Wreck-It Ralph
3/4
Starring (voices): John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch
Rated PG for Some Rude Humor and Mild Action/Violence
The idea behind "Wreck-It Ralph" is promising. Video games have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment, and Hollywood has tried to tap into that (usually with subpar results, like "Wrath of the Titans"). What makes "Wreck-It Ralph" different (and what makes it work) is that even though it is about video games, it doesn't try to be one.
"Wreck-It Ralph" boasts an intriguing premise. The video game characters at Mr. Litwak's (Ed O'Neill) arcade function in the same way we do. They live in their games, yes, and they play their characters from open til close. But once the arcade's doors are shut for the night, the characters go socialize with each other. For example, the game where the player controls the bartender sliding drinks to everyone who comes in as quickly as he can becomes a waterhole for the characters who need to unwind after a long day.
No one needs to unwind more than Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly). He's the villain in the classic game "Fix-it Felix, Jr." Every game needs a good villain, but after 30 years, it begins to bear down on him. Especially since he gets no respect for it (the other characters live in the apartment that is the setting of the game, but he's forced to live in the pile of leftover bricks from each game). The final straw is when he crashes the 30th anniversary party that the characters are having (he wasn't invited), and when he demands their respect due to his importance in the game, they tell him that if he wins a medal like Fix-It Felix (McBrayer), they'll allow him to live in the penthouse. So, Ralph decides to take them up on the offer. He goes to the new action game, "Hero's Duty," which is led by the tough-as-nails Calhoun (Lynch). He gets his medal (in an unorthodox way), but on his way home, he's forced to take a detour and ends up in the racing game "Sugar Rush." There, he meets a glitch named Vanellope von Schweetz (Silverman), who's determined to prove herself. Because she stole his medal, he's forced to help her win one before he can go home. The trouble is that without Ralph in his own game, "Fix-it Felix" is being labeled as out of order, and unless it gets fixed soon, it gets taken away, leaving all the characters homeless. And there's more trouble afoot as well.
Although that set-up is lengthy, the film is really simple (as all films not directed by Hayao Miyazaki are). The problem is that it's too full. There's so much stuff going on that it becomes hard to care about anyone in this movie. The subplot about the villains from "Hero's Duty" infiltrating "Sugar Rush" is extraneous (not to mention poorly explained. It's enough to have Ralph's story and Felix's story (Lynch is great as Calhoun, so they should have found a simpler way for her to tag along).
The film also doesn't take full advantage of the premise. I've always found it to be really cool to watch beloved characters act like real people, such as in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" "Wreck-it Ralph" has some of that, but not enough, and what is there is kind of mundane. The film is also lacking in wit. It's not that the jokes aren't funny, it's that they simply aren't there.
The voice acting is great. John C. Reilly is probably the only guy who could play the title character. Reilly is so good at playing the put-upon everyman, and that's exactly what Ralph is. Sarah Silverman is good as Vanellope, but she doesn't touch the heart. Like Reilly, Lynch is perfect for the role of Calhoun. She's a tougher, less manipulative version of Coach Sue from "Glee."
Maybe I liked the idea more than the movie itself, but I enjoyed myself during "Wreck-it Ralph." Not as much as I would have liked, but I did.
Starring (voices): John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch
Rated PG for Some Rude Humor and Mild Action/Violence
The idea behind "Wreck-It Ralph" is promising. Video games have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment, and Hollywood has tried to tap into that (usually with subpar results, like "Wrath of the Titans"). What makes "Wreck-It Ralph" different (and what makes it work) is that even though it is about video games, it doesn't try to be one.
"Wreck-It Ralph" boasts an intriguing premise. The video game characters at Mr. Litwak's (Ed O'Neill) arcade function in the same way we do. They live in their games, yes, and they play their characters from open til close. But once the arcade's doors are shut for the night, the characters go socialize with each other. For example, the game where the player controls the bartender sliding drinks to everyone who comes in as quickly as he can becomes a waterhole for the characters who need to unwind after a long day.
No one needs to unwind more than Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly). He's the villain in the classic game "Fix-it Felix, Jr." Every game needs a good villain, but after 30 years, it begins to bear down on him. Especially since he gets no respect for it (the other characters live in the apartment that is the setting of the game, but he's forced to live in the pile of leftover bricks from each game). The final straw is when he crashes the 30th anniversary party that the characters are having (he wasn't invited), and when he demands their respect due to his importance in the game, they tell him that if he wins a medal like Fix-It Felix (McBrayer), they'll allow him to live in the penthouse. So, Ralph decides to take them up on the offer. He goes to the new action game, "Hero's Duty," which is led by the tough-as-nails Calhoun (Lynch). He gets his medal (in an unorthodox way), but on his way home, he's forced to take a detour and ends up in the racing game "Sugar Rush." There, he meets a glitch named Vanellope von Schweetz (Silverman), who's determined to prove herself. Because she stole his medal, he's forced to help her win one before he can go home. The trouble is that without Ralph in his own game, "Fix-it Felix" is being labeled as out of order, and unless it gets fixed soon, it gets taken away, leaving all the characters homeless. And there's more trouble afoot as well.
Although that set-up is lengthy, the film is really simple (as all films not directed by Hayao Miyazaki are). The problem is that it's too full. There's so much stuff going on that it becomes hard to care about anyone in this movie. The subplot about the villains from "Hero's Duty" infiltrating "Sugar Rush" is extraneous (not to mention poorly explained. It's enough to have Ralph's story and Felix's story (Lynch is great as Calhoun, so they should have found a simpler way for her to tag along).
The film also doesn't take full advantage of the premise. I've always found it to be really cool to watch beloved characters act like real people, such as in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" "Wreck-it Ralph" has some of that, but not enough, and what is there is kind of mundane. The film is also lacking in wit. It's not that the jokes aren't funny, it's that they simply aren't there.
The voice acting is great. John C. Reilly is probably the only guy who could play the title character. Reilly is so good at playing the put-upon everyman, and that's exactly what Ralph is. Sarah Silverman is good as Vanellope, but she doesn't touch the heart. Like Reilly, Lynch is perfect for the role of Calhoun. She's a tougher, less manipulative version of Coach Sue from "Glee."
Maybe I liked the idea more than the movie itself, but I enjoyed myself during "Wreck-it Ralph." Not as much as I would have liked, but I did.
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