Review: Wreck-It-Ralph




Walt Disney Animation Studios

              Part of Wreck-it-Ralph’s appeal is the numerous appearances by past and present video game characters. So, if you are or ever were a ‘gamer’ you are certain to feel some level of nostalgia when watching this film. Even as someone who has never really had a strong interest in video games, I couldn’t help but think about playing my favorite video game Frogger when the beloved frog hoped on to the screen for a spilt second. Fortunately though Wreck-it-Ralph doesn’t rely on this feeling of nostalgia but connects the video game concept of hero and villain characters to its age old message, resulting in an inventive and engaging narrative.

Wreck-it-Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) is the bad guy in the game Fix-it-Felix, Jr., one of many video games at Litwak’s Family Fun Center and Arcade. For 30 years, Ralph has been tearing down the same building just so the games hero Felix (voiced by Jack McBrayer) can fix. Felix receives a metal every time he fixes the building and is well liked by all the other characters in the game. Ralph, on the other hand, has to sleep in a nearby trash heap as he is shunned by everyone in the game. Ralph has become tired of this way of life . He feels that he shouldn’t be seen as bad guy just because he is one in the game. He also thinks that it is unfair that he is never rewarded for his job when Felix continues to receive metals for his.

Ralph decides to change this continues cycle by leaving his game to enter another in the pursuit of his own metal. This takes him to Hero’s Duty, a game that features soldiers, led by Sergeant Calhoun (voiced by Jane Lynch), on a mission to kill the games villainous Cy-Bugs. It is here that Ralph finds the Metal he desires but in the process he hatches a Cy-Bug. In an effort to escape from this Cy-Bug, Ralph escapes from Hero’s Duty and winds up in the racing game Sugar Rush where everything is made out of candy and other sweet treats (Sugar Rush’s law enforcement are donuts).

It is here that he meets Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman), a character in the game that is considered a problem by other characters because she suffers from a coding glitch. Similar to Ralph, Vanellope has longed to be the games hero by winning a race. Ralph agrees to help Vanellope accomplish this but runs into trouble when King Candy (voiced by Alan Tudyk) is set on stopping Vanellope from entering a race. This is just a small part of Ralph’s problems though as the Cy-Bug that was chasing him is still in Sugar Rush and his own game, Fix-it-Felix, Jr. is in danger of being unplugged due to his absence.

Due to Wreck-It-Ralph’s style and approach, I am still having trouble believing that this is only a Disney Animated Studios film and not one from Pixar. I saw several characteristics similar to Pixar films. When the arcade closes at night, the characters within the video game come to life, taking on human characteristics. If this doesn’t remind you of Toy Story than I don’t know what will. These characters view being a video game character as there job. When the arcade is open they are at work. The toys of Toy Story have this same outlook on being a toy. When a child is playing with a toy, that particular toy is at work.

There is also a resemblance to Monsters Inc. that can be seen in Wreck-It-Ralph. When the video-game characters leave or enter a game they are in Game Central Station (the power strip that all the video game machines are plugged into). I couldn’t help but see a strong resemblance between Game Central Station and the scare floor from Monsters Inc. Like the monsters entering and exiting the real world on the scare floor, the video game characters enter and exit there interactive time with humans through Game Central Station. Also, the relationship between Ralph and Vanellope is similar to the one between Sully and Boo in, not just physical aspects, but also the way that he becomes her protector.

Pixar characteristics are not the only characteristics that Wreck-It-Ralph takes on as it looks and sounds like an actual video game, never straying away from this. Characters from the Fix-It-Felix, Jr. that are not Ralph and Felix realistically move like they would in a video game. There is a stop motion, choppy aspect to their movement similar to movements of video game characters from 80’s and early 90’s games. The films music also has video game qualities to it with its upbeat and electronic aspects. With the entire second half of the film taking place in the Sugar Rush racing game, it is fitting that Wreck-It-Ralph is always moving forward at an ultra-high speed. I can only think of one 2 or 3 minute long scene that goes against this pace.                  

The voice work is another aspect of the film that should not go without mention. John C. Reilly and Jack McBrayer as Ralph and Felix are well casted. I will admit that when I first heard Reilly as Ralph in early trailers, I wasn’t sure if his voice fit the character but fortunately, this is not the case as Reilly’s unpolished voice goes well with the character. The most impressive thing about this though is how well the writing for Ralph fits Reilly’s delivery style. The writing for McBrayer’s Felix is also very good. McBrayer has had a history of taking on characters that are over flowing with a blissful innocence and Felix is no expectation. When Felix was on screen, I couldn’t help but think of McBrayer’s character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 

Jane Lynch can’t do wrong as she adds her strong female vocals to Sergeant Calhoun, a character that has no problem putting someone there place. Sarah Silverman lends her already child-like voice to Vanellope, changing it slightly to sound even younger. The most unrecognizable voice of the film though is Alan Tudyk’s who voices King Candy. Even with unlimited attempts, I would have never guessed this was Tudyk’s voice, sounding extremely similar to the Ed Wynn voiced Mad Hatter from the 1951 version of Alice in Wonderland.

None of this though is as impressive as the way Wreck-It-Ralph connects the common video game theme of heroes and villains to present and enhance its simple message. Wreck-It-Ralph explores how one bases self-image on how one is perceived by others and how common inaccurate labels of someone are given. The film goes just a little farther than this by stressing the importance of being happy with yourself and knowing who you really are no matter what others think but this is as complex as the message gets, making it relatively easy to figure out.                 

What is so satisfying about it though is how the film message is connected to video games which always feature characters that are perceived as good along with characters that are perceived as bad. The only small complaint that I have with this message is how constantly spelled out or stated over and over with dialogue of these moments being very Dr. Seuss like at times. Like I said though this is a small complaint and given the target audience this may not be such a bad thing. This is easy to look past and the film can still easily be enjoyed by all ages.

Grade: A-