Real Talk By: Steph-O (Stephanie Owens)

PlayLegit readers will love Wreck-It Ralph not only because it’s a movie about video game characters, but also because it boasts an impressive cast list (John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, and Jane Lynch to name a few), it has an astounding amount of original creative material (three original video game worlds), and it has many, many retro game character appearances. And much like seeing a cameo of your favorite actor in a movie, seeing Sonic, Pac-Man, Bowser, and many others on the big screen is nothing short of amazing.

Director Rich Moore (The Simpsons, Futurama) does an excellent job appealing to both children and adult audiences, with humor that works on several levels (and may even require a second viewing to catch all of the hidden game references). Although the story is mainly about Ralph, the ”bad guy” from fictional arcade game Fix-It Felix, Jr., and his desire to be the hero instead of the villain, it is almost equally about Vanellope, a 9-year-old racer and ‘glitch’ in the fictional arcade game Sugar Rush. Ralph and Vanellope’s characters compliment each other perfectly, and provide for a surprisingly touching story about self discovery and friendship. There is also a surprisingly amusing sub-plot that involves Fix-It Felix Jr. searching for Ralph with Sergeant Calhoun (voiced by- and visually imitating -Jane Lynch), the lead character from fictional FPS arcade game Hero’s Duty.

The only non-positives of this movie are the 3D- which enhances a few scenes, but overall seems unnecessary -and the sound track, which is a strange one for a Disney movie. There were some original scores composed for the film, as well as tracks created by Skrillex, Owl City and Buckner & Garcia for the movie, but then there is also ”Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna. While the techno/pop/dance tracks do give off a video game vibe, they also seem out of place, perhaps because at heart Wreck-It Ralph is a kid’s movie and the some of the songs evoke ‘club’ more than ‘arcade’. Any complaints about the 3D and sound track, however, are made up for by the animated short, Paperman, that airs before the movie. Make sure you arrive early enough to see it before the start of Wreck-It Ralph!

Wreck-It Ralph Gets

Out of Five

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