Wall•E is the perfect film. This is Pixar's magnum opus on every level of story-telling, character development, and an overall sense of wonder, magic, and joy. Nobody ever thought that two animated robots who barely speak more than a few words could be the key ingredient to love and compassion, but Pixar is here to tell you differently with Wall•E. Since its initial release about fifteen years ago, there still hasn't been a movie that has come close to the amount of love that pours out of this movie. Wall•E is one of a kind and dives into multiple layers of emotion and topical subjects that are just as relevant today as they were over a decade ago.
The fall of the human race in the future due to greed and unhealthy ways of living takes its toll on planet Earth that forces all humans to abandon their beautiful blue planet on a star cruiser while robots do all the cleanup back home. There's an element of horror to this that rings true these days, but at the bottom of all that trash surrounding the planet is a love story between two robots from different places who find a way to communicate with each other through the elements that kept humans alive and in love.
Wall•E and Eve are one of the best on-screen couples in cinematic history and they do it all without a normal speaking language. It's brilliant with an amazing voice cast, stunning visuals, and one of the best stories ever. This is Pixar at its finest and is still their best film to date. Now check out the original review below.
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Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Wall•E sings its way to 4K + Blu-ray via the Criterion Collection. There are three discs included. One is the 4K and the other is Blu-rays. The third Disc covers most of the bonus material while a few other extras are spread across the other two discs. They are housed inside a digipack case with a cardboard sleeve with the spine number 1161. There is brand new artwork featuring makeshifts of Wall•E and Eve. There is also a booklet that covers storyboards, illustrations, interviews, and more.
Note: Images are not disc sourced - as soon as we can we aim to update the review with 4K-sourced images and hopefully include a video sample.
Wall•E travels to the Criterion spotlight with a 2160p UHD transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 capability. This video transfer is the same as Disney's 4K release, but the HDR10 and Dolby Vision have been upgraded on this Criterion Disc. There's not a big difference here between the two versions, but there are some noticeable upticks in the colors and detail with this outstanding Criterion image. This was an early Pixar release, but the amount of detail that went into trashed Earth and the sleek designs of the spacecraft Axiom look impeccable. The white colors of Even and aboard the walls and clothing used throughout the movie look even better here with a perfect balance of those bright levels.
The darker sequences in the large trash compactor room or even in Wall•E's abode look inkier and deep than ever before. The HDR10 and Dolby Vision allow for those rusty, yellow, and more vibrant colors of the rainbow to shine through flawlessly. Those purples and light blues really pop in space against those amazing black levels. The detail gives way to some bigger and more intense textures, especially during the darker sequences courtesy of that newer Dolby Vision and HDRO10 upgrade. This is not a night and day difference between the two releases, but those with expert setups will certainly get the full potential of this Criterion Disc.
This Criterion release comes with a Dolby Atmos track, which seems to be a little bit upgraded from its previous Disney Disc. The Dolby Atmos mix reverts to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 option for those not equipped for Dolby Atmos. Usually, Disney movies on home video need adjusting when it comes to the volume arena. So many releases need the volume higher through Disney, but with this Criterion release, there was no adjusting needed where everything seems more dynamic and full. Those brilliant sound effects are rampant throughout with little noise, especially on board the spacecraft.
The surround speakers get a full and intense workout as the film goes on and the bass levels reach high levels when the spaceships land on Earth or when bigger robots make an appearance. The softer more nuanced sound effects allow for a natural reverb whether it be in the vastness of space or in a large room. There is no sound detail that goes unchecked or unbalanced here. The score is perfectly made that evokes tons of emotional tones and the dialogue is always clean and easy to follow. This Dolby Atmos track is simply phenomenal.
There are about eight hours of bonus materials on these three discs. Everything from the Disney release has been ported over along with several brand-new interviews and features. These are all worth watching.
Disc One
Disc Two
Disc Three
Wall•E is hands down the best Pixar film yet. A few have come close to telling vibrant and poignant stories with amazing characters, but Wall•E takes the cake on every visual and story-building level. And even after more than fifteen years, this movie continues to lead the way for creativity. Criterion knocks it out of the park with the 4K video and Dolby Atmos presentations along with all of the vintage and brand-new bonus content. Not to mention the new artwork for the case is very attractive. MUST-OWN!
