Wreck-It Ralph

January 22, 2013

I did not really plan to watch "Wreck It Ralph" at all because I do not really like the recent Disney output. I am unfamiliar with the characters and the title and poster did not look attractive to me. However, with consistently good word-of-mouth reviews, I felt I had to give it a shot. And yes, "Wreck It Ralph" deserves its good reputation, and I am glad I got to see it.

"Wreck It Ralph" is the brutish gorilla-of-a-man villain of a arcade video game called "Fix It Felix". After thirty years of being thrown off the side of the building, Ralph feels he wanted to be the hero for a change. So he ventures outside his game to neighboring combat game "Hero's Duty" to earn his very own medal (as he sees Felix get a medal after each game). 

When he does get his medal, Ralph accidentally triggers a virus which attacks him and brings him into the Technicolor world of the racing game "Sugar Rush". There he meets the cute little glitch Vanellope who earnestly wants to join and win a race, but is not allowed to because of her imperfections. Can Ralph help Vanellope achieve her dream, save his video arcade world from viral destruction and be a real hero?

While everything in "Wreck It Ralph" seemed new and original, I could not help but feel the spirit of "Monsters Inc." all throughout the film. It had the same basic story of a lonely but despised "bad" guy who does good and becomes a hero for a change. Even the interconnected world behind the video arcade (where all the characters had a life after the arcade closes for the night) is reminiscent of the labyrinthine world behind the closet doors in "Monsters Inc." 

Overall though, "Wreck It Ralph" remains to be fun and happy, with just the right dose of drama and action here and there to entertain viewers of all ages. The artwork of the characters and the settings is very colorful and visually arresting. This is definitely a contender for best animated feature film of the year.  Its Oscar nomination is certainly deserved.