Wall-E (Criterion) 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

[Note: Since I see next to no difference between this and Disney's disc - and reviewed that one previously - I just randomly grabbed screenshots so I didn't repeat myself. If you want some of the key visuals, check out those screens and consider this batch bonuses: https://www.patreon.com/posts/wall-e-4k-uhd-34892216]

Video

Disney themselves issued Wall-E on UHD previously. This appears to be the same transfer, just with Dolby Vision instead of HDR. To what effect that makes, short of a side-by-side comparison, is anyone's guess. Sunlight filters through the smoggy Earth sky, and once into space, star clusters glisten and flicker. Any light source reaches a suitable peak, and if backed by the intensely deep shadows, the depth only grows further.

The now 12-year old textures can’t show much beyond what the Blu-ray did. That doesn’t mean definition lacks; it’s gorgeous. The rust on Earth is spectacular. Near the end, as people turn into rounded up cattle, each character is visible – hundreds of them. Sharpness is high enough to allow that to happen, including minor aliasing likely part of the source animation.

Although balancing two restrictive palettes (one brown, one blue), certain elements successfully break out. Lighting billboards create a space-faring interior. Red onesies worn by people gain energy, while the trip through space is truly stunning as clouds and nebula appear.

Audio

A few blasts stick out in this Atmos track. When ships drop to Earth from space, thrusters leave their mark with a solid rumble. An escape pod launches with a pleasing thud too.

Small touches add space to the original 5.1 mix. Wind storms push debris all over, above, behind, and to the sides. Robots move about, and the space port’s busy streets send flying chairs whipping by. Rain will plop into the overheads, if to limited effect; it’s mixed organically as to not standout.