Latest news with #WALL-E
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Elio' review: Pixar goes sweet and simple for its original outer space adventure
movie review ELIO Running time: 99 minutes. Rated PG (some action/peril and thematic elements). In theaters June 20. Like the 11-year-old title character of 'Elio,' Pixar's latest original is small and cute. Nothing wrong with that. Advertisement It's time to accept that gone are the days of 'WALL-E,' 'Up' and 'Ratatouille,' when the Disney-owned animation studio had a stratospherically imaginative and artful vision that once put it firmly in the Best Picture conversation. Now that the bouncing lamp's bulb is dimming, they're pumping out modest, but nonetheless charming movies such as 'Onward,' 'Luca' and 'Elio.' The new one is more likable than blobby 'Elemental' or pointless 'Lightyear' were. 'Inside Out 2' sure felt like a '2.' ET won't phone home about it, but 'Elio' is a nice, frequently rewarding 100 minutes. Advertisement There's a simple focus on feeling in the outer-space tearjerker about a lonely orphan boy who dreams of being abducted by aliens so he can finally make friends. Staring up at the stars is a powerful, timeless idea. Good enough for Galileo. 3 In Pixar's 'Elio,' a boy dreams of traveling to outer space to make friends. AP 'Is life really out there?' Elio asks his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), an orbital analyst who works on a military base while raising her nephew, after he stumbles into a museum exhibit about the Voyager satellite. Lost and confused, he becomes obsessed with finding extraterrestrials. Advertisement One night, they find him. He's beamed up to a kind of United Nations of species — called the Communiverse — and they ask Elio to become Earth's representative, believing him to be the leader of the third rock from the sun. A couple of the aliens, an effete beetle dweeb and a ballet-dancing dragon, are cloying. I wanted Will Smith to come and punch them — a la 'Independence Day,' not the Oscars. The space station looks like a Las Vegas hotel built by a narcissistic jellyfish. 3 When he arrives, a group of aliens believe he's the leader of Earth. AP The story of mistaken identities is basically a kid-friendly 'Galaxy Quest.' Elio desperately wants to join the intergalactic club, but they'll only make him a member if he can talk scary Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), the chief of a warrior species, out of attacking the Communiverse. Advertisement Plenty of familiar bases are covered: Making your dad proud, the true meaning of family, friendship, purpose and courage, among others. In the final scene, Pixar forces us — effectively — to cry like a boot camp officer. Beyond the requisite lessons, there are some witty touches. A subplot involving a creepy Elio clone nods to the horror genre in a funny way for adults. And the twist with Grigon and his slug son Glordon is smart. 3 Elio finds a pal in wormy Glordon. AP During one bizarre montage, I'm pretty sure the 11-year-old and his friend Glordon go on a booze-soaked bender around the Communiverse and hurl into a hedge. But the drink is called 'glorg,' so who's to say what the alcohol content is? Elio travels lightyears away from home, and 'Elio' lands comfortably in the middle of the Pixar pack.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘In Your Dreams' Teaser: The Search for the Sandman Powers Netflix's New Animated Sibling Fantasy
Netflix dropped the teaser trailer for its animated Oscar-hopeful, 'In Your Dreams' (streaming November 14), the original comedy-fantasy about siblings trying to save their parents' marriage by enlisting the aid of the mythical Sandman. Former Pixar story artist Alex Woo ('WALL-E') directs with Erik Benson, another ex-Pixar story artist ('Toy Story 4'). The film is produced by Netflix Animation and Woo's Kuku Studios, with animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks. The voice cast is led by Cristin Milioti as the mom and Simu Liu as the dad. 'In Your Dreams' finds Stevie (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her brother Elliot (voiced by Elias Janssen) discovering a magic book, which allows them to enter the wacky realm of their dreams, where the Sandman (Omid Djalili) can grant their wish for the perfect family. Along the way, they encounter Elliot's long-lost sarcastic stuffed giraffe, Baloney Tony (Craig Robinson), zombie breakfast foods, and Nightmara (Gia Carides), the Sandman's rival. More from IndieWire 'Tow' Review: Rose Byrne Fights Bureaucracy in a Social Justice Drama That Narrowly Steers Clear of Poverty Porn 'Stories Don't Have to Be About Disability' to Feature Actors with a Disability: A Call for Change The film is very personal for Woo, who took inspiration from his own parents' breakup. He presented footage Thursday at the Annecy Animation Film Festival with production designer Steve Pilcher ('Soul') and VFX supervisor Nicola Lavender ('The Mitchells vs. the Machines'). Accompanying the sumptuous animation of the surreal landscapes are compelling themes of managing dual careers while being caring, nurturing parents, the importance of imagination and not giving up on your dream, and learning to cope with harsh realities as a part of growing up. And be careful what you wish for. At Annecy, Netflex Animation (led by Hannah Minghella, head of Netflix Feature Animation and Family Film) touted sneak peeks of two upcoming animated series, 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' (from showrunner Eric Robles), and 'Long Story Short' (from 'Bojack Horseman's' Raphael Bob-Waksberg, streaming August 22), as well as the features 'KPop Demon Hunters' (directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, streaming June 20), the Roald Dahl-adapted 'The Twits' (directed by Phil Johnston, streaming in the fall), and 'Pookoo' (from Skydance Animation and director Nathan Greno, streaming in 2026). In addition, Netflix premiered Genndy Tartakovsky's adult 2D comedy feature, 'Fixed' (streaming August 13). Check out the first teaser for 'In Your Dreams' below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Science
- Scotsman
Why we (probably) shouldn't fear new giant leap forward for robot-kind
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... From R2-D2 to WALL-E and the Terminator, robots have captured our imagination for years but, in the real world, such machines have proved pretty thin on the ground. However scientists at Edinburgh University have apparently made a giant leap forward for robot-kind by inventing ones that can walk straight out of the 3D printer that made them. The printer costs less than £400 and first-time users can begin cranking out bots within days. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lead engineer Maks Gepner said: 'Using our new platform, anyone can now easily print things which were previously thought to be impossible. This is a game-changer for engineers and artists alike... we believe soft robotics is ready to make a major real-world impact.' R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Star Wars films have fascinated generations for more than 40 years (Picture: Valerie Macon) | AFP via Getty Images Potential uses include in nuclear decommissioning, the biomedical sector and space. However, we suspect it won't be too long until a science fiction writer uses them to conjure up a dystopian tale of the world under attack by a robot army churned out from some wannabe Bond villain's basement.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Conan O'Brien joins cast of Toy Story 5
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The fifth installment of the Toy Story franchise is introducing a new friend to audiences. Conan O'Brien announced Monday that he's joining the cast of next June's Pixar sequel. Tom Cruise says he'll act into his 100s: report 'You've got a friend in…Conan,' the comedian and host said in an Instagram post. All that's known about O'Brien's role at this time is that the character's name is SmartyPants. The film will also see the return of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack as Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie respectively. Ernie Hudson, of Ghostbusters fame, will take over the role of Combat Carl from Carl Weathers following his death. Andrew Stanton (WALL-E and Finding Nemo) and McKenna Harris (feature directorial debut) are co-directing, with production by Jessica Choi and Pete Docter executive producing. According to IMDb, the film will follow Buzz, Woody, Jessie, each of whom 'are challenged after being introduced to what kids are obsessed with today: electronics.' Toy Story 5 is set to release on June 19, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Geek Tyrant
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Conan O'Brien Joins the Cast of TOY STORY 5 — GeekTyrant
Comedian and host Conan O'Brien is set to take on the new role of Smarty Pants in Toy Story 5 , Disney and Pixar announced on Monday, during the Consumer Products section of Disney's Licensing Expo presentation. O'Brien appeared in a video Instagram message celebrating the news, saying, 'Isn't that crazy? Legendary franchise. These films are amazing. I can't believe this!' Admittedly, O'Brien said, he asked initially for the role of Woody and was told it was promised to Tom Hanks. 'And I was like, 'Uh, you kinda been there and done that. You know? You'e in a bit of a rut, don't you think?' And they said, 'No, Tom Hanks, it's his role,'' Conan shared. He joked that he then went after the role of Buzz Lightyear, only to be told he lost it to Tim Allen. 'And I went, 'Guys, you gotta think outside the box,'' O'Brien deadpanned. 'But anyway, then they showed me this new character, Smarty Pants. It's the best character of them all. I far prefer this character. I don't even wanna play Woody or Buzz anymore, even if they beg me. I'm Smarty Pants; I love this!' No further details on O'Brien's character were provided. In the new film, slated for release on June 19, 2026, it's Toy meets Tech when Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs are challenged after being introduced to what kids are obsessed with today—electronics! The film hails from writer-director Andrew Stanton, the two-time Oscar winner behind WALL-E and Finding Nemo . McKenna Harris is co-directing, with Jessica Choi producing and Pete Docter exec producing. Others newcomers to feature in the voice cast, as previously announced, include Ernie Hudson, who takes over the late Carl Weathers's role of action figure Combat Carl, and Anna Faris in an undisclosed part. Joan Cusack is expected to be among the other returning cast members, reprising her role as Jessie. via: Deadline
