Blu-ray Movie Reviews

After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, the curious and lovable "WALL-E" 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.

Pixar is one of those studios that has done the near impossible. They have never turned in a bad film. Sure the experience of one may be a bit stronger than another, but their weakest efforts are usually better than the best of the other animation studios. When Wall-E was released I heard early buzz that this could in fact be Pixar’s best film to date. Strong words considering the gems they have already released. Now having seen it a few times I will definitely add it to the list of masterpieces but I don’t know if I would call it their best film. It is a moving piece with so much heart and great characters but I didn’t feel like the material was quite as lasting as some of Pixar’s other films. I loved the scope of the story and the animation is nearly without equal but Pixar’s films have been so rich in storylines and dialogue that this one was a bit hard to compare to some of their other works. Still, considering the lack of dialogue they have delivered timeless characters that will surely entertain for years to come. I can’t wait to see what their next film, Up, brings.

All of the Pixar Blu-ray releases have been stunning and this is no exception. I just recently reviewed Kung Fu Panda on Blu-ray and was floored with the visual presentation so I was excited to see how this compared. Honestly, they are two very different styles of animation. Pixar has gone for an animation style that is so photorealistic it is almost difficult to believe you’re watching animation at times. The attention to detail is breathtaking and only the characters themselves ground you in the idea that this is actually animation. The Blu-ray image is incredible in every facet. Fine detail, depth, dimensionality, contrast, they are all exquisite. I loved the production design of the film and its use of color and contrast and the Blu-ray delivers it in spades. Another reference quality presentation from Pixar.

The soundtrack is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 and it looks as if Disney may be moving to DTS for their animated releases. Sound design has always been one of Pixar’s strong points and this may be their shining example. The film has VERY little dialogue and relies instead on the incredible talents of Ben Burtt who voices Wall-E. This mix is very detailed and has an open quality that is an absolute sonic treat. The balance in the mix is incredible and dynamics are first rate. I loved how detailed the low end of this mix was. Low bass has quite an impact at times but the mix keeps everything in control and delivers a tight, detailed low end that is rare in animated features. The DTS mix does an incredible job with the nuances of the sound design and every little moan, blip and beep. Incredible.

Disney is releasing this Blu-ray as either a 2-disc or 3-disc set. The only difference is the inclusion of a digital copy on the 3-disc set. The feature film can be played back with either a geek trivia track, which shows the odes to so many other classic films of the genre, or a visual commentary with director Andrew Stanton. Disney has also included some simple but fun arcade games themed after the movie that can be controlled with the remote. Of course no Pixar release would be complete without an animated short film and Pixar has included two here; Presto and Burn-E. Presto may be one of my favorite shorts from Pixar to date and Burn-E is a tremendous supplement to the film.

By far the most surprising supplement in this set is the feature length documentary The Pixar Story that is included on the second disc. I’ve wanted to see this film for quite some time now and Disney has even included it in HD! You also get a bunch of promo shorts on the characters, some deleted scenes in various stages of production, some cute animation clips with Wall-E, and a look at the sound design of the film that is excellent. Overall this is an incredible wealth of supplements. This disc is also BD-Live enabled and features the movie chat, trivia and mail features that we saw with Sleeping Beauty.

Pixar has delivered another animated gem and the Blu-ray release is nothing short of outstanding. The inclusion of the documentary on Pixar is the icing on the cake for a release that is a must-own for any movie collector. My highest recommendation!