I saw WALL•E with my son yesterday evening (we had a boys weekend since the girls were in NYC watching ballet with Grandmommy). I may comment further on it later, but a couple of points. WALL•E boots up to the sound of a Macintosh chime. The Apple connections are always aplenty. (BTW, in one of the first scenes as WALL•E cleans up keep your eyes peeled for a vehicle from another Pixar film.)
Buy n Large, the company responsible for polluting and evacuating earth, as well as creating all of the robots, cups, clothes, etc. that are in the movie has their own website. You could easily spend a LOT of time poking around that site. I am personally eager for WEND•E the washing bot, but the regenerative liver technology is a must-have for many, especially in Hollywood. There are many more worthwhile moments of humor on the site. For example, their small print says in part:
Any information that is submitted to Buy n Large via its website or other online properties becomes the sole property of the Buy n Large corporation and may be used in any way the Buy n Large corporation deems advantageous. This includes, but is not limited to, selling and leasing customer information.
Their “Privacy Policy ” is even better. It begins
In order to access services through our site, you must provide us with certain personal information such as your name, your Vari-Credit number and expiration date, your Vari-Credit billing address, your telephone number, your e-mail address and the name or names of the person(s) in your immediate family. We may also ask you for other personal information, such as your medical history.
All acquired customer information becomes the property of the Buy n Large corporation and can be used (but is not limited to) any venture the Buy n Large Corporation deems beneficial to it. By visiting Buy n Large (or a Buy n Large partner) the user agrees to relinquish (if requested) any personal assets that may be deemed “usable” by the Buy n Large Corporation; this includes (but is not limited to) real estate, stock holdings, user transportation, employment income and the users “soul” (either real or imagined, regardless of spiritual or religious affiliation).
By visiting the Buy n Large website you become a registered member of the Buy n Large Database. You may not unsubscribe to this database at any time.
WALL•E contains a good amount of social commentary (Al Gore is on Apple’s board, after all) about our consumption habits and treatment of the earth. It is more heavy handed than in most Pixar films. In fact, I am not sure I can remember any of their movies that had any sort of agenda. Even so, it was a very amusing and enjoyable film. The characters of WALL•E, EVE, and the Captain are excellent and fun. I think it is worth seeing in the theatre, but you will not miss much if you wait for it on DVD.
The harder question posed by a student, is it better than Kung Fu Panda? I am not sure. I think KFP was a more enjoyable experience over all. WALL•E’s story line seems somewhat thin in comparison. The animation, however, remains impeccable with Pixar. The even mix in live footage of human actors that seems completely natural in context.
My final verdict: It is not anywhere near The Incredibles or Monsters, Inc. but it is on par with Cars. I will buyt it on DVD and going back on Sunday to see it with the ladies of the house.
4 thoughts on “Buy n Large”
I totally agree with your assessment and bottom line. We just came back from the movie and, while the animation is indeed impeccable, and the story overall is sweet, I have liked other Pixar films better (because, really, how can you top The Incredibles?).