STUDIO: Disney
RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2008
STARRING: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, and Sigourney Weaver
WRITTEN BY: Andrew Stanton
DIRECTED BY: Andrew Stanton
FEATURES: Blu-Ray Exclusive: Burn-E With Boards - Hilarious, All-New Animated Short with Picture-in-Picture Presentation by Director Angus MacLane
Blu-Ray Exclusive: Cine-Explore - With Director Andrew Stanton
Blu-Ray Exclusive: Geek Track - Pop-Up Commentary by Pixar's Geek Squad
Blu-Ray Exclusive: Axiom Arcade - Video Games with a Wall-E Twist
Blu-Ray Exclusive: 3-D Set Fly-Throughs - See Film Locations From a Whole New Angle
"The Pixar Story" by Leslie Iwerks
"Presto" - Amazing Animated Theatrical Short Film
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds From the Sound Up
"Lots of Bots" Storybook
BnL Shorts
"Making of" Featurettes
Deleted Scenes
And Much More!

My adoration of Wall-E is well-documented and it has only increased since the film rocked my world early this summer. I've seen about a hundred movies since I first saw Wall-E and none have yet to top it. With only a few films left to go this year, it's starting to look more and more likely that the lovable robot and his girlfriend EVE are going hold a place as my favorite movie of 2008. I love Wall-E. I adore the character and the film that tells his story and I think the genius of this piece of work can not be overstated. It's the same sense of cinematic accomplishment that you felt when you first saw Star Wars, Toy Story, or whatever movie that knocked you on your feet simply because it wasn't like anything else on the market. I have absolutely no doubt that I will revisit Wall-E, EVE, and The Axiom for however many years I have left on this Earth and that the gorgeous Blu-Ray edition of this title will be one of the most well-worn and regularly-watched in my collection. Some movies change over time. They feel different depending on where you are in your life. But I think that my reaction to Wall-E at 50, 75, and 100 will be the same as it was at 33 - pure joy. In an awful year for movies, it's the brightest star in the sky.

Wall-E takes its title from the name of the last robot on Earth. Us humans turned this planet into a garbage dump years ago and poor Wall-E spends his days piling the crap that we've left behind into neat little blocks. He also turns our garbage into his treasure, picking from the stacks of junk, the lighters, shoes, and other collectibles to take to his little metal home. One of his most prized possessions is an old tape of Hello, Dolly. He seems inspired by the musical and really just wants to hold a hand...and dance. Poor Wall-E is lonely. How do we know that? Believe it or not, in the kind of daring decision that separates Pixar from the rest of the losers, Wall-E doesn't speak. The first half-hour of Wall-E contains almost no dialogue. And yet, we know exactly what Wall-E is feeling. It's as fully realized a character as you'll see all year without a single line of dialogue. In the same way that you felt the sadness in Charlie Chaplin's eyes in his silent films, you don't need dialogue to know what's going in Wall-E's gigantic metal heart.

The circumstances that set Wall-E out to change the universe start when a spaceship sends him EVE, a robot designed to search for signs of life. Humans are still alive. They're just overweight, gelatinous messes that circle the universe in spaceships that keep them overfed and overstimulated to the point that they're barely aware that they're even living. But their machines are still working to find life. And EVE finds a lot more than life. She finds Wall-E. When EVE is called back to her spaceship, The Axiom, Wall-E follows and, basically, changes the course of the entire universe. And there's much more to it than that. A love story, an action movie, a cautionary tale, a visual stunner - Wall-E is all of these things and still just a damn good time.

When Wall-E came out, I was nervous. Would audiences take a chance on a non-speaking robot? Critics universally adored the film, but I was worried that it might be too ambitious for families who just want to see the lion that sounds like Ben Stiller and the panda with the eating problem. 2008 was SO lacking in ambition at the movies that it took a robot to show us how much we've been missing and how much we deserve filmmakers who are willing to take a chance. Wall-E was a hit and it should be a massive seller this holiday season on Blu-Ray. There is some cinematic justice out there.

Of course, the movie is enough to make the 3-disc Blu-Ray version of Wall-E a must-own, but I suppose we should dissect the special features. Before we get there, how does Wall-E look and sound? Words escape me. It's perfect in every way. This is a high-definition picture that should make all the other studios jealous. Even the most jaded cinephile, the one who thinks he's seen it all and can no longer be impressed by a pretty picture will drop their jaw at this one. And the score? The DTS-HD MA track is perfectly mixed.

As for the special features on Wall-E, all of them are in high definition - a great plus for Blu-Ray owners tired of watching featurettes in SD. The third disc is, of course, just the digital copy (which kind of feels like false advertising to us, but they'll figure out a better way to market what is sure to just be a standard feature on all DVDs and BDs in the near future). The best of the Wall-E bonuses is the Cine-Explore commentary, which allows director Andrew Stanton to show you tons of material as the film plays. Artworks, storyboards, behind-the-scenes details - it all flows naturally with the film picture-in-picture and doesn't just add to the experience of Wall-E, it enhances it. More teams trying to pick and choose special features should learn the difference. Other BD exclusives include another commentary track with the team from Pixar, video games, and a 3-D flythrough of film locations. My favorites are the short films Burn-E, which is a BD exclusive, and Presto, which played in theatres.

All of the above would make Wall-E one of the best BDs of the year and you're still only on disc one. The second disc is overflowing with bonus material about the making of the film. It's so packed with material that you just need to see it for yourself. Games, deleted scenes, SEVEN behind-the-scenes featurettes, 3D shorts, and more - all in HD. Not enough? How about "The Pixar Story", an 88-minute HD documentary about the most influential group of filmmakers in the last twenty years? They could sell this doc separately but it's just a special feature for Disney/Pixar. ALONE, this doc would be worth buying Wall-E on Blu-Ray.

Wall-E is the best movie of the year and now it's the best BD release as well. It's as deep and rewarding experience as you're going to have with a Blu-Ray title.

For more, check out The Deadbolt interview with Andrew Stanton.