WALL·E is a triumph of animation. If you would’ve told me even a year ago that Pixar would put out a cartoon that didn’t have any dialogue for the first act, and the kids will still love it, I would’ve said you’re crazy. But, that’s WALL·E. It’s a magical film that touches our deepest emotions. When children, who nowadays are blasted with terrible fart/poop joke cartoons, can turn on WALL·E and be transfixed by the simple Charlie Chaplin-like character, that’s true magic.
The Show
For the scant few who haven’t seen WALL·E, let me explain a little.
Humans have left Earth because it has become a dump, literally. Trash is everywhere. Humans have escaped on giant starliners (cruise ships in space) to wait out the clean-up. Robots have taken over and are diligently cleaning up the planet while the humans are away. But years pass, and only one little trash compacting robot is left.
WALL·E rides around compacting trash into little cubes and stacking them, as he was programmed to do. He is also curious. He keeps interesting things that he finds while doing his job, like Zippo lighters, rubber duckies, hubcaps, and even spare parts for himself. Oh, and he adores the musical Hello Dolly.
Without giving away too much of the plot, WALL·E soon finds himself on an adventure, traveling to one of the faraway starliners containing the humans. His actions could have an enormous impact on Earth and the human race. A little robot with the fate of the world in his hands, it’s quite a touching story.
The Quality
The film is presented in its original 2.39:1 widescreen ratio, and in 1080p high definition. Pixar’s films look great on DVD no matter what, but on Blu-ray WALL·E is a whole new adventure. Take for example the cityscape at the beginning of the movie. The buildings and neatly stacked piles of trash are seamlessly brilliant. They look real. You can even see the faintest fluttering paper in the background. The high definition makes every tiny detail appear crystal clear.
The Special Features
Disc One
There are two commentary tracks that can be listened to during the film. The first is called "Cine-Explore," which is director Andrew Stanton talking about the film. While a lot of the information is extremely interesting and informative it’s hard not to begin to feel bored, especially with just the one person talking.
The other commentary is called "Geek Track: Trash Talk & Trivia," in which silhouetted figures sitting at the bottom of the frame, Mystery Science Theater-style, comment and joke about the show. I get the feeling that this little extra was thrown in just for the adults, because some of the jokes are a little irreverent.
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