ANIMATION: Pixar’s ‘inspiration’ for Wall-E…

February 6, 2008 in 3D, animation, art, cinema, controversy, design, fun, gadget, goldenoldie, inspiration, perception, robots, sci-fi, science, toys, weird

Nobody has seen Wall-E yet, but we know what he/it looks like. Nice concept, very cool emotional expressions from a robot, the high quality stuff we’re used to getting from Pixar.

However, there’s a very striking resemblance between Wall-E and the robot from the 1986 movie ‘Short Circuit’, called ‘Johnny 5′. Even stranger, the box art is also suspiciously similar. There’s of course a hard to define line between inspiration and stealing, but it seems to me as though Pixar is balancing on the edge here.

The picture of Wall-E was inverted to resemble the colors of Johnny 5 more.

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February 11, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Doug Glass

I think maybe you need to read Roger Zalazny’s short story “For A Breath I Tarry” before you begin pinning the inspiration.

http://www.kulichki.com/moshkow/ZELQZNY/forbreat.txt

June 2, 2008 at 5:50 pm

schublog

Hey pixar may seem like its copying Johnny 5 with Wall.E however there are some typical studies of shape and proportion that helpp us attribute human “cuteness” to non-human things. Check out on my blog ( http://schmovies.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/crystal-ball-3-wall-e/ )where i compare Johnny 5, Wall.E and ET. All 3 have similar shape and proportions, specially the heads. Pixar obviously studies this kind of thing, the resemblance to Johnny 5 isn’t a ripoff, and it isn’t an accident either.

June 15, 2008 at 11:02 am

Netbug

I’m sorry to sound rude, but you’re wrong. Short Circuit is not the only film to have a poster with a look onto the character from a distance, and inverting the colors? Warn color schemes and cool color schemes are two common elements of characters in general.

Watch the movie before you declare it a rip off please. That’s all I’m saying.

God bless.