Predicted Rating: 2.5 Stars
Directed by: Rich Moore (The Simpsons). With the voicing talent of: John C. Reilly (Step Brothers), Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silveman Program), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) and Jane Lynch (Role Models)
After 30 years of playing the bad guy, Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly) is sick of playing second fiddle to the titular character and hero, Fix-It Felix Jr. (McBrayer). To gain the respect of the occupants of the building he constantly destroys, Ralph starts his search for a medal from another game. He finds himself in Hero's Duty, a Halo style first person shooter, where the player fights a swarm of enemy bugs (ala Starship Troopers) to win a medal. Ralph finds the medal but proceeds to crash the escape pod, along with one of the bugs, into the karting game Sugar Rush. Here he runs into Vanellope von Schweetz (Silverman), a glitch in the game who's goal is to win the race that decides the characters for the game the next day. Vanellope enlists the help of Ralph to build her kart and prove to King Candy that she is not just a glitch in the game, but a legitimate racer. Felix and the squad leader in Hero's Duty, Calhoun (Lynch), find that a bug has escaped into Sugar Rush and has the potential to destroy not just that game but the entire arcade and must destroy the bug and rescue Ralph.
Oooooh a kids movie. It has been a very long time since I have watched a new kid's movie at the cinema. I mean I have undertaken some nostalgia lately by watching Home Alone and The Labyrinth but I think the last new kid's movie I saw was Monsters vs. Aliens, which I believe is the culprit for bringing back the 3D craze. Kid's movies have changed a lot since my glory days of the early nineties. Since Toy Story and Shrek, these movies have massive budgets (Tangled is the second most expensive movie ever made at $260 million, with this movie at number 45 at $165 million), and a big name voice cast. They also have to be both entertaining for the kids as well as the adults that take them along. As a result I will conduct this review in two parts, one as if I was a kid watching, and the other part as the adult. I will start as the kid...
Wow, look at all the pretty colours. The animation style in this movie is fairly unique, and downright awesome. There is a vast abundance of vibrant colours, which will mezmorise the kids. Obviously you aren't going to walk out of the cinema, ask your kid "what did you like the most" and they say "Well Geeves, the clever use of the colour scheme was something that appealed to me vastly." However it will keep them occupied for a significant period of time without them knowing. There were also some cool animation techniques, such as the glitch and mixing up the styles depending on what game you were in.
Oh no she said a naughty word. Now the character that appeals most to the kids is Vanellope von Schweetz, mainly due to her potty mouth. Now as an adult, this is fairly annoying at the start, but the kids will love it with words the consider risque like doddie and stinkbrain. But, I may be completely wrong as when I was 8 I would find this hilarious, but kids these days are a lot different. I was going to make the joke to show the kids Silverman's most famous work, I'm Fucking Matt Damon, but they have probably already seen it. Anyway, she plays the role of the down and out kid that rises to triumph at them end. Oh no spoiler alert, wait no, there is a character like that in every kids movie.
Now to review it as an adult. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, mainly due to the nostalgia factor. There was the introduction of a few characters where I went yes! Like having Bowser and Diablo at the bad guy convention, as well as having the ghost from Pac-Man as their leader. Mainly it appealed to the nerd gamer inside me. However, the aim of these movies is to entertain the parents that take their kids along. I am not sure whether Wreck-It Ralph fails at this because gamer nerds and fathers of children don't really go hand in hand. However there are a vast abundance of jokes (mainly puns) that will keep the adults entertained.
Like I do most of the time, I went and watched this movie by myself. Before anyone pikes up and says that I am weird for doing so, I have a theory. You sit in a dark room where you are not allowed to talk so why would you bother going to a movie with anyone else. Anyway, being a kids movie, there were a shit load of kids there. As a result I felt fairly awkward sitting there by my lonesome. I was trying to make my presence as inconspicuous as possible, something that was blown almost immediately when I woman proceeded to knock over my frozen coke and make a huge scene of it. My presence was also made obvious several times when I laughed at several jokes that no-one else got, such as comparing Fix-It Felix Jr. to contractors and Skrillex as the DJ at their party.
Also as a result of there being heaps of kids there and their extremely short attention spans, they began to get extremely restless after about an hour. I am not saying my cinematic experience was ruined as extensively as the Paranormal Activity movies, but I would have felt a lot more comfortable watching it from home. There was also something cool I saw walking in, they provided booster seats for the younger kids so they could see. I am thinking I could steal one next time, and being 6 foot 2, piss off who is ever sitting behind me.
In summary, Wreck-It Ralph is a great movie for both adults and kids. There is a solid story without it being too outrageous that you become confused. It is also perfectly casted with the stars chosen because they are suited for the roles as opposed to being there to have their name on the credits. All I can say is I am looking forward to watching this again when it comes out on DVD.
Overall: A thoroughly entertaining movie for all ages, 4.5 Stars
Next Time: Off to watch Hitchcock tonight in my "I am shunning Life of Pi evening"
How do you like them apples?
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