Ralph Breaks the Internet
2/4
Starring (voices): John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk
Rated PG for Some Action and Rude Humor
A good sequel takes the characters and concepts from the first one and launches them into a new direction. Consider "Batman Begins," where Bruce Wayne discovers who he is and what he stands for only to find that in "The Dark Knight," his every value is brutally challenged by a nihilistic psychopath. A bad sequel merely retreads old material in new clothing, with a few Easter eggs and call backs for the fans. This includes most superhero movies these days, which is one of the many reasons why each day I pray that the genre will finally die.
"Ralph Breaks the Internet," the sequel to 2012's "Wreck-It Ralph," belongs in the latter category. Yeah, the original was clever and fun, and it had plenty of charm. But it didn't need a sequel, as "Ralph Breaks the Internet" proves, since it frequently struggles to justify its existence, and its far too long running time. There's little here that we haven't seen before, and it isn't presented very well. The plot involves a lot of running around with no real purpose, and the setting of the internet isn't explored (so to speak) very well. The filmmakers do very little with the concept, lazily leaving it to in-jokes and blink-and-you'll miss them references to pop culture. The internet exists not so that the story has new territory to mine, but so the audiences can point them out to their friends and so click-bait sites can show what they "missed." In that sense, the movie feels less like a sequel to "Wreck-It Ralph" and more like the dregs of the MCU.
Now that both of their problems are solved, Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Silverman) have settled into a happy existence as BFF's. However, Vanellope is getting bored with her few tracks that she always dominates and knows all the secrets to. Ralph, hoping to make his young friend happy, creates a new shortcut for her. However, this has the unintended result of a customer breaking the steering wheel off the console. The replacement part is too expensive to be worth purchasing, and "Sugar Rush" is destined to be taken to the junkyard. Desperate, Ralph and Vanellope journey into the internet (which has just been installed in the arcade) to order a replacement wheel.
One thing that makes this movie pale in comparison to its predecessor is a lack of human interest. In the previous film, the main thrust of the plot was Ralph's search for respect. He was the villain, but also the eponymous character in the game. Yet the apartment dwellers forced him to live in a pile of bricks outside. It was hard not to feel for the guy especially since no one plays the sad sack quite like John C. Reilly (okay, he's toe to toe with Paul Giamatti). Here, the lion's share of the development goes to Vanellope, and Silverman simply doesn't have the range to make it pay off. Other characters like the racing babe Shank (Gadot) are more interesting, and Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch return as the odd couple Fix-It Felix and Calhoun, but their roles are small. Alan Tudyk also returns, albeit as a different character. Much has been made about the appearances by Disney princesses (voiced by their original actresses, unless it was impossible), and while it's a highlight, their scenes are less funny and empowering than Disney's marketing muscle would have you believe.
Ultimately, what holds "Ralph Breaks the Internet" back is the fact that it has no purpose other than to cash in on a successful movie. There's no creative thrust here. It's just a cash cow designed to keep kids and their parents occupied. Let's home that this is the end of Wreck-it Ralph.
Starring (voices): John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk
Rated PG for Some Action and Rude Humor
A good sequel takes the characters and concepts from the first one and launches them into a new direction. Consider "Batman Begins," where Bruce Wayne discovers who he is and what he stands for only to find that in "The Dark Knight," his every value is brutally challenged by a nihilistic psychopath. A bad sequel merely retreads old material in new clothing, with a few Easter eggs and call backs for the fans. This includes most superhero movies these days, which is one of the many reasons why each day I pray that the genre will finally die.
"Ralph Breaks the Internet," the sequel to 2012's "Wreck-It Ralph," belongs in the latter category. Yeah, the original was clever and fun, and it had plenty of charm. But it didn't need a sequel, as "Ralph Breaks the Internet" proves, since it frequently struggles to justify its existence, and its far too long running time. There's little here that we haven't seen before, and it isn't presented very well. The plot involves a lot of running around with no real purpose, and the setting of the internet isn't explored (so to speak) very well. The filmmakers do very little with the concept, lazily leaving it to in-jokes and blink-and-you'll miss them references to pop culture. The internet exists not so that the story has new territory to mine, but so the audiences can point them out to their friends and so click-bait sites can show what they "missed." In that sense, the movie feels less like a sequel to "Wreck-It Ralph" and more like the dregs of the MCU.
Now that both of their problems are solved, Ralph (Reilly) and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Silverman) have settled into a happy existence as BFF's. However, Vanellope is getting bored with her few tracks that she always dominates and knows all the secrets to. Ralph, hoping to make his young friend happy, creates a new shortcut for her. However, this has the unintended result of a customer breaking the steering wheel off the console. The replacement part is too expensive to be worth purchasing, and "Sugar Rush" is destined to be taken to the junkyard. Desperate, Ralph and Vanellope journey into the internet (which has just been installed in the arcade) to order a replacement wheel.
One thing that makes this movie pale in comparison to its predecessor is a lack of human interest. In the previous film, the main thrust of the plot was Ralph's search for respect. He was the villain, but also the eponymous character in the game. Yet the apartment dwellers forced him to live in a pile of bricks outside. It was hard not to feel for the guy especially since no one plays the sad sack quite like John C. Reilly (okay, he's toe to toe with Paul Giamatti). Here, the lion's share of the development goes to Vanellope, and Silverman simply doesn't have the range to make it pay off. Other characters like the racing babe Shank (Gadot) are more interesting, and Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch return as the odd couple Fix-It Felix and Calhoun, but their roles are small. Alan Tudyk also returns, albeit as a different character. Much has been made about the appearances by Disney princesses (voiced by their original actresses, unless it was impossible), and while it's a highlight, their scenes are less funny and empowering than Disney's marketing muscle would have you believe.
Ultimately, what holds "Ralph Breaks the Internet" back is the fact that it has no purpose other than to cash in on a successful movie. There's no creative thrust here. It's just a cash cow designed to keep kids and their parents occupied. Let's home that this is the end of Wreck-it Ralph.
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