I am not a gamer. I have played video games. I am fond of Nintendo, and I really enjoyed Sega Genesis, but I am in no way a video game snob. For some reason, the early rumblings I was hearing about Wreck-it Ralph insinuated that the viewer wouldn’t really enjoy it unless they could get all the subtle nuances and references throughout the movie. After seeing it, I strongly disagree with that.
I am not a gamer. I have played video games. I am fond of Nintendo, and I really enjoyed Sega Genesis, but I am in no way a video game snob. For some reason, the early rumblings I was hearing about Wreck-it Ralph insinuated that the viewer wouldn’t really enjoy it unless they could get all the subtle nuances and references throughout the movie. After seeing it, I strongly disagree with that.
There were a few moments where I thought, “Oh, cool. That is that character from that game.” And that was about it. I am a fan of imaginative movies that create a world and let you into it, and I think Wreck-it Ralph does an excellent job of that. If you’re watching, thinking, “Well, that’s probably a character from an old video game, but I have no idea who it is, so I’m in the dark over here,” you probably won’t enjoy it. If you treat it as an entirely new world for you to enter, you may have a better time.
The story appealed to me when I saw the trailer, but for some reason it took me a while to see it. In Wreck-it Ralph, we follow Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, and he’s perfect for this character. He’s lovable, has a big heart, and wants to be part of the group…but he’s a bad guy. He works inside a game called “Fix it Felix Jr.” and his job is to smash a building, only to have Felix come along with his magic hammer and fix it. Felix is played by Jack McBrayer, and he lives in the penthouse of the building Ralph smashes every day. The world of video game characters is similar to Toy Story. They come out and perform when a quarter is inserted. When the game is over, they head home, or out to the bar, or they simply clean up the game. Ralph, once the game ends, heads into a pile of bricks only to watch his co-stars mingle and have parties like a bunch of jerks. After thirty years of being left out, Ralph can’t take it anymore. He sets out to get a medal of his own and finally be recognized as something other than just a wrecking machine with no heart.
The thing I like most about animation is that it allows your mind to accept that world as reality. If there aren’t enough impossible elements involved, then it starts to make you question why they didn’t just do it in live action. This movie had to be animated. Moving in and out of so many different video games (with some visuals that show the evolution of graphics) there is a lot of room for vivid imagery and action sequences. Along Ralph’s quest, he finds his way into Sugar Rush – a Candyland type game where players select drivers and race against each other in cars made of candy. Here, Ralph meets young Vanellope Von Schweetz, who is played adorably by Sarah Silverman. She’s an outcast, just like Ralph. I had been worried going in that a child’s voice being done by an adult with a recognizable voice might be distracting (“Hey, didn’t that kid used to sleep with Jimmy Kimmel?”), but they really fit the voice to the character for everyone in the movie. Ralph and Vanellope form an unlikely team, and they must help each other in order for her to win a race and for Ralph to get his medal. Their dynamic is great, and you really root for these little digital rascals to make it.
The story is carried out with attention to every detail. Full of unexpected twists and turns, it really keeps you invested. Even if the jokes get a little tiresome, or seem somewhat childish, the story is compelling enough to keep you engaged. The only major criticism I had was that Alan Tudyk seemed to be doing his best Ed Wynn impression, but there was no real acknowledgement of that. As much as I love that voice, it’s not polite to steal …especially from the dead. Beyond that though, I really liked it.
Ex-Presidents: 3.5
Dave Huntsberger