Some animated movies are clearly geared very much towards
children, like Bambi. Others are targeted squarely at adults, like South Park.
Then there is the rare combination film (usually from Pixar) that successfully
targets both generations. Wreck-it Ralph, while looking like a Pixar film (it
isn’t), joins that pantheon of animated films that are entertaining for all.
Wreck-It Ralph –
2012, rated PG. My rating: 9 out of 10.
Wreck-It Ralph was a film that I had been eagerly
anticipating ever since seeing the first trailer. By combining new characters
designed by Disney for the film with real life video game characters, the
trailer and the film become a game of searching for Easter eggs and shout-outs,
of which there are many, so many that even a hardcore gamer might miss several
of them.
The plot reminds me a little bit of Toy Story, in the sense
that the video game characters turn out to have real lives outside of their
video games, like the toys that come to life when humans aren’t around. Here,
they are able to travel to and from other games when the arcade is closed at
night, through the power lines connecting the games. The titular Ralph, as the
trailer explains, is a villain that is tired of being a villain, after 30 years
of being stuck as one inside his game. So he leaves his game to try and find
acceptance and belonging, and to prove that he is a hero that the characters
within his game can respect. Unfortunately, his journey sets off a number of
unintended consequences that threaten the lives of characters not only in his
own game, but all of the other games in the arcade as well.
Ralph is voiced by the excellent John C. Reilly, who really
handles the role well, making you feel the emotions that Ralph feels with his
voice, from melancholy to happiness. His journey from villain to hero is heartfelt and touching, and also very funny.
Overall, this movie is a lot of fun, and probably the best non-Pixar Disney animated film in years. Whether you have kids to see it with, or just want to indulge your inner child, Wreck-It Ralph is a fun flick, so see it and have a blast!
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