Wreck-It Ralph – Film Review

Posted on 19th February 2013 by

Director: Rich Moore

Starring: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman

Released: 8 February, 2013

Wreck-It Ralph is a union between two of the greatest of guilty pleasures, Disney movies and video-games. At times, this can be a shaky partnership, almost any Disney interactive video-game is a testament to this…Lilo and Stitch for the Playstation, in fairness, was like Crash Bandicoot for old-age pensioners. However, there are moments when it works beautifully. A shining example of this is the Kingdom Hearts series, and the reason these games work so well is because they are enjoyable games first, that happen to offer terrific fan service. You’d be fighting Hercules villains one moment and exploring Agrabah with Aladdin the next. This pastiche of characters winking at the audience is generally the same format that Wreck-It Ralph follows and, for the most part, it works.

The story follows the exploits of Ralph (Reilly), resident Bad Guy in the Fix-It Felix video-game. After 30 years doing his job, he is feeling unappreciated by the good guys. So, in a ditch attempt to gain the recognition he deserves, he decides to jump to other games in order to be a hero. In doing so, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (Lynch) and the sweet-as-apple-pie Vanellope (Silverman).

When we first dive into the world of Wreck-It Ralph, it’s as if every gamer’s prayers for a good video-game movie has been answered. Classic games such as Street Fighter and Q-bert are not so much given a nod as offered a hearty embrace. Sonic the Hedgehog calls out helpful safety tips to travelling game characters from an electronic advertisement in Central Station, a nice callback to the ‘Sonic Says’ portion of his TV show. Once the arcade closes for the night, game characters stop for a drink at ‘Tappers’. And for the hardcore gamers, watch out for the sly use of the Konami code in the last half hour.

It’s all a little overwhelming at first, but it slows down after the initial fan-service explosion. After all, a Disney movie can’t be all about fan service, it needs a heart-warming, kid friendly story in the center. And Wreck-It Ralph has a good one. Not a great one, mind, but a good one. Like many Disneys, it’s predictable stuff, but fun all the way through. However, while this may go over the heads of some, the awareness that almost all the action is taking place inside an arcade cabinet tends to nullify any sense of danger or intensity. Why should we care what happens inside a digitally constructed world?

The answer to this question, naturally enough, is the films characters, though they often struggle with the weight of this responsibility. Ralph is a great character to root for, constantly falling into things, over things and out of things. It’s difficult to recall the scene in which he is trapped inside a giant cupcake and say to yourself “I really don’t like this guy”. In fact, almost everyone in Wreck-It Ralph is really likable. But unfortunately, hardly any of them are lovable. By trying to squeeze as many gaming references and famous faces as possible into the film, less effort appears to have gone into the main character’s development.

Sergeant Calhoun is the worst offender here, a character who leaves barely any impact at all on the audience, forgettable lines throughout with the exception of one amusing flashback sequence. Felix, similarly, is just a joke character who is trying to be something more. This might seem like a harsh criticism, especially in what is essentially a children’s film, but when he is given so much screen-time, he really should have just a little more depth to keep him interesting.

The heart of the film then, unsurprisingly, comes in the form of Silverman’s adorable Vanellope, whom Ralph forms a shaky relationship with. As a failed racer, she relies on Ralph to help her get back on track, pun intended. The two work well off of each other, bouncing insults, and playing off the fact that Ralph is a fish out of water. While their relationship isn’t an emotional powerhouse, there are still some very touching moments in their troubled friendship. The fact that Vanellope is literally designed to be uber-cute will probably help this along, and certainly make her a favorite for kids and happy meal eaters.

Being based on games, Wreck-It Ralph comes across as playful, and it is certainly enjoyable for that. The rigid, 16-bit way that the game characters in Fix-It Felix move is a brilliant touch. Yet, there is this nagging feeling that this could have been so much more. The main characters can hold their own, just about, but what really grabs the audiences attention are the fleeting cameos we see at the start. After a while, the film becomes less about video-games and more about sweets. At least half of the story takes place in the Sugar Rush world, a sweet-based racing-kart game. And while this isn’t exactly a bad thing, it still highlights the gimmick of the film, that it was concept first and story second.

It has its problems, many of which are gamer specific and nit-picky, but it’s easy to accept Wreck-It Ralph for what it is: a video-game movie that just wants to have fun. An easy recommendation to make, it’s constantly funny, unique in many ways and has a comfortably engaging story. If you enjoy Disney movies and/or video-games, this is a great big hug of a film.