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Moriarty On WALL-E!
SPOILER ALERT !!
"I don't want to survive! I want to LIVE!"
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I live in a Pixar world.
And if you’re a parent, I’m betting you do, too.
Even if you’re not a parent, it’s becoming increasingly hard to resist, as the studio turns out these films that simply enter the lexicon immediately, films that are sort of absorbed into pop culture without the least resistance. They’re megahits... financially speaking, it’s almost a given at this point. They’ve become such a successful brand, with the full weight of the rather prodigious Disney marketing machine behind them. But beyond that, they are the sort of classics that were generated by the Walt Disney Studios in the golden days, the SNOW WHITE and PINOCCHIO days, the days when Walt himself ran the show. There was magic in the way he grew his dream, year after year, expanding his focus and embedding his imagination so firmly into an entire generation’s inner life.
My first son Toshi has grown up surrounded by Pixar imagery. I’ve got all the movies in the house, and my wife watched them frequently, in rotation, enjoying all of them equally. I think A BUG’S LIFE and CARS are both very good movies, above-average entertainments with rich characterization and beautifully-realized animation. I don’t love them the same way I love other films they’ve made, but it doesn’t matter. They’ve both landed with the same impact as THE INCREDIBLES and the TOY STORY films and RATATOUILLE and FINDING NEMO and MONSTERS INC. In the case of CARS, it’s got the richest afterlife in terms of merchandising of anything Pixar’s made. Those films share the same sort of revered regard as the Pixar short subjects from over the years. My wife will put in any of the discs in the house that say Pixar. Anytime. And just leave those in the players now that Toshi knows how to press “on” and “play.” She trusts their movies that inherently.
I’ll be honest with you... at this point, I wouldn’t have the balls to work for Pixar. It’s the greatest work environment I’ve ever visited, Shangri-fucking-la, an artist’s dream job, but god... imagine being the dude who ends the streak. How can this dream machine go forever? Somebody, sometime, is making THE BLACK CAULDRON, and you’re just gonna have to deal with it when it happens.
Disney stumbled. Disney arguably fell for a while. There was a point where the brand didn’t mean anything anymore. Pre-Katzenberg/Eisner, Disney Feature Animation was pretty much on its last legs, getting ready to sell off the drawing tables. So it can happen. It’s possible for a streak to end and things can change. Can Pixar really avoid it forever? Can they really keep this sytem of theirs, this community, alive and thriving and productive?
Can you imagine? “Here’s my movie. I’m very proud of it.” “Oh. Wow. You’ve made... uh... ROCK-A-DOODLE.” Seriously. That’s my worst nightmare. To be the guy who made Pixar’s ROCK-A-DOODLE. Talk about Nixonian flopsweat. Dear god. I mean, I’m just enough of a hack to do it. And I’d never realize I’d done it until after the fact.
The good part of the system is that they would catch it. Pixar isn’t afraid to kill movies that aren’t working, and that’s important. Development is all about knowing when to pull the trigger. Sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s something you simmer for a while, and sometimes it never happens at all. Depends on the movie. If it’s right, make it. If it’s not, don’t. And they get that. That’s the instinct you have to respect. Knowing when to say when.
I’m content and pleased to just live in the Pixar world that they’ve generated over the past 24 years. Right now, as I type this, Woody is standing on the corner of my desk. I didn’t put him there. I didn’t see Toshi put him there. He’s just... there. And I guarantee when I wake up tomorrow, he’ll be gone. And I won’t see that happen, either. There’s a different WALL-E from Thinkway Toys up on each of my shelves. The smaller one is the iDance version, where you can plug your iPod into him, and he’ll dance along with it, while also doubling as a speaker for you to use with the player. It’s got surprisingly good sound. On the upper shelf of one of my bookcases, Dash is standing guard next to the illustrated spine of a Mario Bava boxset. Above him, on top of the bookcase, Homer Simpson stands next to JackJack, and waaaaay in the back, not visible from the floor, Frozone’s making the moves on Mrs. Incredible. Above the door, both Mr. Incredible and Violet are perched along a wide ledge positively jam-packed with figures and busts and bobble-heads and candy dispensers, mixed in among the likes of The Wolf Man and Beavis and Batman and Dr. Evil and Gollum and The Thing. And another The Thing as well.
All of those Pixar images are on display in my office, and not in an intentional way. I didn’t actually realize the saturation until I started the inventory for the paragraph above. That’s just in my room, too. In my whole house, it’s pervasive. Today was Toshi’s birthday. Toshi’s three now, and he just got his own bed in his own room, something we’ve planned on since we moved into the house. And the only way he’d agree to this new bed is if he picked out his own sheets, and the only sheets that were acceptable were these Wall-E sheets.
Today, he had a WALL-E cake. A real one. Pretty slick. And all the place settings were WALL-E themed. So was the piñata. He got WALL-E toys today of his own. So, you know, he doesn’t break Daddy’s WALL-E toys. Ahem. In our bedroom, in his bedroom, in my sister-in-law’s room, in my mother-in-law’s room, in the other office, in the family room, on the patio, in the kitchen, in the garage... there’s not a room in my house where I could go where I wouldn’t see some iconography of Pixar. Seriously.
Fine by me. I surrender willingly. One of the things that makes these films so much fun each time is that you get the sense Pixar is pushing themselves voluntarily. You know that scene in UNBREAKABLE where Bruce Willis is working out and he realizes he’s incredibly strong, and maybe he should find out just how strong, so he and his son start putting the weight on? Well... that’s what it feels like they’re doing over there... trying some fairly radical ideas, then refining them with the unerring eye for story that the studio has developed over the years.
WALL-E has generated a fair amount of controversy and conversation and opinion pieces already, and it’s being discussed in a way that would indicate it’s being taken seriously. People love the love story, but when it comes to the fate of humanity onboard the Axiom, people seem divided in how they react, or even in what they think it “means.” Some viewers want the first half of the film, but at feature length, with nothing involving other characters. I think if anything, that must make Andrew Stanton proud. People engage with the characters of WALL-E and EVE so completely that they’d rather just spend the entire time in the theater just watching them. Gotta respect that.
The past year, Disney’s put a lot of time and effort into introducing the character of WALL-E into the consciousness of the audience. They’ve done their best to make him real. And by focusing on WALL-E instead of on the story of the film, I think they did the right thing. It’s very pure marketing in the way the first half of the film is very pure cinema. It’s not silent storytelling in any way. The use of sound is sophisticated and visceral, thanks to the only-Oscar-lock-so-far-this-year work by Ben Burtt. Lifetime achievement award type stuff. If there’s a superstar in this film, it’s him. The animation is gorgeous and lush and photographed with an eye for photo-realism. Stanton asked a lot of everyone on this film, and I think the team he worked with delivered a lot of miracles. As a lifelong animation enthusiast, I would be remiss if I didn’t note just what a sensory pleasure this film is. Aside from anything about the story or the characters, it’s just incredible to watch and listen to. I saw it in two very different settings. First was in a screening room on the Disney lot. It was a private screening, and it was incredible to see the film with just my wife and my son, and to see him engage with it completely. He didn’t just watch the movie... he understood it. I’ve never had him tell me the story of a film before, but after this one, he explained the story to me on the way home. He was so excited to tell me everything that WALL-E and “Evah” did, and to tell me how sad it was to see that WALL-E got hurt, and then how we needed to go see the WALL-E movie tomorrow. The way the story is told, the way things are communicated, a three year old was able to follow the narrative. But the text is anything but simple. It’s actually a sophisticated fable about our will to do things for ourselves, which I would argue is pretty much at the core of all of human civilization. The drive to do something, to have your place in things... that’s one of the most fundamental parts of what makes us human. So of course, it takes a robot to make us understand it.
Anyone still making any comparisons between the character of WALL-E and the robot from SHORT CIRCUIT haven’t seen the two films, because WALL-E has a sweet, sunny human personality from the very start of the film, and it’s not the result of a malfunction, and they aren’t built the same. Johnny 5 was a military robot, if I remember correctly, and WALL-E is a garbage disposal.
It’s just facile, and the truth seems to be that the design of WALL-E is pretty much based on what they needed him to do. Just as the condition of the Earth is the way it is in order to give the film its dramatic engine, and in reaction to what they wanted WALL-E to be doing. Everything’s built backwards from character, and as a result, there are some things here that might feel political, but I think that’s incidental to the larger things Stanton is trying to get at. The love story between WALL-E and EVE is the soul of the film, and I would argue that it never takes a backseat to anything. It’s the thing that motivates pretty much every single action of WALL-E’s from the moment they meet. He loves her. He loves her. He loves her. He’s dizzy and swoony in love with her. It’s so charming because it’s so real and so innocent. He doesn’t want anything from her. He’s just pleased as punch she exists and lets him hang around. He’s giddy. He’s a schoolboy with a valentine in his pocket, all shucks and gosh. And it’s all just the way he carries himself, the way his eyes and his head move, inanimate materials given complex inner life in a way that Pixar specializes in as far back as those familial lamps that are now part of the company logo. It’s such great performance on the part of WALL-E and EVE and all the “crazy” robots onboard the Axiom, a motley crew who made me laugh even more the second time I saw the film. I’m not sure which one I liked the most... the massage bot gone punch-crazy or MO, the determined little cleaning bot. Each one is logical, functional, and vested with such clearly defined personality that it’s like magic.
And then there are the people. The humans. The secret the marketing campaign kept successfully. I am not surprised that the way the humans are depicted has sparked a bit of controversy. I’m just impressed the way different people seem to read very different messages into the film, and in many cases, the way people ignore the message entirely in favor of the entertainment. Which is fine, of course. I’m not sure I’d really want to see a movie question something about the fundamental way I live my life after dropping $50 on tickets for the family and another $50 at the concession stand, especially when it makes points as uncomfortable as the ones made here. Personally, I think the film’s not so much about “Fat Americans” in particular, and more about the way we are all gradually surrendering much of our real experience with the world around us in favor of virtual experiences.
Each year, it seems like “labor-saving” technology actually renders us increasingly useless for anything except sensory pleasure and comfort. The name of the ship itself, the Axiom, is a math terms meaning something that is “taken for granted.” Cuts right to the heart of what’s happened to the people living onboard over the last 700 years or so... they’ve gotten so adjusted to this lifestyle that they’ve literally turned into giant babies, soft and weak and unable to do anything for themselves. Every need, every want, every whim seems to have been provided for, and the result is someone who forgets how to do things for themselves. I don’t think WALL-E is an attack on the fat... I think it’s an attack on the mentality that would let someone get to this place of almost total reliance. One of the things I love watching as my sons grow up is watching the way they assert their personalities. They crave independence. They want to be able to do things for themselves. They have an innate curiosity about the world that fuels most of their decision-making right now, and it’s one of those qualities that I think is an essential part of who we are as people. Losing that would be a cultural disaster, and more than anything, that’s what WALL-E warns against. The environmental message? That’s a by-product of losing our drive to solve problems and improve our world. Becoming fat blob-babies? Same thing. A by-product.
I love that making choices is such a big part of the drama of this film. Even small choices. Take, for example, MO, the little cleaning bot who first encounters WALL-E when he shows up on the Axiom. His directive is simple. Clean up any and all foreign contaminants. He seems to have a second lesser directive in effect as well involving painted lines on the floor and only walking on those lines. When WALL-E takes off after EVE, that leaves MO with a choice. Follow one directive, or follow the other, and watching him puzzle through which one is more important is played as a joke, but one with just enough emotional snap to make it noteworthy. Later, when the ship’s captain (nicely voiced by Jeff Garlin) realizes that he is going to have to take action if he ever wants to see Earth, the simple act of standing on his own two feet becomes the greatest imaginable act of heroism. It’s a thrilling moment, and the absurdity of just how simple a thing it is only underlines just how far humanity has fallen by that point, and just how crucial it is for them to get up again.
I’m thrilled that Harry has taken the drastic actions he’s taken this year regarding his health and his weight, and it’s apparent while talking to him that he knows he has to make these major changes. He’s married now, in love with a great woman, and he’s finally seeing the future in terms of decades, not just years. There’s nothing easy about what Harry’s going to have to deal with in the next few years, but he’s taking that single step every day, focusing on the small changes that lead to the global shift. A few years back, I was dealing with my own health and weight issues, and I had to rewire myself completely in order to knock about 70 pounds off and keep it off permanently. Since then, I’ve managed to hover at a weight that still doesn’t thrill me, but that at least has brought my cholesterol and blood pressure and other vitals to a perfectly normal range, giving me the confidence and the energy to keep up with my kids every day. It was a miserable process, and the alternative of just letting my sedentary work lifestyle get the better of me would certainly have been easier and more fun. But no one every promised me that life is easy and fun every single day, and I was raised to accept that sometimes you do what you have to instead of always doing what you want to. For a film like WALL-E to tackle themes like that and still somehow entertain and move you with grace and elegance is a real master’s class in pop entertainment. The closing credits to the film were unexpectedly moving, telling additional story while also detailing the development of human art from cave drawings to computer animation. It’s a big idea, and it works perfectly, accompanied by a great new Peter Gabriel song.
Overall, having seen WALL-E three times now, I get the feeling I’m just starting to appreciate just how nuanced and rich a picture it is. Pixar remains stumble-free, but more than that, they appear determined to expand our notion of what “mainstream entertainment” is, and I’m just glad that I get to live and work at the moment they’re producing these classics so I can enjoy them as vital, current films and not just ossified classics. I’m sure I’ll be discussing this one more at the end of the year, but for now, I just look forward to seeing it again soon.
Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
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Drew McWeeny, Los Angeles
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irrelevant, but I wanted to beat you First Monkeys to the punch
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Jul 07, 2008 9:59:36 PM CDT
Hmm -- you sound more positive about this movie now, Mori
by speed fricassee
When i talked to you about it a few weeks ago, you didn't seem to have your mind made up on it yet (and you had seen it twice at that point). You weren't waiting to see what others thought about the film before committing to your opinion, were you? ;-)
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Jul 07, 2008 10:04:07 PM CDT
Mori, the problem with the humans on the Axiom is that
by industrykiller!
They simply aren't very interesting. They serve a message more than they serve themselves as actual characters. I think that Stanton could have gotten the message across just as loud and clear while continueing to concentrate on the real dramatic meat of the story, that of Wall-E and Eve. It's still a fantastic film, and Im not kidding when I say that Wall-E is probably my favorite Pixar character thus far, but that nagging flaw keeps it on just this side of a classic.
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The best film of 2008, hands-down, and Ben Burtt deseves an Oscar nomination for Best ACTOR, not just Sound Design (which is a shoo-in).
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Were wondering what a fat person was going to think about this movie. SO I was talking to my boss and he was telling me how he thought the movie was overly preachy.....I know that wasn't the main point of the movie, but its kind of a like an F U to fat and lazy people, though most skinny lazy people won't realize it. I need to go see this in theaters again soon, it was soo good. Also amazing Peter Gabriel song at the end, he has a pretty awesome set of songs.
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Someone snuck into "The Dark Knight" with a camera-phone and took a bunch of pictures, including a couple of shots of Two-Face!!! Beware, (slight-ish) spoilers abound!
http://tinyurl.com/6egdqn -
Heh. Awesome.
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the non humans had to show the humans how to live and love.... i'll say it once again..One of the best sci fi movies ever(just on robotics design alone), btw so much love towards 2001 without being a ripoff, just a shared love that i felt throughout.
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Is there spice?
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I thought the humans worked best that way...Their lack of character served it's purpose very well. I felt that the humans' void personalities is a result of a lack of character molding, life experiences would've brought them...Watcha think? ;)
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Considering that the humans didn't seem interested in dating, how did they make babies? Were they just cultivated, Matrix-style?
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Disney animation was struggling before the Black Cauldron. Sure, they were passable (Robin Hood, Fox and Hound), but they were nowhere as good as the older ones. But Black Cauldron caused Disney to reinvent their animation, and look what it got us: Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. I mean, Christ-on-a-cross, that's a fantastic run there. Sadly, Hunchback had issues. Mulan also wasn't as popular (although it is my personal favorite from the 90s). But my point is this: that run was more than worth Black Cauldron.
Now, Pixar hasn't produced anything along the likes of Fox and Hound or Robin Hood yet. But it's bound to happen. And when it does, well, hopefully we'll get lucky and there *will* be a Black Cauldron. Because the end result was brilliance. -
I mean artistically speaking...I suppose you are talking about the streak of box office success. That will go on as long as they have good marketing and the movies appeal to a wide audience.
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Jul 07, 2008 10:22:59 PM CDT
As one who is perpetually struggling with his weight
by shut the fuck up donny
I took no offense to the character designs of the Axiom inhabitants. In fact I just went "yup, that's what we're all turning into." The ones who get angry and think they're being made fun of are generally life-long victims and still think the world is the kid sitting behind them in fifth grade calling them hurtful names.
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Jul 07, 2008 10:25:59 PM CDT
By the way, NOBODY seems to give love to Kurtzman
by shut the fuck up donny
Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood in Issue NUMBER ONE of Mad (when it was still a comic book) back in the 50's did a very similar story called "Blobs". I suggest anybody who likes Wall-E to check it out and see that people have been warning us about this for over 50 years now. Plus, it's just beautifully drawn and deliciously silly.
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the first movie made after John Lasseter death to be the first big Pixar bomb. Not to be mean, but can't you just see it. OH Pixar's lost its magic man, they can't work without its leader and so forth and so on.
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Well done, Mori! My niece is a Pixar fiend, too, and I can't WAIT to take her to go see Wall-E. I've seen it once already, and while it rocked my very adult world, I can't possibly imagine what it must be like to see these movies as a child. Me, I'm looking at the beauty of the art/animation and listening to the symphonies of Ben Burtt's finest work yet, but to a kid, that stuff is REAL. It's real in the same way that Star Wars was real to us. These movies are going to change and affect the way the young people of today think and act, and while some choose to get pissy and resentful toward the supposed 'preachiness' of this movie, I welcome it. What's so awful about a message, for chrissakes? Does it always need to be about getting hit in the nuts with a football and falling on your bottom in some butterscotch?Anyway, great review. Oh, and get that Frozone figure back up the front of the shelf, man! It's the one that says 'Bad Motherfucker' on it.
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Sorry for the double post, gang, I just thought that this might grab more attention. While I feel like kind of an asshat for posting this twice, I'm sure there's been more asinine shit posted in these talkbacks:
http://tinyurl.com/6egdqn (kinda spoiler-y) -
that tackled the same subject. It involved potato chips and exploding fat people. Couldn't find it though.
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Nuff said. Presto rocked too!
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Is that Toy Story 3 is their first bomb. I shudder to think it, but the first two were just so damn good.
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Aside from the fact that they shrunk Gurgi down to a little Ewok, it was a pretty good movie. People didn't like it back then because it was darker than what they came to expect from Disney.
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they do have high overall quality and that probbably doesn't come cheap...I mean I bet some of those animators work 80 hour weeks in crunch time. Of course maybe it is worth it and maybe Pixar execs plan ahead well enough so this doesn't happen often, but I bet those guys are worked hard.
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Pixar knew exactly what it was doing with the subtext but it WAS subtext. Pay close atention to the "Presedential" shots to see one hilarious example of what they were getting at. Certainly made me laugh as did the "stay the course" line.
Of course these are tiny things in relation to the beauty and sheer overpowering Heart at the centre of this film.
Wall-E is unashamedly and brashly about Love. The rest is icing. And if you think a film whose very soul is an incredibly well crafted Love story is somehow "subversive" or "unsuitable" for kids then you have my sincere pity. -
Nice film, but it's not the amazing movie these guys are making it out to be
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... "Presto" did indeed rock.
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You against the world, man. You against the world. How's summer vacation so far?
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I have a lot of janitorial experience.
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But nonetheless a great write up. Well done Mori.
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every other Talkback on the film has pointed this out with many people saying it was an ok, entertaining film, but far from great. And that is the truth...it was worth the price of admission but not in the same league as Toy Story 1 or 2 or Incredibles. It is just about as good as Kung Fu Panda...maybe a little better, but not much.
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For me, Cars was Pixar's Rock-a-doodle. I know it made heaps of money, but i hated that movie. i couldn't even finish it.
Loved WallE though and I strongly disagree with those suggesting it's overrated. -
...as soon as we saw the nursery. On the surface, the revelation of the nursery was functional, visual exposition that tells the audience that the Axiom hasn't been home to the same humans on board since it left Earth 700 years ago, information that's imparted more dramatically in the recurring motif of the gallery of Captains on the bridge. But to address our shared inference of the babies' origins, I believe the purpose was to subtly impart the fact that future generations were being harvested (in arguably the most efficient and practical way) for the survival of the species on board the Axiom, for the ostensible recolonization on Earth. This realization dawns in that moment of grownup emotional payoff when our knowledge of the nursery collides with the image of two humans, male and female, reawakening their own emotional instincts through the shared sense of human contact. To impart the significance of that carefully constructed moment with any more overtness would, I suspect, cross the line of trust that Moriarty refers to when he speaks about Pixar as a parent sharing the audience with his children.
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I met a guy from my college who works at Pixar. He's worked on Nemo and Incredibles. He ended up blowing out his wrist redoing and redoing and redoing the fallen tree that Dash runs under in the big chase scene. You can only see that tree for maybe a tenth of a second.
Even with that, I doubt he would ever change jobs.
Such is the price of perfection. -
...so it naturally reflects the tradition of the crass, simplified, sanitized, condescending and self-celebratory culture that's proudly and uniquely defined that great nation over any other.
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...if it weren't so self-indulgently smug. And if the humans were all dead. But I'll admit that could have seemed even more smug. And okay, made everything else less funny. But it would have been a better movie.
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Wow, I've been reading this site for a long, long time.
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Jul 07, 2008 11:20:12 PM CDT
Mori, Fred wants to know if Fred Willard(great name) was
by freds_balls_in_a_mason_jar
First choice to play CEO? Fred support all actors named Fred. Fred must honestly say though, that Fred thinks Wall-E is indeed overrated. Fred never understood love of Nemo either. Fred, truly, truly loved Incredibles and Toy Story though, and thinks they are superior to Wall-E. Fred think Pixar gets pass when they do not deserve it. CARS was not a good movie. It not bad. But it has one joke " Hi, my name is mater, as in tah-mater - without the tah" Fred wants to know if Mori really think Pixar not stumble on that?
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Before the lady was interrupted by Wall-E, she was talking to her friend about a series of bad dates she'd been on...
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...so who's stealing from whom?
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Not only have I seen a surge in summer movie quality this year, but films like Wall-E and The Dark Knight are also raising the level of reviews on AICN. Interesting ...
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my wife laughed at your office description (mine is more comic book oriented than animation) and the fact that I too have about 30 lbs I could drop. not going to lie though, there was a moment in the movie where I thought "a comfy chair, a computer and food on demand... how is that bad? 'Up' and 'Toy Story 3' are really going to just add to the already solid Pixar portfolio (wife has seen storyboards of both and cried at both)
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"still think the world is the kid sitting behind them in fifth grade calling them hurtful names." <--His name was Andy Auginash, and he was a mean-spirited little fucker.
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...is the way, folks. Take the first step, give it two weeks. You´ll feel the difference, I promisse. And you won´t come back to the fat dimension no more.
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Damn You Michael Bay
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yeah... you're the ONLY one to have mentioned a likeness... HA! egocentric much? That has been tossed around too much, stop being so self-centered. and just so you know, we come here to DISCUSS movies, not just to read "a review"... any kind of insight is appreciated. if you don't like it, head right on to Rotten Tomatoes and read a hundred "real" reviews. But I guess I shouldn't pay attention to what you just said, since it's all just "defense" against the "indirect calling out". -- And fuck yeah, WALL-E is the best movie of the year so far!
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Have you guys ever seen some of the robots made at the tech schools and research labs? Sorry, but Wall-E is not dipping in J5's pool, they're both based off the most common and practical designs and the current state of robotics. Yep, there's some similarities, but that's cause they share the same real world daddies!
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I mean, can anyone here even *remember* the plots of BUGS LIFE or MONSTERS, INC?
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will it kill you people to spell his name with a capital letter to show respect
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Are rewarding. You learn from them and you don't repeat them. Pixar has to at some point make a film that doesn't find an audience, but so what they won't get shit canned if they do they will like all the films they have made thus far introduce something new that will get reused by others and they will learn from it. I certainly don't want them to get a god complexes. It will hurt them that much more. They remind me of Apple in the early days. Bill Gates somehow came in and they accepted with some terms in theyre favor. And yeah maybe maybe that could blow up in their face. Let's hope not. I think they spend more time figuring out a way to tell an entertaining story then they do animating and composting it and I think thats why it works. They lay that back bone down real good. They test it out and rework it. IT's like they as a studio say and think that the first script they develop is not finished no matter how good it sounds. It has to be tweaked up until the very end. It's not always about The Win. Sometimes it's reward enough to know you saw something through to the best of your abilities.
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People who claim that Wall-E is overrated are wrong. Science has also proved that the world would benefit if those people were placed on a raft and pushed out to sea, where they could talk about how Wall-E wasn't all that great, and how it was just a bunch of stuff that happened that didn't mean anything, and that's why it wasn't a 'classic'.
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Just interested do you have a Japanese wife or just like Japanese names ?
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and how you can control a preformance. When your doing that stuff real world via live action. So many facotrs come into play. You can't bring that taped footage up several months later and redo/rework something that seemed off to the same extent that you can with a digital actor. Your stuck with the number of takes you shot and the extent of that single person preformance and what and who they played off of. You can digitally tweak it a bit, but not with as much control as you can with a digital character. They understand that very well, and you know it's like toying with a car. They just keep changing/adding/removing this or that again and again till it works.
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Tell you what, Mikey Mike... until he shows up and tells me how he likes his name capitalized, I'll stick with "god," thanks.
And the wife's not Japanese, Miyamoto, but she is Argentinian, and we decided early on in the first pregnancy to just list names we liked from any culture, since we're already a bi-cultural household. Toshiro was an early favorite for both of us, and as much as I love the geek meanings of it (Mifune was a god), it's the literal meaning and the sound of it in general that won her over. -
... nope. But I did wait to see it three times and really chew on it before writing so I could sort through my own feelings. On first viewing, it wasn't the film I expected. On second viewing, I started to see what film I think it is. And the third viewing just reinforced what I believe is the point, and also allowed me to really lose myself in the artistry of it all.
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I figured as much. I often need time to digest what I've seen, too. Nothing like a few weeks going by to see what truly does and does not stick with you. Good review, I'll catch this film this weekend.
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Is the screening still on i dont see the post, sent u an email
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We all talk and think about death and the possibility of a new plane of existence revealed to us if it's there. I think it is. I've heard about a brilliant light and also a sweeping darkness that closes in on those who have lived unethically. Heard it described as visually as a door closing in on the light devouring it completely as it makes it sweep towards the person heading toward the light source. A sense of impending doom and dread the likes of which they have never experienced even in the moment of their painful death consumes them and grows as it comes closer. Somehow they know that the black endless void closing in on them destroying the light surrounding them- intends to consume them for all eternity into it's neverending emptiness. The sense of time aspect is an instantaneous change after death. It no longer feels like time does to us now. It isn't like waking up experiencing a day and going to sleep and feeling that small amount of passing time between. Theres a foreverness about it. It's very overwhelming. So after you experience death and you leave your body- like removing a glove from you hand and you become what you always were and somehow your very familiar to it all. You somehow instantly know that in that darkness is endless nothingness. The only good thing I guess. Is knowing that all who have experienced the black sweep closing in on them- Still barely manage to get to the light when begging God to save them. I have no faith in the man made versions of god. But I do after hearing many NED cases belive in a single true version of God, and god wants you to live a honest life a pure life. If your unhappy with how you conduct yourself or ashamed of it surely god will be as well and you will see the darkness and that alone should scare the shit out of you. Back to point. Pixar should try to realize an alternate place of being. A true escape from the world of reality with it's visual backbone being the musical score. The next fantasia, but it should be a series of stories of the conventional fair it should be a POV experience through out a fantastic journey to another realm of existence. If anyone has it in them to realize this it's them. They could make it work.
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Not "should"
Like a videogame and how controlling and being trapped inside the character playing in the games world gives the player a different experience. A stronger sense of being there and doing those things in the game, but like a movie that does that. -
I'm curious what viewers take away from this movie as its message. Most of the complaints I've heard about Wall-E is that it preaches environmental issues too much and rides the liberal/gore coattails. Personally, if environment issues were discussed, I see it as the D story, not the main push as its been criticized. Primary story was a general "Love Conquers All", B-story being a "Appreciate the World Around You, don't be so narrow minded, anti-tunnel vision". C-Story "Think for yourself, don't blindly follow programs" To me, the plant was a mcguffin or "great whats it" that in the end, holds no true value beyond spinning the wheels.
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What's your take on the inclusion of live action footage in the film? I personally don't like the decision, but it didn't detract from my viewing pleasure. At first, I thought, maybe they had animated sequences planned, but time became a factor and the choice was by necessity. I don't know. It could be confusing for some people as to whether or not we're supposed to believe that we will become animated in 700 years. I know that's not the case, but I already read that somewhere. Thoughts?
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Pixar's bound to "decode the loom" eventually. Just hope it's not anytime too soon. Although I agree with some and was not a big fan of Cars. Cars IMO showed the first cracks in the process.
After seeing Wall-E it's clear that making the humans so much less evolved than the robots was a key decision made very early in the process. It's bound to be the eventual effect of humans becoming more and more isolated from each other and relying more and more on technology to relay their emotions. (Hell I'm typing this hoping to rile up a debate from the comfort of my living room sofa while watching an Extreme Engineering about the world's largest indoor ski-slope - if that's not Wall-E ish I don't know what is) Eventually the AI surpasses the human - it's one of the main building blocks of most sci-fi mythology.
(I'm sorry but Wanted was such a huge, dissapointing, over-rated piece of shit I immediately decided that "Decode the Loom" was the new "Nuke the Fridge") -
Im not sure if Gods NAME is actually "God"... Because all the other Gods and Goddesses I've read about have their own individual names... So yeah... get off your fuck'n high horse - I don't care if you think you have a monopoly on "the truth", either...
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I've seen it twice, and I might go a third time, though with The Dark Knight coming up, that might not be possible.
For all the people with the Johnny 5 comparisons, so what? I mean, really, so what? If you judge everything in this world solely by appearances, I feel sorry for you. Besides, it's still just a friggin' movie. Isn't there something more important to you than that? You're may have also been the first person to say that here, but you should go check out the IMDB boards for this movie. The trolls have been out in heavy force since the movie's opening.
As far as the "message," people are seeing what they want to see. If they want to see this as a propaganda, global warming or environmental movie, that's how they'll see it. If they've even actually seen it, that is. Glenn Beck, anyone? If people go into this movie with an open mind, they can draw whatever conclusion they desire.
And as far as the fat people thing goes, I consider myself obese. Not just fat, but obese. You know how offended I was by everyone being fat? Not at all. I understood the point that they made and I also am smart enough to realize I have no one but myself to blame for being obese. Imagine that, huh? Personal responsibility. Whatever happened to that, I wonder? -
How do I get spaces between what I intend to be paragraphs on these boards? Everything gets put into one big wad of text. I guess I've bene off this board for too long.
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...And if you were REALLY showing respect, mikey mike - You'd be saying "His name"... not "his name"...
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I personally thought Ratatouille was the bad movie not Cars. At least Cars had Mater. Ratatouille was just boring.
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Monster's Inc was instantly forgettable. It was like a Disney direct to video sequel bad. Cars was not even worth seeing. So, yeah, they're still doing better than any other studio, but their not magic (hell, neither was early Disney. PINOCCHIO? C'mon! Lame!)
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Sure, it's predictable, but it's very well executed. I prefer it to Monster's Inc. or A Bug's Life anyday.
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and for the week-late "review".Can any reviewer on AICN just get to the Goddamned point? If you want to write a thesis, go right ahead. Just label it as such and not as a review.
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Jul 08, 2008 1:03:02 AM CDT
I don't think when Crying out for God's help
by dracula_wants_the_amulet
that the word "God" has anything to do with it working. I think the concept your aware of and the association that it clearly represents to you as you understand it is understood, and if your genuine about it. Then maybe you wont be consumed by the darkness. I don't think I have a monopoly or true knowledge of what happens. I was an atheist for a long long time. I just know for sure that we don't really know until we die. I've done enough bad things in life to know that darkness will certainly creep up on me as I head towards the light. I just hope I'm forgiven for my wrongs, and I'm trying to lead a much cleaner life in hopes that I don't get consumed in whatever that darkness is. My dad was in serious accident he was hit by a plane, He died and was revived. He saw his body, saw the light- said he finally found what he was chasing for all them years, but he also said he wasn't ready and he came back. He saw no darkness. Like I said I think it all depends on how you live. Is this experience your own bodies natural response and system to handle dying? Who knows.
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I thought the live action clips were a very smart way to show how much humanity had loss by giving up all functions to machines. Over generations they ceased to be human anymore. I thought that was brilliant personally, plus its Fred Willard, how can you go wrong!?
I really liked Rat. and think it was the first Pixar movie clearly not aimed at kids (though i would argue Incredibles leaned that way). Honestly, I would think a kid would hate that movie. But as someone who is into art, Rat. spoke to me about the process and passion, and the end critic speech was one of the best speechs of the year imo.
And for PDepew2181... use the old minus the spaces to add breaks, double it up for paragraph spaces -
It also works in titles apparently...my bad
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Can he fly, or was it driving along the ground?
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Um....Do you really mean that? Or was that just the opacity of the written word getting in the way of your sarcasm?
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I thought that was precisely the problem with Ratatouille. I saw it with my four year old brother who didn't get what was happening at all.
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... if only I cared. See, I'll write what I write when I write it. And if it's only of value on the day of release, then IMO it's not of value. And if you want the standard formula of "synopsis + simple thumb's up or thumb's down," that ain't me. Sorry if this one wasn't timed perfectly for you, but maybe you can take that HELLBOY 2/DARK KNIGHT double-header, average out how many days early those were, cross it with this review which is a week and a few days post-release, and it all averages out to who gives a fuck.
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Yes ego. You went back through all the TBs did you? YOU check 'em, and feel the heat of embarrassment redden your face.
For a YEAR now the Johnny 5/Wall-e thing has been an AICN joke because it was so fucking ubiquitous! Man, you are the real deal.
And AICN has had reviewers (especially Harry) including personal stuff for 10 fucking years you dolt! TBers who've been coming here for any length of time know the deal, and they accept it. I hope your kid gets its brains from mum.
BurnHollywood, yes, some of us remember the plot of Seven Samurai! Jeez. And it's not like Monsters is hard to remember either. -
Edwards Airforce base with a gun slung over his shoulder. A plane was coming in, he ducked down figuring the wing would go over him without any issues and it hit his gun and sent him flying 200 yards or so. He broke his ribs, dislocated his shoulder, punctured his left lung, and his heart stopped on the way to the hospital.
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Definitely not a fave for me, but I'm (A) amazed at the hypnotic impact it has on kids and (B) able to appreciate what it's saying thematically even if it's not resonant for me. I know a lot of people who mourn the culture of Route 66 and who believe that the drive is more important than the destination, and when I was growing up, that philosophy was much more important. I can understand why it meant something to Lasseter, and I think if you accept that theme, the film has some real weight and heft.
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... let me assure you that I wasn't remotely thinking of you when it came to the WALL-E/Short Circuit thing. Specifically, I was referring to a conversation in our chat room where someone seemed determined to prove they were the same design EXACTLY, when even a cursory side-by-side examination puts that lie to rest.
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Jul 08, 2008 1:22:35 AM CDT
Stengah: you totally took a bullet for me.
by youareallmybastardchildren
Thank you, brother.And, no, idiots, Stengah and I are not the same person hiding behind different TB handles. I'm sure Mori could confirm that. Ya know, Patriot Act and all.
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Hey Moriarty, what are you gonna tell us next? What last years best picture was at the Oscars?
Who won the Superbowl in February?
Hehehe. -
Pixar really does seem to inundate your life, especially when young ones are involved!!Thanks for the review, Mori... while I realize some people don't like the length, that's one of the reasons I read AICN's reviews.Just one question, though... How in the hell do you spend $50 at the concession stand? I mean, I know you live in L.A., but I mean, I saw "21" at the theater at the Universal City Walk... and the popcorn wasn't *THAT* much expensive than here in Oregon.Now, if you saw it at the Alamo Drafthouse South and got a couple of pizzas, popcorn, nachos, potato stuffers, several brews, etc... then yeah, I can understand. ;)
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... I don't actually buy things from the concession stand, so that was a nonsensical figure that may well be hyperbole.
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...but I'm starting to see a pattern of you deigning to answer back at these snarky turds. It's occurred to me that you can't, nay won't continue to work for the appraisal and spite of the likes of these trolls, and your exit will be Ain't it Cool's loss. I don't want to see that happen. So if it counteracts the hatefulness, keep in mind that those of us who respect and welcome what you contribute with your time spent here make up a much bigger number of those reading than the ones who exist to poke you with sticks every chance they get.
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... I'm also having conversations here with the non-trolls. And I don't think disagreeing with me makes someone a troll, either. I just happen to be home this evening working on my review for THE BROTHERS BLOOM and my MUMMY 3 editing room visit, so it's easy to respond right now.
But thanks for the kind words. -
But WALL-E is a hella lot more accessible/understandable than THX-1138 was. Humanity seduced into a buying and spending stupor, comfortable but without that thing called individual *soul*. Ironic that it takes a robot to give it back to mankind. "I don't want to survive... I want to LIVE!" That line alone should make WALL-E required viewing for anyone trying to full appreciate the human condition, right up there with Schindler's List, A Clockwork Orange and The Shawshank Redemption.
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...It makes me happy to know that gleeful as the thought might be for the Stengahls, Bastards and Bartholomews, you aren't helplessly compelled to acknowledge them. Just the same, I'm sure you know you don't actually work for them, so you don't need to defend the product of your efforts. Especially since this isn't your day job. I'm not above calling you out myself now and then. But I try to remind myself that you don't owe me anything, and you're only doing anything you do for the site because you want to...it's a hobby, not an occupation, and it doesn't come first.
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From my sisters that I went to see this alone. So what if I'm 32 and unemployed and like cartoons. Fuck! Awesome flick
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Please say Incredibles sequel.
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For me the message of the film was the love story.
I recognised some of the subtext in there sure, but I think that was more
part of the sci- fi bit of the story than anything political.
I have never been morbidly obese or anything, but definitely overweight in the past. I was kinda taken aback by some people saying the film made fun of fat people. I think that says more about the people who were "offended" than the film itself.
Overhyped? I dunno, I've seen this movie twice, and really am hoping to see it one more time in a theatre before it ends its run. I think I enjoyed it even more the second time through, it let me appreciate the other nuances in the film, like the nods to 2001, the "lesser" characters, etc..
Right now, to me, it might be my favorite Pixar movie in terms of emotional content and connection ( though Toy Story 2 is up there too. Man the sequence with Jessie'e flashback and the singing by Sarah Clachlan gets me every damn time) of all time.
I wouldn't say Cars was their Black Cauldron either, but it wasn't far from it.What saved that one for me was the nostalgia factor like others said. I'm old enough I can still remember a time when I was a kid, and we'd get in the folk's beat up old station wagon, just to go for a drive and a picnic at the park. -
That a crappy film like Hancock that was written by the marketiing dept. made more money than Wall*E over the weekend.
BTW, when I saw it for the second time, it was a double feature day for me.My first movie was " Wanted".Now you wanna talk about a film that's all sizzle and no steak, that rips off other movies..Sheesh.. I had a feeling that'd be how it was going in, which is why I saw Wall*E second. -
how anyone could walk out of wall-e not being totally amazed and at one with the pixar universe is beyond me...and i agree with volstaff...its sad that hollywood is still all about one thing...the green...the suits are all kicking back and smoking their doobies and laffing at the fanboys over hancock...see, they can make a shit movie, and it will still make loads of money...same with wanted...stay with comic book canon? fuck that...just take the basic plot, fuck everything else up, and it will still make gobs of money, thanks to video game generation
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Jul 08, 2008 2:16:22 AM CDT
I still say that CARS sticks out for all the wrong reasons.
by therealratigan
But if Moriarty gets it on the genuine merit of its sentiment, then ironically it sounds like most affectionate movie Lasseter's made yet. But to me it still looks and feels like a harmless, pointless parody of itself.
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OK... this is kinda OT but really out of context. Mori was/is fat! For 10 years or whatever I've always pictured him as this super rake guy based on his cartoon. Anyway. Carry on.
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I wish people would quit saying Cars is a weak Pixar Film.Its not.
The message about enjoying the drive in life and not trying to get to the finish line is meaningful,Lightning and Maters friendship is great and the thing looks absolutly georgious on bluray.
Sure the storys basicly doc hollywood,but it was told effectivly and its better then anything Dreamworks or Fox has done. -
Jul 08, 2008 2:31:17 AM CDT
And the pursed-lipped, busybody, humorless schoolmarm award
by samsquanch
goes to...
Mikey Mike! Take a bow, you dweeb. Just goes to show, there ain't nothing funnier than someone with no sense of humor.
CARS sucked. WALL-E rules. -
I didn't interpret the humans as fat & lazy but rather reverted to having a baby-like form & dependent -- a result of living in a low gravity environment and a lifestyle on autopilot. So when the captain takes his first baby steps it's a step in evolution -- thus the 2001 nod. I just don't want Harry to feel guilty for being such a fat bastard. bwahahaharr
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... how are any of you hating on MONSTERS INC?
I've seen the shit out of all the Pixar films. If I'm honest about how many times I've seen them, adding up all the times I've walked in and out of a room where one is playing, sitting down with Toshi or my wife, waking up to the TV playing one... whatever... I've probably seen each film a bajillion times. So that's a lot.
And MONSTERS INC? That's a damn good movie. In particular, the work between Boo and Sully is insane. It's magic. It's as good as animation performance will ever get. The rendering may get slicker, and performance capture may get more sophisticated, but whatever you do, you're not going to get better performance than what they did in that film between Boo and Sully. It's magic. It's ET and Elliot magic. It's Iron Giant and Hogarth magic. They're real. Their relationship is real. There is a connection that you feel from the performance between them.
All of it manipulated wildly, of course. It's animation. It's manipulation by nature. And that's the beauty of what they did in that film. I think Sully is as good as anything the guys from Termite Terrace did, and Boo is just a real little girl. Absolutely believable.
If you're beating up on that film, go watch it again. Hype is long since gone, so set that aside. Just enjoy it for what it is. A crazy ass comedy adventure in a monster world with a beautiful friendship at the center of the film. -
That film was a Samuel Goldwyn thing, whose other animated films weren't exactly classics, and it was also a Don Bluth thing, and a lot of films he was involved in weren't that great either. Not much of a comedown.
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You just prove my long-stated theory that every movie is someone's favorite movie. Every single one. Even freakin' ROCK-A-DOODLE.
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It would be nice if Pixar had a female protagonist one of these days. Hell, even Disney swapped out occasionally with Pinocchio. Pixar's pattern is standard for Hollywood: the token girl. I guess we were lucky in Incredibles to get a mom in addition to a girl. They're so good at what they do I hate to see them limit themselves.
I always enjoy Drew's reviews, but this time the multiple paragraphs about action figures or whatever had me wondering if he was trying to make some kind of point about commercialism... Nope. Probably a case of "I didn't have the time to write a short review so I wrote a long one instead".
Why does Hollywood keep throwing $150 million at pieces of shit like Wanted and Hancock when there are genuine classic scifi properties just lying around for the taking? Or if you insist on video games, somebody go cap George Lucas and toss $150 mil at KOTOR. I pray to Zool for this daily. -
when I was a lil tyke.
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Pretty much every Pixar movie is the same. Main character is in a certain enviorment, wants to break free, goes on a journey, or just has an adventure in general, meets new friends, but realizes home is where the heart is. Happened in Wall-E, The Incredibles, Cars, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, etc. et fucking cetra. Don't get me wrong, I agree that Pixar harkens back to a quality we haven't seen since Beauty And The Beast/The Lion King era Disney, even to it's golden age of old uncle Walty. But there's a reason they're so great at telling a story... BECAUSE ITS BEEN THE SAME FUCKING ONE FOR OVER A DECADE!
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yesterday - it was in a sale - is it really that bad? I was hoping on it being a lost gem.
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is not bad. I really liked it as a kid.
That said, it was just really off the mark for a Disney film... more serious, darker tones... I mean, it came right after "The Fox and the Hound" and right before "The Great Mouse Detective." It's not the kind of silly cartoon with talking animals that everyone could take their kids to go see.In fact, if I remember correctly, Jeffrey Katzenberg (who was the head of Disney back then) made the animators cut out a bunch of scenes because he was afraid the movie would get a PG or higher rating.In any case, it was a box-office failure, and like "Song of the South," Disney quietly tried to shove it in the vault and moved on. But, I guess they finally decided that, unlike Uncle Remus and Br'er Rabbit, it was time to let them out and cash in on those folks who still remembered it. -
Mori, thanks for the review.
My wife and I don't have kids yet, but we're thinking about it and it'll hopefully happen next year. I often think about what films I would want to show to my future children, and occasionally play around with lists and orders of what I would want him/her to watch. Should I play the classic kids' films in some kind of order?
I was wondering if you thought about this with your family? Was there any thought behind what films you showed Toshi? If so, I think it would make a cracking article on AICN... -
Don't worry the kid will let you know and no amount of cajoling will be able to persuade it that watching The Jungle Book is preferable to watching The Night Garden (UK programme) for the gazillionith time!
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... they'll let you know. All you can do is make options available. For my part, I keep one of my five-disc changers in the office loaded up with things Toshi can watch on DVD, so if he's hanging out with me while I'm working, I cna pick something from that platter for him. Tomorrow, he'll be able to choose between THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, SWORD IN THE STONE, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, TIME BANDITS, and a disc of Three Stooges shorts.
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Let's hope Toshi isn't cracking heads at Kindergarten My son had a brief obessesion with the 70's Godzilla cartoon and went around roaring at everyone for a while. By the way Kung Fu Panda is Goofy Panda in our house.
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Explorers - this movie is so much better than it's given credit for... it hurts to think what might have been if Paramount hadn't pulled the film from under Dante to make a release date.
Warlords Of Atlantis - don't laugh, I loved this film as a kid. Rubber monsters, sci-fi, the guy who voiced Scott Tracy (and played the head of the water board in Batman Begins, and the captain in Spy Who Loved Me) and a diving bell. A DIVING BELL.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - cause when I was a kid I went on the set when that was being shot. Just wanted to brag about that, no real other reason....
Red Dawn - because you NEED your kid to be ready for when the USSR reforms and invades America via parachute. You KNOW this will happen in at least 250 years. Be alert.
I am serious about Explorers though. -
So I guess there's no point trying to influence the little ones! I'm fascinated by what my kids will make of the films that stoked me as a child. It must be a real joy to see your child watching Radiers for the first time, for example.
Cheers. -
it can't really be as good as everyone says.... there must be something wrong with it?....anything?
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It's amazing that none of the robots in Wall-E had anything close to a human like face, and yet they were able to express emotion so well. Wasn't that the reason why they gave the Transformers lips and human looking eyes? They thought that people wouldn't be able to connect with the characters because they didn't look human. It just goes to show that Michael Bay and Co. have zero respect for their audience.
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In my opinion Pixar made a good film, maybe great by other's standards but did they make a great kid's film? Before you all scream foul, ask yourself if Godfather is a great film, or replace that with any other non animated title you want, now is that a great film or a great kid's film? Obviously Godfather isn't a great kid's film (unless you're italian maybe : ) but it is a great film and while I think Wall-E might be a classic (even upon further viewings by me) I don't think it's a great kids film, 2 showings attended by me had kids squirming in their seats because alot of what was going on was just too bleak at the beginning and slow in the middle, they only perked up when the action started and I think we can all agree that the movie does try to make some points. Is it a crime here to suggest that my 2 1/2 yr old niece while liking alot of Wall-E before seeing it had a better time at Kung Fu Panda. Any thoughts?
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It is my favorite Pixar film, in fact, although the Toy Stories are close and Wall-E may surpass it after I see it multiple times -- first screening has me pretty much in love already.
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Jul 08, 2008 6:34:59 AM CDT
"I’ll be honest with you... at this point, I wouldn’t have the b
by elsieziiippp
That's some ego you've got there, what have you ever done that got a great review? The best your work has ever achieved is average reviews, except possibly when Harry gets overexcited and goes all sycophantic on your work. Nothing personal you understand but you just aren't that talented.
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Some people don't like how close to the bone it was. When I first saw the humans I thought they were based on Harry but then I just thought about myself sitting in front of this fucking screen. Aaaaah..... we all SUCK, that's the long and short of it! Doctor Who tells us that enough times. Humans are IDIOTS!!!
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"The rendering may get slicker, and performance capture may get more sophisticated, but whatever you do, you're not going to get better performance than what they did in that film between Boo and Sully. It's magic. It's ET and Elliot magic. It's Iron Giant and Hogarth magic. They're real. Their relationship is real. "
You know what's even more real? ACTUAL FUCKING ACTORS IN A REAL FILM THAT ISN'T ANIMATION.
Hence my love of films like Explorers. Because it's not just a bunch of nerds animating their lost childhoods on the screen - it's a bunch of nerds directing real actors and employing old-school special effects to get their lost childhoods on the screen.
(Or in the case of Finding Nemo, it was a bunch of nerds doing the Disney "kill Mom" thing, which to this day is really, really odd and should be the subject of a Doors song.) -
"The Silent One" was one of my favs as a kid, right along side Project X, Cloak and Dagger, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend. Silent one sorta reminds me of Wall*E cane explain why. Um but the main character is deaf and mute.
Sword and The Stone. Damn I used to watch that one a lot as a kid. The Silent One is only avalable through one retailer online
http://www.nzvideos.org/silent.html
It's expensive too, like $45 before shipping.
That film is magic man, I'm telling you. You gotta give it a watch if you havent seen it. -
Gromit, who keep things tidy on the moon.
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Man, you people are just way too cool and cynical. I saw the movie, then burned through the books, which are all excellent. I even wrote to Lloyd Alexander, who was kind enough to write back.
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It's an attack on the consumer culture that actively PROMOTES that reliance. And the underlying message is that it's up to humankind to break free of all that. Rickey can deal with the fact that it's not a subtle message. What Rickey takes issue with is the fact that the movie lambasts mass consumer culture (Walmart) while fethisizing and cherry picking mass producing corporations it likes (Apple). And you can't have it both ways. How are we supposed to react to a movie that tells us to shape up and stop living sedentary lives when this same movie is very much a Hollywood product itself? You telling us that Wall-E dolls, games, and action figures won't be littering landfills ten years from now?
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Eisner was going to shut it down completely and just rely on the Theme Parks if it wasn't for Mermaids Success.
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Corporation wise, Pixar has never been into the marketing. Disney, since the beginning, has done all of the marketing and merchandise. Pixar just makes the movies... which just happen to me marketable.
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Wall-E was 'OK'. It was not the 2nd coming of ET as it has been made out to be on AICN. It is doing well at the box office, but will not break any records.
As far as "God" vs. "god". It's not all that difficult people. It comes down to rules of punctuation, not someone's belief system. If "god" is refering to the god of the Christians it is capitalized because it is a proper name: "God" "Allah" "Buddah" "Krishna". If it references a non-specific deity it is to be in lower case - "Handcock is a god". To accidently print "god" for Jehovah God is just bad grammar and shame on any writer here for not better proof reading. (I know, I know, proof reading on AICN, but you get the picture). To delibertly print "god" when knowingly refering to the Christian god is just rude and needlessly insulting. Neither is good journalism. -
He also said:
To be the guy who made Pixar’s ROCK-A-DOODLE. Talk about Nixonian flopsweat. Dear god. I mean, I’m just enough of a hack to do it. And I’d never realize I’d done it until after the fact.
I think overall Mori is commenting on the fact of how much risk the Pixar people are actually taking over there, and how committed they are to quality. After Incredibles, I think they could have churned out more obvious hits, but the preview before Incredibles had big goofy talking cars. The streak is over, thought I. But no, it worked,and while not the best Pixar it's really good. Before Cars, I believe, there was the trailer for a Pixar movie about a Rat that cooks. If that didnt have Brad Bird's name on it, I wouldnt have been excited until I had hear reviews. But guess what, I FREAKIN LOVE Ratatouille. And a movie about a little robot, with twenty minutes of no real dialogue, with a story that actually has some commentary on society, that merges real actors with animation, and actually incorporates Hello Dolly tunes. And IMO it's the best Pixar yet, right there with Toy Story 2 and The Incredibles bot for my money a bit beyond them. And yes because they are Pixar they have the freedom to take chances, but it's the taking of chances that makes them loved and makes them PIXAR. And as long as they stay keyed into that, flops or not, I think they will maintain the legacy. It wasn't one film that dropped Disney, it was an entire paradigm shift. -
Mori, could you please cut your reviews down to four or five words in length, and post them seven months in advance? I don't have the brain capacity to read anything longer than my dick, and my ADD starts making me see the rape goblins again if I have to wait longer than 3 seconds for anything at all. Thanks. Oh, and you're fat. And probably gay, as well. Is Harry gay? What about Capone? Also, can I have a job? I'd probably turn gay for a job. If it's okay with my Dad, that is.Are my PopTarts done yet, Mom? I'll be up in a few minutes.
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Bullshit. You telling Rickey that its just a coincidence that Wall-E happens to make the same sound that Rickey's Powerbook does when it turns on? And it's just a conincidence that Pixar was created by Apple? They're just as involved in the shilling as Disney is.
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I understand your complaint, but it shouldn't be made against Pixar. Pixar movies have never been about capturing reality. They follow the tradition of "If you can do it with real life its not for animation." All of their movies wouldn't have worked as well if it wasn't for their animation and their style. Films like Final Fantasy, Polar Express and Beowulf would have all worked fine, if not better, if they stuck with conventional filmmaking. Heck Robert Zemeckis said when making Roger Rabbit, that the key to animation is you only use it when you can't do it with real life. Iron Man is a perfect example of CGI use, because they only used it for scenes that the Winston suit wouldn't have worked.
Also, if I remember right, Elliot and ET weren't animated. Mori wasn't talking about animation and real life... but what Pixar CAN do with animation is make REAL emotion, REAL relationships which are a hell of a lot more believeable than most other hollywood films. Pixar's excellence is in more than just their animation, its in their entire production. -
well done, you've picked a point specifically about animation and make a completely useless omment.
If you hate animation so much, why did you even look at this article? Are you one of those idiot talkbackers that has nothing better to do with your life but come here and look up stuff you dislike and bitch? And you have the balls to call other people nerds?
You sir, are a bit of a wanker! -
that's what I took away from the film.
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This is from the top of my head... I could Google it but then I'd be a schmuck.
Bug's Life - Ant leaves hive to find help to defeat the new WASP overlords. Monster's Inc - Monsters travel through closets to get kids' screams for energy, a kid comes through portal, Sully and Mike have hilarious adventure trying to find/protect/return kid ("Boo") whilst learning that Laughter is more energetic than screams. Lots of subcontext related to corporate/government corruption. -
Bug's life was grasshoppers, not wasps...
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shouldn't you have just titled this review, "my pixar manifesto."
...fucking war & peace... -
Your reviews are one of the major reasons I visit this site. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.
Can't wait til I see hellboy 2 and dark knight so i can read your reviews on them. -
Yes, musically speaking Thomas Newman is the embodiment of His Supreme Noodly Goodness. "Finding Nemo" wouldn't be half the movie it is, IMO, if it weren't for Newman's score. And maybe I'm just getting old but I actually wept during Wall-E and EVE's "dance." Hell, I own a copy of "The Man With One Red Shoe" JUST because it's the only way I can hear Newman's soundtrack.
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in my opinion. Pixar IS Disney at this point, and Disney is next to nothing without them. We're taking the kids to Disneyland next year. I've never been there and don't much wanna go, but the wife insists. It occurred to me that while my children know and love Buzz, Woody, Mike, Sully, the Parr Family, Nemo etc, they have NO idea who Goofy or Pluto are. Why should they? I think the last good thing Disney did was a movie wherein they mocked themselves (Enchanted). They've seen the Lion King, but Simba isn't near the icon Woody and Mr. Incredible are in my house.
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Moriarty is the AICN reviewer I trust and enjoy reading the most but he's in danger of emulating Harry's excesses if he keeps up this rambling style. "Stay on target" Drew.
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I totally took the Mac/OS startup sound as a joke. Its in no way advertising it, because the only people who recognize the sound are people who use Macs... or have used them before. Now if it started up with an Apple logo, and had OS MXVII display on his chest then yes that would be advertising.
Steve Jobs also didn't start Pixar, he bought it from George Lucas. Since the Pixar/Disney merger he is the number 1 shareholder of Disney and now sits on the board. (He either has 15 or 18 percent.... can't remember the exact number) -
none of this means anything anymore. and for those of whine about the length and content of mori's reviews, go stick to thumbs up your ass and see you at the movies!
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Cars was ok, but i thought Pixar was slipping. i was wrong.
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If you liked Ratatouille and The Incredibles the most out of all the Pixar features, this one is sure to float your boat.
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Monsters Inc is incredible. The character designs are SOOO simple, but are infinitely complex in their simplicity. And the big climactic chase in the door storage area seems like something ripped out of Chuck Jones' imagination. Mosters Inc is a perfect example of how great pixar is, because it shows that even though it doesn't look "photorealistic" computer animation can have just as much soul, character, and intelligence as any other type of movie.
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A 3D animated Three Stooges caper movie. Pixar style. I'd even settle for a short. I'd bust a gut at that shit, especially if they used the same audio tracks and comic timing.
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She's a BAD-ASS who BLOWS UP OCEAN TANKERS just because she's peeved. And Jesse in Toy Story 2 was a very strong female character, as was Collete in Ratatouille. Pixar hasn't done a "token" girl role since Bo Peep in Toy Story 1.
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He slammed me with awesome insults like Half Vader = Half Brain and Half Wit. There's no way I can compete with an intellect like that! Actually, maybe it IS Kurt's toddler posting after all, that might explain it.
I couldn't really be bothered to do much of a search in answer to your 'challenge' Cunt -er I mean Kurt (wow! I can do it almost as well as you!), but this is what I found after a few minutes. AICN has the most retarded search engine ever, but it didn't take long to find some from the last few days, a few weeks back, and a few months to a year. Like I say, only took a few, and strangely enough the vast MAJORITY (like 7 out of 10) of those few had others making the same stupid Short Cicuit posts, and even better, people saying "Is it only me...". And BEFORE you. Anyway, you're all bluster and bullshit Kurt. Here you go. Maybe Mori can get at the shitload of TBs that have the same boring Short Circuit 'cleverness' ad infinitum. Toodles!
www.aintitcool.com/node/37098
www.aintitcool.com/node/37250
www.aintitcool.com/node/37082
www.aintitcool.com/node/34249
www.aintitcool.com/node/33648
www.aintitcool.com/node/33497
www.aintitcool.com/node/33020
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Jul 08, 2008 10:34:58 AM CDT
Inarticulate, Ignorant, Slovenly, Morbidly Obese Consumers
by laserpants
Have a problem with the future WALL*E portrays; everyone else praises it as a spot-on satirical, if exaggerated (you know, cartoon?), dissection of the species as it is, and warning of what it will become unless it changes its ways and hastily gets from under the thumb of inept, corrupt leadership and rampant, unchecked Corporate greed, waste, and chronic malfeasance. Basically, its Bush n' Wallmart World circa the year future billion.
The transcendent release from said morass occurring at the end where we see humanity getting its shit together thanks to the heroism of an adorable robot couple. Aww. I call it prophecy. Market friendly mainstream progressive prophecy! -
A very good scifi idea wasted on a kiddie movie.
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Jul 08, 2008 10:53:48 AM CDT
actually i was the first with the wall-e/johnny 5 comparison
by irrelevntelefant
it was fall of '86 when pixar first opened for business. i was working at the 'video biz' rental store next to the mervyns. i distinctly remember when short circuit came out on vhs turning to my co-worker amy and saying "you wait and see, 20 some years from now this young, upstart animation company is going to rip off that johnny 5 design... mark my words" there was no internet or talkback boards to post in back in those days, but if you go the 2nd stall of the mervyns bathroom, you can find my wisdom carved on the back of the door.(right next to the phone number of a certain 'loose' woman named amber)
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And the Lasseter process. We'll see how well it works with upcoming Disney properties like Bolt! and The Frog and the Princess. I'm betting both those movies will be much higher quality pics than what Disney was putting out before . . . nothing against Tarzan and Mulan, both of which were very good post-Katzenberg era movies.It also helps that there is good competition. While Iron Giant was a Disney-quality movie that, unfortunately, tanked at the box office, Dreamworks has developed several box office hits, which helps keep the pressure on. Now, they have developed a Pixar-worthy movie in Kung Fu Panda, which really helps keep the pressure on . . . I don't think there are going to be any Black Cauldrons from Pixar/Disney. Period.That isn't hate on Black Cauldron, BTW, which was a beautifully animated film, but suffered from a lot of suit interference, and thus from poor editing, script problems, pacing, and a variety of other flaws that kept it from being a Disney classic, as beautifully animated as it was. I went to see it in the theater, and I was a bit underwhelmed then, myself. But I was young--16 or 17--and thought that the fact that Disney was advertising it as a film 14 years in the making was a good thing. Now I know a movie being rehashed and reprocessed and interfered with for 14 years is almost never a good thing for the final product.
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Whay does everyone always have to put down THE BLACK CAULDRON? It was a good movie.
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Between Johnny 5 and Wall-E. To the degree it is accurate, it's obvious, and thus pointless.
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Good observations Moriarty.
I saw "Wall-e" not as a pro-environment/evil humans polemic but a cautionary tale of what happens to people when they rely on others to do everything for them (be it a corporation, a government or a government-like corporation). None of the humans in "Wall-e" were bad they were just settling for far too little and they didn't even know it. -
Not outstanding, like the Incredibles, but good. Like many Pixar films, there are touches that really help propel it to being more than it otherwise would have been . . . 'Mater being one of them. Paul Newman as the Judge was just classic. The story there was good . . . lots of great stuff in that movie, if you watch it without prejudice against Nascar or 1950s road culture. Not that I give a shit about Nascar. I just liked the film, overall.The DVD feature, 'Mater and the Ghost Light, was great. I'd like to see more of that stuff from Pixar, too.
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Of what happens when the government nationalizes large retail chains. It is also what happens when Fred Willard declares himself dictator-for-life. Which is a lot closer to happening than many people know. Open your eyes, Sheeple!
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Is going to be Pixar's first big failure, you need to quit smoking the crack. It's doing something to your brains.
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I just watched Monsters, Inc. again for the first time in years because a friend hadn't seen it yet! First I slapped him, then we watched it! I still love that movie so much! It could be my favorite Pixar but that answer probably changes everyday. Mori, you are right. The bond between Sully and Boo is just timeless. John Goodman's voice work is just too damn good in that.Rock-A-Doodle is one of my 'pretty-bad-movies-that-you-love-anyways-because-you-saw-it-5-million-times-as-a-child'. If you only see that movie as an adult, it's pretty crappy. 'HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HAHA....NO BATTERIES!!'
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Jul 08, 2008 11:08:15 AM CDT
kevinwillis... it is important... it is, it is , IT IS!
by irrelevntelefant
oh wait, no... no it really isn't.
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My nine-year-old son loved the movie. Pixar is an institution in our house, as well. I don't know who liked it better - me or my son. It was hard not to see some of yourself in the humans, but in a funny way. The humans, while bloated and lazy, were all good people and that was revealed once they started having some contact: John with his lady friend, and the captain with Wall•e and Eve.
A friend at work said he took the social commentary pretty easily because he'd seen "Idiocracy" before, which is a good way to look at it.
Monsters, Inc.... a perfect story in our house. Any time it's on is cause to sit down and watch it all over again.
Moriarty, thanks for all the reviews. We (my family and co-workers) enjoy them, and base some of our movie-going on them. What's more, we see ourselves - our likes, dislikes, critiques - in them. Even when we don't agree, we appreciate your point of view. I think that's what many people are missing on this site. It offers unique points of view. Thanks for that. -
Great name, first off... but I totally agree. I signed in just to counter the "token girl" thing. EVE was just about the hero of the movie. She literally carried WALL-E on multiple occasions. Totally badass. Say what you will about Pixar, they DO NOT follow the "token girl" cliche.
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that the "batman" in "the dark knight" is a blatant rip off of batman from "batman begins" now I will update my myspace page with the url link to this page, and all the chicks will dig me, my bald spot will begin to grow hair, and my wife will start to enjoy having sex with me. i have accomplished my lifes dream top that kurt lostwood...
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Johnny 5 never crossed my mind when I saw Wall E, but now that people bring it up, Eve seems more like Johnny 5 than Walle to me. Johnny 5 was a slick state of the art shiny clean robot with a gun, like Eve. WallE is an old broken down blue collar robot that takes pleasure in the small things. I understand WallE and J5 have things in common (the tracks/the independent eye lenses) but their status is so different I never made the connection.
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you're like people that complain about howard sterns content but still listen every day for the entire show. next time, just don't fucking read it. go turn on E and wait for ryan suckfest to dictate your movie viewing habits
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Jul 08, 2008 11:42:33 AM CDT
I'm sorry, the Johnny-5 comparison is invalid because of their j
by themcflyfarm
I don't give a fuck if one's a crack whore and the other's a mobile toilet, the design for Wall-E is a total rip-off! What are you a child? Anyway, it doesn't matter seeing as how they are both based off of E.T.
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Cars was not a stumble for Pixar. Its art was impressive and yeah it ripped off of Doc Hollywood but it was still a solid kids movie. These movies are family films, and Cars was aimed mainly at kids. My niece and nephew love Cars as much as the other movies. Personally, I think Wall-E is up there with the best of Pixar. Bugs Life and Cars are my least favorites but still better family movies than most. I'd put the order at Incredibles, Toy Story 1 & 2, Wall-E, Ratatouille, Nemo, Monsters Inc., Cars, and Bugs Life.
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In 1978 I incidentally placed a pair of binoculars on Mom's brand new 35 inch microwave oven. The oven had all sorts of buttons back then and I pushed some of them. The binoculars made a peculiar sound and I thought, "Damn, that would make a great robot design twenty years from now and again thirty years from now!"
Then I went to Mervyns twenty years later and while using the bathroom I noticed someone had stolen all of my thoughts, including the phone number of my surprisingly friendly girlfriend. -
How great is it going to a movie with a short in front of it also. More movies, not just Pixar, should do this. I look forward to Pixar movies to catch them just as much as the films themselves. And Presto was awesome!!
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Jul 08, 2008 11:50:57 AM CDT
Crack Whore and Mobile Toilet, now there's a movie idea
by irrelevntelefant
think an animated "tango and cash" meets "pretty woman" meets "thelma and louise" starring the vocal talents of roseanne barr and lewis black (you can cast each in either part)
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Great movie experience. Someone hit it on the head calling Michael Bay out for Transformers needing lips and eyes so human audience can deal. Also people quiet with the "Wall E was good but not the masterpiece AICN portrayed it as".... Fuck you. Anyone who says this is an ass hole if you want attention and think you are so high and mighty go yell in the street.
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once it comes out on dvd, my 2 year old will watch it 3 times a week.
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I too keep my multi disc dvd players loaded with at least 3 kid friendly dvd's at all times. brroom-brroom mackeen is his favorite. i can lip sync that movie at this point
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Congrats on a wonderful review/essay! Possibly the best thing I've read on this site! The "Black Cauldron" quip cracked me up!
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CGI films have been only around for what? More than a dozen years now? And people are already whether something new by Pixar is already a masterpiece or not! I don't know any studio, live-action or otherwise that can boast that.
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I think your argument has a couple flaws, the humans are obviously not having sex with each other in the physical sense and are likely being bread from sperm and egg and maybe having virtual sex like countless other Sci-fi films like Demolition Man and Matrix. Second why would Stanton try to broach that sensitive sexual material and endanger a G rating? Plus isn't it a minor and puerile detail to deal with considering it is established the humans have been on the ship for 700 years, there has to be a method of procreation in place.
In terms of Pixar in general I would say Monsters Inc. is one of their least successfull movies b/c it panders to the lowest denominator. It's theme is simplistic and it goes for the easiest jokes. In fact, Lassiter said it was a wake-up call b/c Pixar realized how easy it was to turn out simplistic movies and still turn sizable profits, a la Dreamworks.
I didn't love Cars but it was the most Old-Fashioned and Classicly American of their films, Ratatouille was a notch below classic but took major chances in terms of a Rat as the main protaginist, and Wall E is the most ambitious Animated Flim ever and it succeeds far more than it fails, therefore it is an unquestioned classic. -
That's the long and short of it. The sequence where he's going through all the trash reminds me of when ET was opening the fridge and stuff. He's like a robot ET with Johnny 5's eyes. His voice is a cross between the two. The thing is, by doing that they got it RIGHT. Don't fuck with the unfuckable.
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The review given by Ego at the end of the film is one of the finest pieces of writing Ive heard in a while. Thats not pedestrian writing.
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I would have liked your argument more if you had said something like:
" Jesus Fucking Christ, it's God, not 'god'. Get it right!"
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with Cars. To me the biggest problem with the movie (aside from larry the cable guy) was that Pixar knew that between kids love of cars and NASCAR fans that they wouldn't have to push themselves. They couldve found an interesting story to tell, but instead they settled for the lucrative layup that is Cars.
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with Cars. To me the biggest problem with the movie (aside from larry the cable guy) was that Pixar knew that between kids love of cars and NASCAR fans that they wouldn't have to push themselves. They couldve found an interesting story to tell, but instead they settled for the lucrative layup that is Cars.
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You feel so proud of your merchadising things, the way you have all the toys and the way you give your children the same blinding shiny objects that EVERYONE else owns... you feel so proud of how you've seen EVERY movie made by some studio, how you buy EVERY little thing related to them, and you still wonder why there are fat babies pictured there... it's not about getting physically fat, it's about how you get fed by a film tube and kept numbed for you to buy more garbage. You all live in a spaceship, and it makes me both sad and amused to see you debate over something so obvious. You feel so proud of your room filled with merchandise, toys, special edition boxed dvds, ... while your children continues to be fed by a screen. Kudos, people. You're one step closer to total numb stupidity.
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I really feel like some people watch movies like they're grading a test. No enjoyment; just left-brained and logical, ticking off moments with a red pen. I would hate to be these people. Honestly, it seems miserable.
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Could someone explain???? And Hello Dolly for that matter???
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um...cars kinda sucked...ratatoille was weak and cliche...and Wall-E...not nearly as funny or enagaging as I had hoped...none of those 3 come close to the genius and charm of all the previous ones. (yes including bugs life!)..though WALL-E was a step in the right direction. good..not great.
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..Because he is already a cartoon!
But seriously, by showing humans at our level of development played by regular people, it purposly blurrs the line between the worlds of fantasy and reality, animation and live action. It was an informed decision, like having the people be live action in Happy Feet.
As to the use of Hello Dolly--and a video tape, no less--it is placing every bit of technology and culture that Wall-E is surrounded by in a context of the past...our past. Wall-E is a film that might as well be set in an alternative present day---and that is the point. It makes logical sacrifices to service the story which is, at it's heart, emotional. I loved and treasured this film. This and The Spiderwick Chronicles are the two best children's films I have seen this year (I have not seen Kung Fu Panda yet)--and both of those films are engaging on both and adult and chidlren's level.
So...who is going to San Diego? It would be nice to continue these conversations... -
Well said.
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nice writing, you read my mind
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Who the hell invited Mr. Doom n' Gloom?!
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Very nice review. I was particularly moved by the scene where Eve watched her "security" cam video and saw how Wall-E took care of her.
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Hey, what can I say? I get an emotional reaction from these films. If some people don't, I can't blame them, really. I guess it's just how they are. By the way, I think it's interesting how though we're both obviously Pixar fans, our lists look really different from each other: WALL*E, Incredibles, Nemo, Toy Story 1, Ratatouille, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, Cars, and Bugs Life.
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Is no one disturbed by the way Mori is raising his kid? Leaving a three-year old in front of a TV as a substitute for his real parents? That's not parenting - that's neglect. And it's clear that Mori is indoctrinating his kid to be a passive couch potato who will end up with the same serious weight and health issues as his father. Does anybody know where Moriarty lives? They should get social services over there pronto.I don't know why Moriarty has the bizarre need to disrespect the privacy of his wife in kids by dragging their everyday lives all over the internet - but the insight it gives us into his home life is pretty shocking.
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I don't like the premise, the world or the look of the characters. I didn't even like Little Nemo. Incredibles or Cars. I respect the makers and appreciate how well they are made though, but I can't say I was throughly entertained. It was more like, when does it end? I love Toy Story! Bugs Life as well.
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and you are a supreme douche in your assumptions about mori's parenting. social services, really? how is letting a 3 year old watch a movie neglect?. sure, if the kid is in front of the tv all day sure, but watching a movie, you're retarded (which, using your ability for assumption, means your parents indoctrinated you to be a retarded douche who assumes too much). and how exactly did mori disrespect his family? every time mori writes about his family, it's more than obvious he has nothing but love and respect for them. just because you have daddy issues (again, using your superpower of blind assumption)don't project them on everyone else are there parents that substitute tv for parenting, hell ya there are (i work an office away from one) but to make the leap that letting your child watch ANY tv makes you a bad parent, again, la douche. so until you find a woman that will let you plant your seed in her and you actually have a child, shut the fuck up, go fuck yourself, fuck off and die, fuck you you fucking fuck, go fuck a duck.... and ummm... oh yeah fuck you by the way, hows your health? overweight are you? how much tv a day do you watch? how full is your tivo?
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You are scum.
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fucking off commences at 5:30pm pst.
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it's Fred Fucking Willard! here's the rules people,
you don't put baby in the corner you don't talk about fight club and you don't animate Fred Willard -
From the review you posted: "[WALL*E] holds the plant out to show to EVE while they are floating in deep space, presumably at temperatures near absolute zero, with no ill effects.
...this lack of understanding of how nature actually functions..."
The lack of understanding lies with the reviewer. Space is no where near absolute zero in temperature. All other complaints aside, I couldn't let that one stand. Otherwise, I understand the discontinuity in a huge corporation putting out an anti-corporate film, but so what? A lot of great art of the past was sponsored by the church, kings, wealthy land owners, it doesn't make it less incredible. And if a child learns any kind of lesson from the film, then that's a bonus. They aren't going to be as cynical as us and see the evil hand of Disney, they're just going to think, hmm... maybe I should go out and *do* something. -
If anything I found the movie rather optimistic. It showed no matter what the human race has a innate curiousity and need to assert their independence. I had a friend who complained the movie was too simple and compared it to Ratatouille which is indeed more complex. I appreciated the simplicity of Wall-E because it made it all the more emotional.
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But then I remembered- "woah, who the fuck gives a shit what this piece of shit has to say?"
And BSB, I didn't just proclaim it in the Terminator TB...
by anchorite Jun 4th, 2008
12:29:20 AM
"I've mentioned it for years on here. Don't pretend like I'm just coming out now.
And as for performing the Jeffersons theme in lieu of Hail to the Chief, Obama said he's an agent of change, right? That would be a change, all right.
Also, giving the White House a more appropriate paint job might be in order. And the spinner rims on Air Force One are just a little bling to let the rest of the world know that the new kid on the block isn't a square.
And have the Trinity Church Choir sing at Obama's inauguration. He wants to be a unifier, right? He needs to help heal his church after the burden he's placed on them. I think it would be a brilliant move to reconnect with Trinity Church. What a way to inspire their congregation. And the country.
O-Ba-Ma! O-Ba-Ma! O-Ba-Ma!"
WOW. You really are trash, arentcha? -
stop ripping off patton oswalt jokes you twat.
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The Incredibles is possibly the best animated film ever made. I loved it.However, I thought Nemo was a total piece of shit and can't fathom why anyone would watch it after the first dissapointing go-round. I don't understand the praise it continues to recieve. Fuck that shit.PS this review was terrible (which is unusual for Mori).
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I think this is probably the best animated feature ive ever seen. It passes with flying colours in pretty much every department.The Story is brilliantly imaginative and extremely relevent to current events (environment ,Obesity and Rampant consumerism). Its very funny when it tries to be with no jokes really falling flat and that is considering the joke count is very high (especially the first half hour). As for the animation It's so close to being photo realistic its hard to tell the difference in parts. Always have a massive love for both Toy Stories and The Incredibles but this puts Nemo,Ratatouille and Cars to shame. Only extremely minor draw back is the last 15 minutes could have been slightly better but im not quite sure what they could have done different. But even they were still pretty great.
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The first 40 minutes without dialoghue was so magical. Once they got on the ship it felt rather cliched and lost it's originality.
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about what other people think about Wall E or any of the other Pixar flicks. I just came home from watching it and loved it from beginning to end. I'm not ashamed to admit that I can be a sentimental bastard in a theater and this is another one of Pixar's films that made me shed a tear. Like the ending of Monster's Inc. Like the whole "doll left behind as the girl grows up" song and visual combination in Toy Story II. And now the shear joy for life and love that is expressed by a robot in Wall E. And I commented to my wife how much I enjoy the storytelling in Pixar films. I have enjoyed all the movies that they have produced, and of course, some are more to my liking than others. But they are all unique to me, and that's all I can really care about. For the people who didn't like the depiction of the way humanity turned out, I say maybe you were uncomfortable with how close to home the message was. And for the rest of you that always complain that Hollywood is churning out the same thing with no imagination, I say stop looking to Hollywood and look at Pixar. Great storytelling and original ideas. Beautiful visually. Really wonderful things that have advanced the art of film-making. And I reiterate: I don't give a shit if anyone disagrees with me. It's my opinion and it won't change.
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wall-e has much much bigger theme than ET, while ET is just a lassie movie with an alien twist. never care for ET the first time i watched it, never care for it now. must be an american thing.
i have to say this year is the BEST movie year for geeks for a long long time. it opened with ironman, we have two cool animated movies, and now at summer's end we still have two great movies to look forward to - hellboy & darkknight.
the biggest stinker is that crystalfuck hackjob. after lost world, the terminal, and now this... it's safe to say he's the biggest hack in hollywood. and i look forward to his next film like i look forward to get eaten by a shark. -
the first crack was in pixar's filmo is 'a bug's life'. that was the most annoyingly disneyesque of them all. not to mention the whole story has been done many times before. someone just saw kurosawa's 7 samurai, and thought 'wow. that was a great movie. let's do it but with bugs so it's funny!'
and my ho-hum reaction is repeated coming out of 'monster inc.' i think people just love saying pixar is perfect because that's what everyone else is saying. -
as great as pixar is, they're still one notch below miyazaki. it's because they choose to limit themselves to doing cutesy movie for the family. cute robots, cute cars, cute bugs, etc etc. everyone was praising that rat movie last year, but i thought... a rat movie??? after all pixar's succeses, they go back to doing a cute RAT movie?
what's with americans and their talking animals??? it's on tv, in movies, everywhere. miyazaki has shown time and again, that it's possible to make magical family fare with HUMAN as the main focus. heck, some of his best works dont even have villains, and they're still much much better than that rat movie who wants to cook. -
I was just going over to the Toshi station to pick up some power converters!
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I've tried repeatedly to get into his movies and while I find them to be well-made, I just don't enjoy them as much as Pixar movies. His movies are also loaded with talking animals, they're just not the central characters, so what's the big deal? As far as what's with Americans and talking animals, I can only assume it's because it's an easy sell. You have to understand that most Americans don't want to think when they watch a movie, and get super-offended if the movie has a message or a moral in some way. Reading through this board should tell you that.
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No, really. This movie is really deep. If "Crash" (one of the biggest PoS jumbles of a movie EVER!) can win the Academy Award, then this one should.
From the storytelling, to the nuanced and affective characterizations, to the overall design and execution... Sweet perfection. Even the inclusion of "Hello Dolly" makes sense and has effect.
This movie will be talked about for years, and will stand out as an example of Masterpiece filmmaking. -
... I think WALL-E's infatuation with HELLO DOLLY is sweet. There's something very sympathetic about a lead character with terrible taste in movies. HELLO DOLLY is sort of wonderfully bad, too. The songs are a perfect thematic fit, and I think it's the best re-use of music since PTA lifted the POPEYE cue for PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE.
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In response to the pretty ignorant and uninformed posts above.....Yes I do have legitimate concerns about Moriarty's parenting and his abuse of his family's right to privacy. This is a MOVIE WEBSITE, not a parenting support group. Moriarty has no right to be using his family as props for his articles here. The lives of his wife and child do not BELONG to him. Did he ask his wife's permission before he described her dubious parenting to the readers of this site? And what permission could his three year-old have credibly given to have his unfortunate life broadcast to thousands? He may be only three, but he is a human being who has a basic right to grow up without being the subject of public scrutiny. Moriarty's wife would be well entitled to sue for damages - and should she bring divorce proceedings against him one day, this article - and any others like it - will serve as convinvcing grounds for divorce.Just because they are Moriarty's family does NOT give him a right to exploit them for his own gain. They are also individuals who should be afforded the dignity to live their lives without this intrusion.The other point is perhaps more serious: the way Moriarty and his wife are raising their kid. By Moriarty's own admission, he and his wife have handed their parenting duties over to the Pixar corporation - a company that produces movies for the mass-market. No matter how good their movies are, using them as a long-term substitute for the company of the child's parents (and, indeed, other human beings) is a terrible way to raise a child. A child needs to be allowed human contact and needs to enjoy an active life. Staying for long periods in front of a television screen is both unhealthy in the short term - and engenders living habits that can lead to serious health problems in the long term.I can only fear the worse for this child unless something is done quickly. His physical and mental development are being deliberately stunted and stifled by his own parents. If they think that what they are doing is good for their child, then they are seriously misguided. For a child's body and mind to develop properly it needs appropriate stimulation, plenty of exercise and guidance into healthy living habits. By Moriarty's own account, this child receives none of the above. Instead, Moriarty is foisting his own strange obsessions ("I live in a Pixar world") onto a helpless child who relies on a parent for support. Rather than raising his child, Moriarty is indoctrinating him to be an unquestioning slave to a segment of the entertainment industry. THAT IS NOT THIS CHILD'S PURPOSE IN LIFE. Moriarty has a duty and responsibility to provide his child with a balanced and healthy upbringing. IT IS NOT ENOUGH to leave a child in front of a television. Not only that - but Moriarty is actually encouraging his child to be dependent on the TV. I'm amazed that there hasn't been an outcry on this site. It's because of public indifference that this kind of abuse is allowed to continue. And yes, social services DO need to be involved.
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here's a prediction...KUNG FU PANDA will beat out WALL-E for the academy award...stick that in your pipe and smoke it...
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Drew has deliberately CHOSEN to describe his family's private life to us. I did not go round to his house to inspect it: HE INVITED US into his private life. I have no idea why a person would do this - but then I have no idea why a parent would treat their child the way he does. There are some strange and messed-up people in this world.Nobody made Moriarty expose his family's private life here. But for some reason he did.So he must be prepared for people to read what he has written and that they will draw conclusions from it.I repeat: HE PUT HIS FAMILY UP FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION.It is fortunate (for his child) that he has, because now that the neglect has been exposed, something can be done about it.Tom, your own reaction is not unusual. In these cases there are always peolpe who would like the problem to just disappear. But we would be just as guilty of neglect if we turned a blind eye. So let's do something about this and save a kid's childhood.
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If you're this excited about Moriaty's family, and "saving the kids childhood" shouldn't you try to get some cartoons of the air or write angry letters about video games. Stop meddling. Never knew bored housewives visit this site to pick up causes. And Wall-E rocked by the way. His charm was shutting the hell up. Take a cue from him.
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You're cute when you're engorged.
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Ah, yes, the classic excuse to allow people to get away with any kind of abuse they want. It's all too easy to have a kid - but the problem is that you then have to raise it, and that's a big responsibility. In this instance, we have parents who are not willing to accept their responsibility.In any case, I don't have to "meddle". That is the job of Los Angeles DHS. Hopefully they'll be able to provide this kid with the childhood he deserves.
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Ah yes. Here are some other excuses: Stop meddling. Mind your own business. Take care of your own shit. Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong. All the problems in the world start when people try to tell other people how to run their lives, cut "they know better." Continue on this path, and you're going to punish the unworthy with a sniper rifle in the name of god. Are you seriously riled up for Mori mentioning his kid watches a lot of Pixar movies? I could recite Aladdin when I was a kid. So did a lot of people. Get your own life sorted out, and stop threatening with police. I swear if you said "you'll go over there and kick his ass"I would have more respect for you. (Not much. Just a wee bit more)
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I'm not kidding at all - and I presume you're not kidding with your question, which I'll now answer.The case you've mentioned is viewed by the Law as an assault. So that's purely a legal situation: the parent has left themselves open to a criminal prosecution. However, social services would need to investigate and decide what course of action would be in the child's best interests.As regards behaviour management, I don't believe it's necessary to hit children; in fact I think that in the long term, it weakens the parent's authority and their relationship with their child. There are a wide range of more effective behaviour management strategies, the key component of which is that the parent must be consistent in whatever strategy they employ. In my view, a parent who uses violence is probably stressed and unable to cope - and in need of support themselves.All of which is in a different sphere to the casual neglect that Moriarty seems so proud of. Here is a case of a child being denied certain basic rights - apparently through some wrong-headed idea of what parenting is all about. The fact that Moriarty boadcasts his family's private life to the world is in itself highly suspicious because it reveals a complete lack of judgement in regards to what is appropriate and what is not - and that's without even addressing the content of his article. But in addition to his admission that he lets the TV do his parenting for him, he also seems to be boasting of the fact - which indicates that he is unaware of the harm he's doing. This leads me to wonder in what other areas his child is being neglected. Does the child benefit from proper meals? Or is he fed on a diet of fast-food to accompany his TV-watching habits? I suspect the latter is the case - which is why I think this needs to be investigated.
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I was reading the critique by IndustryKiller! about the "nagging flaw" of the human characters, namely that "They simply aren't very interesting." And then it struck me ... DUH!
The humans ARE the robots in this story! They're the background automotons who don't contribute anything! I'm probably like the last one at the table for this realization, so I'm not looking for a gold star or anything, but I'd call it part of the film's genius, not a "nagging flaw."
Think about it this way - the robots solve all the problems, have all the conflicts, overcome all the obstacles, face all the dangers ... and that's what makes the humans so uninteresting. They have numbed themselves out of all risk, all struggle, all interaction. This is why I really can't relate to critics who are down on the film for being "preachy," supposedly about consumerism, corporatism and the environment. I mean, yeah, you can see those things in the film, but this isn't Fern Gully, for Gob's sake. The clearer message of WALL-E is "go out an live" and "living takes risk ... and work." -
Fred would like to know, if you have you ever read a newspaper columnist? Any newspaper columnist? Any at all in the United States. Fred think not, otherwise you would know that family is fodder for columnists. Fred not call Mori a columnist(note the L not a second M - tee hee) but Mori write in manner that link movies to his life. His life includes his family. Mori not reveal any embarrassing things, and he only reveal a small portion of his life. Fred say person's life can not be adequately decsribed by you or anyone else in just a few paragraphs. Do not assume that you know how they parent their child based upon a few sentences. Especially when those sentences revolve around a three year old playing in his fathers office while the father is working. Fred would be willing to bet that most kids in this country have watched cartoons and animated movies at age three. If we followed your logic, Fred think that means social services need to hire a lot more people.
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A reality check: 1) People have been comparing Wall-E to Johnny 5 from the moment the first photo of Wall-E appeared, so the guy who claims he was the only one who mentioned it is laughably out of touch. 2) Asking people to capitalize "god" just to appease your own sense of religion is ridiculous. There is no god, and even if one did exist, he/she/it would be entirely unworthy of our respect, given his/her/its track record.
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They are quality, but not heart-breaking works of staggering genius like you guys seem to think.
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the lamest review on this site
stop jerking off pixar -
Of course eventually Pixar will make "The Black Cauldron" or some other type of movie that will be a black mark on their otherwise flawless streak. I would argue that "A Bug's Life" could be looked at that way, but that's just my opinion (it's good, just not my favorite). No doubt it's coming, but for now, enjoy the perfection that is the art of Pixar, and leave "The Black Cauldron" stuff to Disney Toon Studios and the like. That's what they're there for, like Hollywood Studios or TriStar.
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just because someone should have called social services on your parents (but didn't)
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picture toby from american splendor, it's much more amusing
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No? Me neither. He reeks of troll.
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Because he is pandering to extreme right - who still reject him, but in process he will lose his appeal to the independants. America not want four more years of Republicans. Not after bad eight years of Bush. McCain can not distance himself from Bush polices - he voted for too many of them. America not Need for more years of Bush
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IR not likes to state obvious
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If I remember correctly, isn't the Christian (that gets caps because it's a sect's proper name) god's name Tetragammaton Jehovah?
Or something like "The Tetragrammaton, Jehovah?" -
Firstly, I've been an occasional reader here for at least six months. Secondly, I come to this site for MOVIE news - and yet in this instance find myself reading a disturbing personal account of some one's dysfunctional private life. All I wanted was some movie news, but I got what sounds like a real-life horror story of abuse and neglect. That WASN'T what I was bargaining for. But as a human being, I can't very well turn a blind eye to some blatantly inappropriate conduct.All of which is to say that you're blaming the wrong guy. I DID NOT CREATE THIS SITUATION. I have NOT dragged my family onto this public website; I wouldn't be that irresponsible. I have NOT raised an issue that is irrelevant to this website. I have NOT boasted about how I neglect my kids.The one you need to be addressing your complaints to is Moriarty: he's the one who has brought this issue out into the open. If he hadn't, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. If you can't understand that, then really, there's no hope for you. But ask yourself this: why are you prepared to hear Moriarty's admission of neglect and yet do nothing to stop it?
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Jul 09, 2008 1:48:32 PM CDT
and you and your assumptions did create the situation
by irrelevntelefant
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Oh my...You've been an "occassional reader here for at least six months" who has come looking for movie news and yet you chose to bust your posting cherry by taking this bizarre cheap shot at Moriarty?!
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just to get an accurate gage of where you are coming from.
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you just admitted to neglecting your kids, you just don't boast about it.
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example: Dark Knight, Indy 4, Watchmen, others I can't remember. Up to now I've been commenting on MOVIES, with no problems. This is the first time I've found myself having to speak about a social issue - but again, I didn't create this situation and it was NOT my intention when I came onto this site. When I clicked on this news item, it said, and I quote: "Moriarty On Wall-E". THAT is what I expected to find. The title was not, "Moriarty discusses bad parenting." If it had, I wouldn't have clicked on it - believe me. I came to read about movies. I was expecting to read a review of Wall- E, the animated movie. Instead I found myself reading a completely messed-up account of bizarre and inappropriate parenting.I'm not making any of this up. Check the title on the front page. It says, "Moriarty on Wall-E". Then read Moriarty's actual posting. In it he gives a chilling account of how he and his wife are raising a three-year-old. It's all there. I DID NOT WRITE MORIARTY'S POSTING.He did. Talk to him.
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Jul 09, 2008 3:32:37 PM CDT
so how much time are you assuming his kids watch/day?
by irrelevntelefant
please, I would really like to know. I totally agree that there is a limit to how much time a child should watch tv, I would like to know where you draw the line.
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It is another cute Disney/Pixar movie with some subtext and nuance - two things that aren't that difficult to achieve and don't necessarily make for a great movie. In Wall-E, I wasn't seeing anything that imaginative. I think Disney still has too much of a stranglehold on Pixar. No one is really pushing it. In an animated space adventure, the places to go are limitless. The universe is a playground for the imagination and this movie didn't take us anywhere that spectacular. The love story, the social commentary - just trite filler IMO. Take us where we've never been before. Humanity is starving for new imagery. Will someone deliver, please?
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First of all brining up his son's reaction is mostly motivated by the fact that this is a family movie. Second, he only described a part of what he's exposing his kid to. For all anyone knows they go to the park everyday, play with the family dog, etc...basically stuff that is none of our business. And as for the saturation of Wall-E stuff, three year olds get obsessed with stuff. It's what they do, I have nephew who was obsessed with Cars when he was three. Now that he's four, it's Transformers. The only offense I take from any of this is that Moriarty is a parent, and a pretty new one at that, and we will talk about his child constantly which only bores everyone else to tears. They all do that, and it's boring. Very boring.
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... quick! Call the cops! I've exposed my kid to movies! I've also exposed him to books! And sports! And the pool! And the park! And preschool! And friends! And playdates! And food! And parents! And grandparents! And comics! And a society that includes people like HoodedJustice! At least one of those things has GOT to be bad for him!
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... guilty as charged of the new parent thing. It's almost unavoidable, though, since anyone writing honestly about film has to filter it through personal experience, and in the last three years, that experience shifted dramatically, and so did my perspective on film to some extent. Particularly regarding family films.
But seriously, I want to hire the HoodedJustice as a nanny. -
my two year old is duct taped to his high chair about 3 ft from the big screen with Bladerunner on repeat, no diaper (just tarp), and a box of fruit loops. am i a bad parent?
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They made toy story. It wowed both Cinemagoers and critics. alike. long came bugs life. Cinemagoers said this is great but it aint toy story. Critics loved a bugs life. They made toy story 2. Cinemagoers loved it as did the critics. Then they made monsters inc. Cinemagoers said its great but it aint toy story. Dreamworks made shrek which had all the elements of what made toy story great. It is a very funny film cause all the jokes are at disney expense. Pixar made nemo. which is an utter masterpiece. Nemo is a very funny film thanks to wonderous character dory. Dreamworks made sharktale and the audience said that it was no nemo. Sharktale stank. PIxar moved on then to the incredibles. Which is their least oringinal film. We all know that The incredibles are fantastic four in reverse. The teaser of that film is a remade moment lifted from the simpsons. Then came cars. I loved cars. thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. NASCAR is a recent thing to viewers in irelnad. So all the stuff about Nascar went over my head. but it had Paul newmans last ever performance, so i am not complaining. Pixar survived on sxpactation. The audiences now know that they can do anything. for pixar there is nothing left to prove. Ratatouille was a masterpiece. they have the oscar once again in the bag for best animated film. Pixar arent just geniuses. they are super genuises. they are gods of animation. they will become complacent. they have so cornered the cute market that they have boxed themselves into a corner. an animation producer that I know agrees.
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Is "My Neighbour Totoro". Obviously closely followed by "Porco Rosso". Miyazaki = The Kubrick of animation.
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You haven't started doing the other new parent thing have you? Where you freak out every time there's a disaster on the news and you lament to everyone you know how destroyed you would be if your kid was in that. I've witnessed that a couple of times. Family Guy did a pretty accurate example.
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"His policies will be catastrophic for our country"...
Huh. This is because he's such a liberal, right? -
Has this site gone mad? Why is Moriarty's family a subject of discussion? This site used to be about movies! What has Moriarty's family got to do with it? Maybe if AICN contributors stuck to talking about, oh I dunno, MOVIES - instead of their personal lives, then their families would be left in peace! Something to think about.Pixar are about the best makers of American mainstream animated movies at the moment - but that doesn't mean their movies are works of genius. They are very good at making crowd-pleasing movies (with the exception of CARS which was pretty mediocre). If you want some real genius in animation, you've got to look to the likes of Miyazaki, Yuri Norstein and Alexander Petrov. I would even say those three Wallace and Gromit half-hour films are works of genius (the Were-Rabbit is very good too - but not at the same level IMO). There are also countless brilliant short animated films that achieve much greater degrees of subtlety and poetry than Pixar. But credit where it's due: Pixar aren't trying to create "Art". They are sticking to a great crowd-pleasing formula and maintaining extremely high production values. Nothing wrong with that.
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Yes, his economic policies will be disastrous for the economy. I've personally listened Jeffrey Liebman, a top Obama campaign economics advisor, bitch, multiple times about how he has to sneak in all the sound economics he can into Obama's class warfare, green plans so they don't create even more massive DWL and economic woe. Cause, apparently, all his base wants is for the "rich" and the "corporations" to be ruined. For example, the "pressure valve" on the proposed cap and trade greenhouse gas emission plan (a flat pollution tax would be orders of magnitude more economically efficient and just as effective, but Dems and greens don't give two shits about that). Do some minimal research; realize Obama ain't campaigning on sound economics or "change", but pure focus group, money gathering crap. And, preemptively, for all the leftist warriors: I'm not voting Republican this election, cause I don't like McCain either.
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I don't necessarily disagree with any of your points, in fact, we've talked about this before.
I was making a point with Anchorite. Anchorite doesn't think his policies will be catastrophic for our country because of any economic, social or mathematical reasons, he thinks Obama will be bad for the country for much more simpleminded reasons. You know, he's got no problem with them in general, he just wouldn't want his daughter to marry one. -
a great movie and story when...
You take out the Dolly/Horace "main story" and focus on Michael Crawford's Cornelius Hackl and the "secondary story". Think about Ep.1 without JarJar Binks. It becomes a sweet, old-fashioned road-trip love story. The two songs that contribute to the story in Wall-E are VERY functional and symbolic. Next time you watch, pay close attention to EVERYTHING in the song and dance. Lyrics, physical innuendo, implied meanings and how they are then seamlessly included into the story. Even with the Captain of the Axiom... It should be considered a reference for perfect inclusion of secondary material within a film. -
You have to be aware that in Ireland that has a very different connatation. I take you dont like pizar.
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I take it you dont like pixar.
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(said in Mr Slave voice)
Wow, I thought Kurt was fucked up until Hooded Justice came along as the poster-boy for all talkbackers who take everything too literally.
I'm not sure if he/she (or heshe?) being a parent is good because it has more reason/standing to comment, or whether it's bad because those kids obviously lead joyless, prisoner-like lives (barring some judiciously metered-out 'edutainment'). Just watch them go completely overboard on all the things you deny them in later life! Woot! -
stupid robots made me cry at the end too. no seriously, it was great.
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The important thing is that we both liked Bug's Life the least. Wait, that's not the point. That's what's great about Pixar...your order, I can't argue it, cause they all have moments I love so its hard to pick.
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I finally saw it last night, and didn't feel the magic like I wanted to. In some parts, I did -- especially during the wistful first third. But then the story -- WALL-E's story -- got lost in the Big Message(s). Also, I wasn't crazy about EVE's design, and felt the army of "wacky robot side characters" were unmemorable (aside from the poor little guy cleaning up WALL-E's tracks, I can't distinguish one from another). I loved WALL-E himself, and almost feel guilty not liking the film as much as everyone else. I just wish the filmmakers didn't feel the need to be so verbally heavy-handed with their ecological themes; the visuals spoke eloquently enough.
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I finally saw Wall-E.
It was perfect.
Or damn close. Really, the film was an absolute beauty, something that kept me so captivated I forgot I had my drink sitting next to me. I couldn't take my eyes off the screen and any time someone made even a hint of a sound in the theater I was ready to murder them. Then I pretty much started bawling right after the film ended. This movie was not only the greatest film I've seen this year by FAR, but one of the greatest movies I've ever seen.
I'm seeing it again tomorrow. -
I must have missed something (didn't read the whole TB). I didn't mean anything personal, you've always struck me as a moderate with thought-out reasons for your positions. But, just to clarify, liberal economic policies aren't geared to increasing GDP or the economy in general. They are meant to create greater income equality (through redistribution of wealth) and improve the environment (through punitive taxation with regards to greenhouse gases). The general assumption behind them are that the pro's (greater income equality and less global warming and smog) outweigh the con's.
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Well-said Laser.
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and a 60% majority downticket.
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YOu've always struck me as one of the most educated and fair fiscal conservatives ever to bother posting on this site.
I used to respect Anchorite for similar reasons, not so much economics in particular, but as a strong conservative voice. I was totally disappointed when he revealed his true colors as just another soft-headed racist. I re-posted one of his most grotesque posts here from that insane RECOUNT talkback (you remember that thing?) just so the young'uns didn't think the idiot was worth listening to.
I think I'll make it a habit. Not to be too obsessive or anything, but the guy broke my heart. -
Jul 11, 2008 9:26:26 PM CDT
Does anybody actually enjoy these long-winded, self-indulgent, "
by the flashlight
McWeeny's "reviews" seem to be designed to do nothing but slap himself on the back in self-congratulation for the fact that he managed to get some poor woman to marry him and pop out his kid. Something which is considered a bit of a minor miracle in the geek world.
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Does it bother anyone else that Moriarty, a "professional" writer, doesn't know what "literally" means?
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Now where is Harry's WALL-E review? And where is Moriarty's review of the No Country For Old Men soundtrack?
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I used to respect Anchorite for similar reasons, not so much economics in particular, but as a strong conservative voice. I was totally disappointed when he revealed his true colors as just another soft-headed racist.
Uh, Anchorite is right.
http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/10/james-watson-tells-inconvenient-truth_296.php -
Most of that is a quote from samsquanch. The italics didn't take.
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The National Front website is thataway...--->
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Jul 12, 2008 7:55:51 PM CDT
Hey Look, Anchorite, you do still have some friends around here!
by samsquanch
And just the type of friends you deserve.
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National Front? Did you read what I linked to?
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Go peddle your Bell Curve crap somewhere else. Don't believe everything you read, dumbass.
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There is an article in the observer about films like walle. and the britsh filmmaker who made Bend it like beckham and bride and prejuidce was told categorically by a disney exec that they are not going to make childrens films anymore per se. they will make children films aimed at adults. i will find the link and you can read the artcile for yourselves.
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