Wreck It Ralph: Building a Franchise

A new Disney franchise launched this weekend in the form of videogame inspired Toy Story clone Wreck-It Ralph. As usual Disney pulls in a noteworthy voice cast, headlined by John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch . With its unique take on the world of video games and a quirky cast of characters, this modern moving picture is sure to win over family-friendly and Atari-nostalgic moviegoers across the nation.

Ralph (John C. Reilly) has grown tired of his unappreciated role as a ‘bad guy’ in the retro arcade game “Fix-It Felix Jr.” and decides to go on a medal-seeking quest in the newly arrived first person shooter video game world of “Heroes Honor” in an attempt to become the hero he’s always dreamed of becoming. When an unexpected series of events leaves him stranded in the “Mario Kart” inspired, candy-coated, digital world of “Sugar Rush,” Ralph must team with a young troublemaking “glitch” Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) to win the big race and recapture his misplaced medal before he loses everything.      

Wreck-It Ralph lives up to the Disney standard: cute cast of marketable characters, silly one-liner style humor, and visually unique setting. Unlike Toy Story or Up, the movie probably won’t move anyone to tears, but a few key zingers left me crying with laughter. One particular moment in the First-Person shooter world of “Heroes Honor” places Ralph in the midst of a warzone, and a series of quickly executed hilarious events ends with Ralph grabbing the camera and shouting “When did video games become so violent!?” It’s a family friendly gut-buster while sending a strong message as well. Great adult friendly jokes made up for the eye-rolling puns written specifically for the kiddies that ran rampant throughout the film. A “Nestle’s Quick-Sand” situation in particular had myself and one parent in my row shaking our heads. After hearing several giggles from the under ten crowd I was suddenly jolted back into the realization that Wreck-It Ralph IS A MOVIE FOR THEM.

Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids) and newcomer Jennifer Lee’s screenplay doesn’t break any new ground in the story department, but manages to stand out in a crowded animated movie landscape based on its exceptional premise. By telling a story within the video game world, Wreck-It Ralph reaches across generational boundaries by alluding to a simpler time in the gaming world while also embracing modernized gaming. Ralph is a character unlike myself who is overwhelmed by the brash, sense numbing, rapid paced, hyper-realistic world of modern day’s digital playscape. Perhaps the most underwhelming part of the script was its lack of villain development; as the movie is more of a “villain-by-committee” situation. The true antagonist doesn’t become apparent until late in the film, but a little twist puts the whole thing in perspective by the films conclusion. (Side note: Don’t show up late to your showing, as the pre-movie dialogue-less short film Paper Man is delightful.)

Even if the film fails to meet box office expectations (It won’t), Wreck-It Ralph’s a standalone story worthy of your families time in the coming month. While the flick doesn’t hold up to similar Disney/Pixar films of recent years in the touching drama department, it surpasses in humor based on sheer number of jokes. This movie has threequel written all over it, as the script didn’t even begin to dive into the megadrive full of potential gaming ha-ha’s. If Disney’s intention is to launch a post-Toy Story franchise opportunity (It should be), Wreck-It Ralph crushed it.