Wreck It Ralph Review - What Shall I Watch On Netflix?

Wreck It Ralph (2012)

Directed By Rich Moore

Produced By Clark Spencer

Starring John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Alan Tudyk

Wreck It Ralph has only recently been added to Netflix (U.K.) but I have actually wanted to see it since it came out. It's made by Disney but could quite easily be confused for a Pixar film due to the fact that it can very easily keep adults entertained as much, if not more, than kids.

Ralph is the bad guy of his video game called Fix-It Felix. This game is very much like Donkey Kong where Ralph destroys a building and it is up to Felix (controlled by the gamer) to come along and rebuild the building whilst dodging Ralph's attacks.

Wreck It Ralph is quite similar to Toy Story in that once the arcade where the games are kept closes, the characters from the games are free to wonder around – and even travel from their own game to others through power cables and a surge-protector which acts like a train station. When the arcade closes, the characters from Fix-It Felix throw parties for Felix to show their appreciation for his work that day, whilst Ralph is resigned to his home in the town dump.

Ralph becomes depressed, and complains at a group therapy session for video game villains (starring such characters as Dr. Eggman and chaired by Clyde, the orange Pac Man ghost) that he understands that he is the games bad-guy, but he isn't a bad guy. He comes to the conclusion that if he goes into another game called Hero's Duty and wins the medal, then the other characters from his game might treat him in a nicer way. Ralph manages to claim his medal, but accidentally releases into another game (Sugar Rush) a Cybug, which is kind of a cross between the squids from The Matrix and a virus.

The thing I loved most about this film was the cameos and references to video games. From the way that a spilled liquid forms 8-bit shapes, graffiti in the background has references to things like Leroy Jenkins, or even just sound bites from popular games like Metal Gear Solid. I found myself paying very close attention to see what else I could spot. Afterwards I did wonder if I would have paid anywhere near as much attention to the film if there hadn't been so many references. My friend said they really enjoyed the story, and I did too, but I can't help but think the story followed a fairly generic and predictable route. But it is a Disney film meant for children, so I'm probably asking too much.

Another fantastic thing about the film is the sound. The soundtrack is very well made - the composer, Henry Jackman, has presumably spent a fair amount of time playing video games, and I really appreciated the way the styles were replicated. This is mostly shown when Ralph moves from one game to another, with rock and electro played in the FPS game Hero's Duty and pop music played in the Mario Cart-style Sugar Rush. It's a small change, but one I noticed and appreciated.

It's impossible to talk about the sound in this film without mentioning the cast. John C. Reilly does a fantastic job of playing the down trodden guy who feels very sorry for himself. Jayne Lynch plays the sergeant and this is also a very good fit. It's reminiscent of her character from Role Models in that she is very tough and will not tolerate anyone wasting her time. Another character who's voice I loved is Alan Tudyk who plays King Candy. This character is based on Ed Wynn who played the Mad Hatter from Alice In Wonderland and Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins. He does a brilliant job and I can't imagine that it's Steve The Pirate from Dodgeball doing the voice. The only downside to the casting in my opinion is Vanellope voiced by Sarah Silverman. She constantly annoyed me throughout the film, and although we're supposed to feel sad for her and her relationship with Ralph is what gives this film emotion, I found myself really not caring about her and waiting for an excuse for her to be taken out the film. Apparently the actors recorded their lines together, which allowed for some improv, but I didn't notice the lines coming across any more naturally than in other animated films.

Overall: Wreck It Ralph is a great looking, and brilliantly cast animated film, that has the ability to keep kids entertained with its bright colours and interesting characters, but will also keep many adults entertained as they seek out and appreciate the references to games they've played. Adults may not even mind their children wanting to watch it again as I'm sure I won't have caught all the references and cameos on my first viewing. And if they've not been big gamers in their time, the voice acting and different styles of animation/music depending on what game Ralph is visiting should be enough to keep their interest, although replay value will be decreased.

As a gamer, I give this film 8/10

For non-gamers, I think this film would be 6/10

Driving Lessons Review - What Shall I Watch On Netflix

Driving Lessons (2006)

Directed By Jeremy Brock

Produced By Julia Chasman

Starring Julie Walters, Rupert Grint, Laura Linney and Nicholas Farrell

Coming of Age films appeal to me. There is something I really enjoy about seeing the underdog gaining confidence and then coming to blows with whatever has been keeping them downtrodden. In Driving Lessons we are treated to Ben (Rupert Grint) gaining confidence from Evie (Julie Walters), and in a fairly predictable way, Evie learns some lessons from Ben too.

Growing up in a family run by Ben's very domineering mum, but also involving his father (a Church of England Clergyman) and an eccentric elderly man reffered to as Mr Fincham Ben's mother has taken in to look after, is taking its toll on Ben. He gets a job - to partly raise cash but mostly as an escape from his family - helping an elderly actress to carry out daily tasks. She appears to be in denial about many things; she refers to herself as a Dame, she claims to not be an alcoholic and among other things, she also insists Ben drives her everywhere even though neither of them know how to drive. This odd character seems to be exactly what Ben needs to branch out experiences-wise from his mothers guarded style of upbringing before it does too much damage.

The film has a few laughs, mostly from the interactions between characters. Examples of this include the way strangers look at Ben and Evie whilst she goes into detail on her failed marriages whilst on a bus, or the way that the old man's behaviour gets progressively more unconventional and the rest of the characters just accept these peculiar changes.

The soundtrack is fantastic, with Sufjan Stevens, Ben Folds and Nick Drake to name some of the musicians who are featured. The only thing better than the soundtrack is the locations. I would not be surprised if the Edinburgh Tourist Office played a part in this film, and the lake/loch they stop at is beautiful.

Acting wise I found this film lacking. I was pretty bored up until 30 minutes in, when Ben and Evie read and act from the works of Shakespear. The relationship between the two is what drives this film (probably helped from their portrayal of Ron Weasly and his mum in the Harry Potter franchise). In terms of the film being 'coming of age' Grint spends a lot of time hunched over and staring at the ground. I would have liked to see him, after the big finale, standing tall and looking at people in the face as a sign he has become more confident. It is really only the scenes with Ben and Evie I was paying much attention to.

Another annoyance with this film is the finale. I don't like films being weird for the sake of weird, and by the finale everything seems really over the top and it takes away from the realism that the film had held. A really good coming of age film manages to make the viewer think that if the main character can overcome whatever has been holding them back then they can too, and this feeling is lost towards the end as the film goes from having a few peculiar moments to being full on bizarre.

Overall, this film is (aside from Evie's language) inoffensive and would be great for sticking on in the background on a rainy day when your stuck at home with your parents as you don't have to pay attention. There are definitely more original and funnier coming of age films out there in existence, but this one is charming enough to watch with your mum; as long as she doesn't mind swearing too much and can last the first 30 minutes until we see some character development.Overall I give this film a 6/10

p.s. I say Evie swears a lot, she doesn't really, but it is definitely categorised under excessive use of particular words. I wasn't bothered by it much, but I'm sure my granny would not approve of the language. Another coming of age film starring Grint called Cherrybomb is by far less suitable for watching with parents (but still worth a watch). Makes this film seem very tranquil and calm.