"Wreck-It-Ralph" (MY REVIEW) was a very pleasant surprise hit for me when I watched it six years ago. I liked how they created a world of video game characters behind what we can see in the arcade. While the friendship formed between the burly giant wrecker Ralph and the cute moppet racer Vanellope looked unwieldy and felt awkward at first, but it turned out that their friendly chemistry worked on both humorous and heart-warming levels.
This sequel is set six years after the events of the first film, and Mr. Litwak (Ed O'Neill) had just equipped his Family Fun Center with Wi-fi to keep up with the times. One day, Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) was feeling bored with the predictability of her Sugar Rush racing game, so Ralph (John C. Reilley) took it upon himself to create a new track for her to drive on. However, a child playing the altered game caused irreparable damage to the steering wheel of the game machine, which led to the game being pulled out of the arcade.
Feeling responsible for the unfortunate event, Ralph and Vanellope went into the Internet via Wi-fi router to EBay to bid on a new steering wheel, but they did not have actual cash to buy it. So, in search of the money they need, they were led on a big online adventure to various websites like the anarchic Slaughter Race (where they meet the cool racer chick Shank, voiced by Gal Gadot) and the viral video site Buzzztube (where they meet Yesss, the always-trendy algorithm who paid cash for likes, voiced by Taraji P. Henson).
There is no argument that the colorful visuals and nostalgic humor of the first film are all still there intact. It was fun picking out the little cameos of classic characters from not only the video game world, but now plus the treasure trove of Disney franchises. So now aside from Q*Bert, Pac-Man, the Street Fighters, Chef Peter Pepper (from "Burger Time") and Sonic the Hedgehog, we can also spot Dumbo, Eeyore, Buzz Lightyear, Nick Wilde (of "Zootopia"), C3PO, R2D2 and Stormtroopers. Baymax, Iron Man and the cameo king himself, the late Stan Lee.
For me, the best part of the film was Vanellope's scene with all the Disney Princesses (which would have been better had it not been "spoiled" by the trailers). It was great to see from the credits that they were still voiced by the original actors: like Jodi Benson (as Ariel), Paige O'Hara (as Belle), Linda Larkin (as Jasmine), Irene Bedard (as Pocahontas), Ming-Na Wen (as Mulan), Anika Noni Rose (as Tiana), Mandy Moore (as Rapunzel), Kelly Macdonald (as Merida), Auliʻi Cravalho (as Moana), Kristen Bell (as Anna), and Idina Menzel (as Elsa).
The story about the the values of friendship (cooperation, encouragement, sacrifice) and the dangers of the internet (pop-up ads, the dark web, viruses) will resonate with all audiences. Female empowerment also gets a foot into the story, with Shank and the Princesses motivating Vanellope to follow her dreams. It was generally Ralph's naivete and clinginess and Vanellope's reckless imprudence which led to their foolish misadventures, so that some messy plot developments came across as more annoying than funny.
There were two extra scenes in the closing credits (one midway, and one at the very end) to watch out for and be amused by. All in all, this sequel was fine and fun, but the first one was still much better and had more heart. 7/10.
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