4k Movie, Streaming, Blu-Ray Disc, and Home Theater Product Reviews & News | High Def Digest
Film & TV All News Blu-Ray Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders 4K Ultra HD Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders Gear Reviews News Home Theater 101 Best Gear Film & TV
Ultra HD : Must Own
Ranking:
Sale Price: $34.15 Last Price: $49.95 Buy now! 3rd Party 26.74 In Stock
Release Date: November 22nd, 2022 Movie Release Year: 2008

WALL•E - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Overview -

Robust little Wall•E comes to the Criterion Collection in a big way from Pixar. The 4K image sports a new and improved Dolby Vision upgrade with a Dolby Atmos audio track that breathes new life into the best Pixar film to date. The vintage extras and all of the brand-new bonus features made for this Criterion release are top-notch. The new booklet and artwork make this release a MUST-OWN!

 

A high-water mark of digital animation, this prescient vision of a dystopian future is packaged within a dazzling pop-science-fiction love story, making for an urgent fable for our troubled millennium. It’s the twenty-ninth century, and humans have long since fled Earth for outer space, leaving WALL•E, the last functioning trash-compacting robot, to go about the work of cleaning up a pollution-choked planet, one piece of garbage at a time. When he meets EVE, a fellow automaton sent to detect plant life, the pair are launched on an intergalactic quest to return humanity to Earth. Transporting us simultaneously back to cinema’s silent origins and forward light-years into the future, WALL•E is a soaring ode to the power of love and art to heal a dying world.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • 4K digital master, approved by director Andrew Stanton, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film, presented in both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+, and two Blu-rays with the film and special features
  • Alternate 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio and stereo soundtracks
  • Two audio commentaries: one featuring Stanton and the other, character supervisor Bill Wise, coproducer Lindsey Collins, story artist Derek Thompson, and lead animator Angus MacLane
  • New programs on Stanton’s cinematic influences and production designer Ralph Eggleston’s color scripts
  • Tour of the Pixar Living Archive with Stanton
  • Behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, including segments from early animation reels
  • The Pixar Story (2007), a documentary by Leslie Iwerks
  • More than a dozen documentaries exploring the film’s production and robots
  • Anatomy of a Scene: The Plant, a masterclass with Stanton
  • “WALL•E”: A to Z, a new program featuring Stanton and coscreenwriter Jim Reardon
  • Deleted scenes featuring commentary by Stanton
  • A Story (1987), a student film by Stanton
  • BURN•E (2008), a short film by MacLane
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • English descriptive audio
  • PLUS: An essay by author Sam Wasson; selections from Stanton’s sketchbooks, script notes, and drawings; and artwork from the WALL•E team
New cover by Jason Raish

OVERALL:
Must Own
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
PLUS: An essay by author Sam Wasson; selections from Stanton’s sketchbooks, script notes, and drawings; and artwork from the WALL•E team
Video Resolution/Codec:
Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10
Length:
98
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
English descriptive audio
Subtitles/Captions:
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Special Features:
Trailers
Release Date:
November 22nd, 2022

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

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.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR ORIGINAL BLU-RAY REVIEW.

 

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.

 

Video Review

Ranking:

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.

Audio Review

Ranking:

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.

Special Features

Ranking:

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

  • Audio Commentary #1 - The 2008 Andrew Stanton commentary track is located here and is worth the time.
  • Audio Commentary #2 - Producers, animators, artists, and character supervisors all chime in on this 2008 commentary track and talk about the film and its characters.

Disc Two

  • Audio Commentary #1 - The 2008 Andrew Stanton commentary track is located here and is worth the time.
  • Audio Commentary #2 - Producers, animators, artists, and character supervisors all chime in on this 2008 commentary track and talk about the film and its characters.
  • Where It Began: The Origins of Wall•E (HD, 24 Mins.) - This is brand new to Criterion that has Andrew Stanton coming back and talking fondly and openly about making the film and all the research that went into the movie. He talks about his inspirations and favorite films that were in his mind while making this.
  • Anatomy of a Scene: The Plant (HD, 17 Mins.) - This is a masterclass workshop from Stanton where the big plant discovery on Earth scene is discussed. This is a brand-new bonus feature for Criterion.
  • Tour of the Pixar Living Archive (HD, 28 Mins.) - This is a cool piece from 2002 where Stanton and another filmmaker go through the Pixar archives and pull out some gems from other films and Wall•E. 
  • The Pixar Story (HD, 89 Mins.) - This is a feature-length documentary about the creation and success of Pixar and is quite fantastic. 
  • Trailers (HD, 8 Mins.) - Some trailers for the film and the Superbowl spot. 

Disc Three

  • Ralph-E: The Art of the Color Script (HD, 12 Mins.) - Stanton and production designer Ralph Eggleston talk about the colors of Wall-E and also pay tribute to the late Eggleston and his career in this brand-new extra.
  • Directing Animation: Twelve Scenes (HD, 19 Mins.) - This is some in-studio footage of meetings and rehearsals from the Pixar conferences and meetings. Specifically, here, there are twelve scenes from Wall-E. Again, this is a new feature for this release. 
  • Wall-E: A-Z (HD, 13 Mins.) - This is a new bonus feature where Stanton and writer Jim Reardon talk in alphabetical format about how Wall-E was ahead of its time in the form of the climate issues and what might happen to Earth if something is not done about it, along with new technology and tourism in space. 
  • A Story (HD, 7 Mins.) - Stanton's student film from the '80s, while he was in college, discusses Saturday Morning Cartoons with an introduction from Stanton. This is a new extra. 
  • The Imperfect Lens (HD, 15 Mins.) - Roger Deakins is the focal point here that tackles the film's great visual style. 
  • Building Worlds From The Sound Up (HD, 19 Mins.) - The sound design is talked about. 
  • Trash Planet (hD, 5 Mins.) - A glimpse at this futuristic Earth that is covered in trash. 
  • Wall-E's Truck Tour (HD, 4 Mins.) - A fun look at all of Wall-E's sacred toys and objects. 
  • Wall-E and Eve (HD, 7 Mins.) - The design of the main characters are discussed here. 
  • Captain's Log: The Evolution of Humans (HD, 8 Mins.) - The captain of the Axiom is touched upon.
  • Go Live (HD, 4 Mins.) - The live-action sequences in the film with real actors are discussed. 
  • Notes On A Score (HD, 11 Mins.) - Composer Thomas Newman is shown here rehearsing the music. 
  • Life Of A Shot (HD, 5 Mins.) - One of the first scenes of the film is talked about.
  • Robo-Everything (HD, 6 Mins.) - The other robots of the spaceship are given the spotlight here with all of their unique designs. 
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 23 Mins.) - There are five total scenes here all with Stanton's commentary. 
  • Geek-O-Rama (HD, 5 Mins.) - The Easter Eggs of the movie are discussed and shown.
  • BNL (HD, 9 Mins.) - All of the funny and informative public service announcements from the company in the film. 
  • Meet The Bots (HD, 9 Mins.) - More robots in the film are explored. 
  • Wall-E's Treasures and Trinkets (HD, 5 Mins.) - A fun little short where Wall-E and Eve play with toys and objects.
  • Lots of Bots (HD, 3 Mins.) - A storybook about Wall-E.
  • Burn-E (HD, 8 Mins.) - The repair and cleaning robot gets its own short film. 

Final Thoughts

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!