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
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