Rating: G
Starring:
Ben Burt as voice of WALLE/M-O
Elissa Knight as voice of Eve
Jeff Garlin as voice of the Captain
John Ratzenberger as the voice of John
Kathy Najimy as the voice of Mary
Sigourney Weaver as the voice of the Ship’s Computer
Fred Willard as Shelby Forthright
Special Features:
“BURN-E” — Hilarious, All-New Animated Short Bringing Light To The Galaxy…Eventual-E
“Presto” Amazing Animated Theatrical Short Film
Deleted Scenes
Sneak Peek: WALLE’s Tour Of The Universe — WALLE Takes You On A Real Ride Through Space
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds From The Sound Up — Legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt Shares Secrets Of Creating The Sounds Of WALLE
Audio Commentary — With Director Andrew Stanton
“The Pixar Story” By Leslie Iwerks — An Award-Winning Filmmaker Tells The Riveting Story Of The Innovative Company That Revolutionized Hollywood
Additional Deleted Scenes
WALLE’s Treasures And Trinkets — Hilarious Moments
BnL Shorts — An Amusing Peek Into The Inner Workings Of The Buy n Large Corporation
“Lots Of Bots” Storybook — This Imaginative Storybook Comes To Life Loaded With Fun Games
“Making Of” Featurettes
Bot Files — Get To Know WALLE’s Robot Friends
DisneyFile Digital Copy — Watch Your DVD In The Living Room And Your DisneyFile Digital Copy On The Go!
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official DVD description:
“The highly acclaimed director of ‘Finding Nemo’ and the creative storytellers behind ‘Cars’ and ‘Ratatouille’ transport you to a galaxy not so far away for a new cosmic comedy adventure about a determined robot named WALLE. After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, the curious and lovable WALLE discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. Join them and a hilarious cast of characters on a fantastic journey across the universe. Transport yourself to a fascinating new world with Disney-Pixar’s latest adventure, now even more astonishing on DVD and loaded with bonus features, including the exclusive animated short film ‘BURN-E.’ ‘WALLE’ is a film your family will want to enjoy over and over again.”
“WALLE (3-Disc Special Edition) is rated G.
Mini-Review:
OK, I have a confession to make – I was a bit bored by “WALLE.” As I watched the film, I found myself yawning, checking my watch, and wondering why my kids weren’t as antsy as I was. The pacing slowed to a crawl at times and I was really bummed I wasn’t enjoying it more. Nobody was more surprised by this than me. I expected to really fall in love with it because every aspect of this film was right up my alley. I’m a huge Pixar fan. I’m a huge fan of Ben Burtt from his “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” days and I was excited to see what he’d do with “WALLE.” I’m a big sci-fi buff and I love robots. I love post-apocalyptic films. I also saw a sneak preview at the San Diego Comic-Con which convinced me “WALLE” was going to be fantastic. With all that in consideration, I expected to be blown away by this film. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Don’t get me wrong – I did enjoy “WALLE.” The robot was fantastic and funny. It’s amazing how much character could be conveyed with just animation and sound effects. All the other robots were also wonderfully imagined. I also loved the setting of the ruined Earth. There is just so much detail in that world that I could sit with the movie on pause and study each frame for a long time. I also liked the few voice cast members that were included. Casting Sigourney Weaver as the voice of the Ship’s Computer won a lot of points with me.
Besides the slow pacing, I did have one other complaint. Throw me in the camp of people that didn’t like the use of live action characters in the film. From the clips of “Hello Dolly” to the appearance of Fred Willard, I didn’t really like anything that wasn’t CGI. It totally ripped me out of the world and it felt really out of place. I think it was a big misstep on the part of director Andrew Stanton.
I know all of the above makes it seem like I didn’t like “WALLE,” but that’s not the case. I enjoyed it and my family enjoyed it, so I consider it a success. Any fan of Pixar’s should get a kick out of it and anyone that loves robots will want to check it out. It’s not the best Pixar movie, but it’s a solid effort and better than a lot of family films that hit the big screen.
The 3-Disc Special Edition has a lot of stuff to check out. In fact, like most Pixar DVD’s, there are probably more bonus features than you could hope to ask for. If you’re like me, the first thing you’ll check out is the “BURN-E” animated short. In it, the small robot (which was briefly seen in the film) attempts to repeatedly fix a light on the Axiom. Each time he tries to do this, some of WALLE’s antics in the film cause problems for him. It’s a fun short story that kids will get a particular kick out of. “Presto,” the short film that was attached with it in theaters, is also included. Another bonus feature highlight is a lengthy documentary on how Ben Burtt and Co. created the sound effects from the film. While it gets a bit technical, even my kids were intrigued by how he created the sounds. The second disc in the set is divided up into two parts – the “making of” section and the extras for the kiddies. The ‘making of’ section includes featurettes on how the Pixar crew was tutored by a real cinematographer on camera effects and lighting, the creation of the music, the designs of the various robots, and ‘WALLE and EVE.’ You’ll also find BnL Shorts that show details on the fictional corporation, a full length documentary on the history of Pixar, and some Deleted Scenes. The deleted scenes show WALLE and EVE dancing, a little more peril in the Axiom junkyard, and some more of the Axiom captain robot. They aren’t all that significant. In the kid’s section you’ll find a storybook called “Lost of Bots,” some clips of WALLE doing silly stuff, and a listing of all the various robots from WALLE’s world.
