10 Times Disney Blatantly Stole From Other Movies

4. WALL-E (Short Circuit)

WALL-E may be an absolutely adorable and endlessly charming movie, but it also wears the influences of its protagonist's design a little too eagerly on its sleeve.

The titular robot is clearly influenced by his mechanical equivalent, Johnny 5, from the 1986 sci-fi comedy Short Circuit, and one suspects Pixar hoped fans would either appreciate the pilfering as "homage" or, in the case of younger viewers, not even notice.

From the bulging eyes to the tank-like treads both robots use to move around, WALL-E clearly represents an attempt to slyly recycle Johnny 5's easy appeal, and to Pixar's credit, they did a great job with it. Above all else, the movie as a whole is far better than either Short Circuit movie (especially the also-ran sequel).

WALL-E director Andrew Stanton has been quizzed about this numerous times over the years and flatly denies consciously copying Short Circuit, admitting that he's only seen the movie once and could perhaps have sub-consciously assimilated part of the design, but denies any ill intent.

Still, Johnny 5's design is singular and unique enough that, consciously or not, it's incredibly difficult to believe that WALL-E was a wholly original creation. Come on.