this isn't another talking animal movie!

Yeah. I mean it's not a stretch but Pixar doesn't always take the easiest route.

 

[Drtooth]

I don't know why, but I am imagining a futuristic Peter Griffin dressed up like Jabba the Hutt right now.

There's a trailer I saw that had the humans. They basically look just like regular fat people. Well, cartoon fat people, but nothing grotesque that wouldn't fit on a coffee mug.

Thank god this isn't another talking animal movie!

Most cartoon characters ARE talking animals. but I see your point. Pixar had 3 talking animal movies... Bug's Life, Ratatoullie, and Finding Nemo. Unlike Kung Fu Panda or Over the Hedge, they seem to have used less furries (Rat being the exception), and more of the out of the ordinary types.

Pixar has a great ability to personify things outside of the animal kingdom. Toys, Cars, and now robots. And personifying robots is not news at all, they managed to take a different turn than, say, Blue Sky's Robots or even C3-PO.... in fact, the bots are closer to R2-D2, if anything.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Sure their were talking animals in Ratatoullie, but it didn't have to feel of a movie with a bunch of talking animals making a bunch of rodent jokes. It honest just felt like an independent foreign film. It wasn't a bounce of colorful taking animals you felt you wee watching, but a really good movie with a good story. And Pixar has a reputation for making kids be quite in a theater and pay attention to what it going on in the movie rather then just laughing at a bunch of gags and jokes. Plus thew references that do have are subtle and smart rather than over the top and obvious. That being said I'm glad the Director of Kung Fu Panda when the opposite of most Dreamworks pictures movies and it is a really good film!

 

[Drtooth]

Sure their were talking animals in Ratatoullie, but it didn't have to feel of a movie with a bunch of talking animals making a bunch of rodent jokes. It honest just felt like an independent foreign film. It wasn't a bounce of colorful taking animals you felt you wee watching, but a really good movie with a good story.

Rat was one of the finest kid's movies I've seen. Though, I do think the food snob type nature of the movie drove away kids who wanted poo jokes and lines from other movies. But I liked the quiet tone, the use of indie comics (and Peter O'Toole) as voice actors, and just the whole feel of it. Even the bittersweet ending. They made a truely emotional piece, while Shrek the third seemed rushed an sloppy. Who the shell uses Live and Let Die at a funeral? Unless you're a huge James Bond fan. I almost walked out after that.

 

[Zack the Dog]

Luke:

Does anyone else think Short Circuit when they see it though? lol

Yes! It's one of my favorite movies. I've seen a few mock up posters on-line with Wall-E as Johnny 5. An interesting fact i read and is listed on the Short Circuit Wiki page is of a "possible remake" of the film....How or why do you reamke that? I would love to see the puppet robot of Johnny 5 again and Tim Blaney voicing of course! But a remake? I don't know how true it is or if it will even get off the ground but here what it says...

"In April, 2008, Variety reported that Dimension Films, famous for such films as Sin City, Scream and Spy Kids, was acquiring the rights to remake the original film."

I do remembering hearing a few years ago about a possible cross over of Johnny 5 and ALF with Greg the Bunny but I haven't heard anything else.

But back to Wall-E it looks like a very fun film! I prefer animated movies with Talking animals, monsters, or talking objects such as cars, toasters(Brave Little Toaster plug),Toys, or robots over humans. Plus those movies are easier to market, who wants a doll of Linguini (Just using him as a human type example) as apposed to Nemo, Sully & Mike, or Wall-E. I wasn't too sure I would like the Incredibles when it first came out, but when i saw it, it really was a great movie! I liked Cars but i think i would have like it more if it wasn't Nascar based. Toy Story and Monsters Inc are still my favs.

 

[Drtooth]

But back to Wall-E it looks like a very fun film! I prefer animated movies with Talking animals, monsters, or talking objects such as cars, toasters(Brave Little Toaster plug),Toys, or robots over humans. Plus those movies are easier to market, who wants a doll of Linguini (Just using him as a human type example) as apposed to Nemo, Sully & Mike, or Wall-E.

Rat merchandise sold pretty poorly. Disney cleared out its stock of merchandise BEFORE it came to home video. Something they'd NEVER do. I wish I actually got some of it. i just got the PEZ and a plush of the dead chef that Brad Garret did the voice of. As opposed to Cars, which is still coming out with steady selling merchandise. And the movie was 2 years ago.

Looks like WALL E will be a marketing hit. Toy robots usually sell (though Blue Sky's Robots movie figures didn't do all that well). Plus, the Thinkway action figure line looks pretty well done. they even have a green army men-esque "Bag of Bots"