Who did Wall-E rip off more, Idiocracy or Short Circuit?
I really loved Wall-E, but I couldn’t help but notice that more than half of the film’s plot was lifted from the brilliant–and much more adult–film idiocracy. Additionally, the robot seems so cute and familiar that you have to wonder–as many people have–if you’ve met him before (hint, you have).
Your comments are appreciate. Oh yeah… this is on digg–please digg it up!
Short Circuit: Treads, binocular eyes, clamps as hands.
Wall-E: Treads, binocular eyes, clamps as hands.
Short Circuit: sad eyes.
Wall-E: say eyes.
Idiocracy: Fat people, drinking fake food, in front of multi-touch video displays. Oh yeah, they’ve forgotten how to read.
Wall-E: Fat people, drinking fake food, in front of multi-touch video displays. Oh yeah, they’ve forgotten how to read. (anyone have better photo of fat people in chairs from Wall-E?)
Idiocracy: distopian future caused by consumerism; huge piles of trash litter the skyline
Wall-E: distopian future caused by consumerism; huge piles of trash litter the skyline
Idiocracy: Absurdly large Costco
Wal-E: Absurdly large Buy ‘n Large (need photo)
What other similarities have you found? Please post in comments.
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Answer: neither. Much of great Sci-Fi shares much in common with its predecessors, and these aren’t “rip-offs”. You’re simply seeing what you want to see. Similar ideas are not the same as plagiarism. As far as Short Circuit, it shares NOTHING in common with the plot, and the only similarities between robots are the eyes. Since WALL-E’s eyes were inspired by binoculars, no one has a leg to stand on as far as Johnny 5 looking like WALL-E, he doesn’t.
Comment by MidgardDragon — September 7, 2008 @ 4:06 am
I thought Wall E was more like Crimson Tide where the two captains are fighting for control.
Comment by John McCain — February 16, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
Also, Wall E is more like ET than Johnny 5. ET is brought to a forgiegn land where he helps bring a plant back to life and his mission is to go back home with the help of his friends he finds on the new planet.
Comment by John McCain — February 16, 2009 @ 7:49 pm
Johnny 5 isn’t a trash compactor. Treads are a logical mode of transport for robots. Binocular eyes would be helpful in all robots.
Comment by John McCain — February 16, 2009 @ 7:51 pm
There were no robots in Idiocracy.
Comment by John McCain — February 16, 2009 @ 7:52 pm
Pixar animated films have enormous budgets and take a
long time to make. They didn’t rip off Idiocracy, they
started first and finished second. Idiocracy was poorly
done. They have a shared theme, but Wall-e did it well.
He has some similarities to Johnny 5 from short circuit,
but also a lot of differences. Wall-e is a solar powered
cube with no elbows, no mouth, no torso to rotate, and
his arms extend and retract in a hydraulic fashion.
He doesn’t look human like Johnny 5 and doesn’t have a
big vocabulary like him either. There are a whole lot
of robots and aliens in TV and film up to this point so
it’s pretty much a certainty that any creation will bear
a resemblance to some older creation. Binocular eyes and
treads are not some amazingly unique combination. They
are both objects unmodified from reality, they are
commonplace. Also, there are only a few decent options
for movement: Feet, wheels, treads, flying/hovering.
So in answer to your question, Wall-e ripped of neither
Idiocracy nor Short Circuit.
Comment by worble — March 27, 2009 @ 7:12 am
WALL E most definitely lifted not only several themes but a ton of visuals from Idiocracy. Both are good, but I prefer Idiocracy’s satire a lot more.
Comment by outsidedown — May 17, 2009 @ 3:22 am