Movie Review : Wreck it Ralph 2012

Synopsis: Ralph (John C. Reilly) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer), the “good guy” star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he’s tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty. But it’s the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it’s too late?

What we Thought:

OK, so if you were an avid arcade gamer growing up as a kid, you would really identify with this movie. I might not have been as hardcore an arcade goer (parents wouldn’t let me) but I did play my fair share of Daytona, Mortal Kombat and Streetfighter.

Some of us are older than others so we would have grown up on Pinball, Mario and Luigi, and possibly grew calluses from playing Space Invaders, and would also be on a first-name basis with the Pac-Man characters. This movie is great because it completely nails video-game imagery from the 1980s on through to the first-person shooter games of the modern era. There is this rather cute scene where Ken and Ryu knock off after a long day of Street Fighter to share a cold one at Tapper – the looks of the games are perfectly rendered. And there’s Hero’s Duty, the game where Ralph meets Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) battling Cy-Bugs, which looks and feels like the game Halo.

And well if you identify with that I am saying you would really enjoyed Wreck-It Ralph.

The movie opens with Wreck-It Ralph who is sick of being the bad guy and always in the shadow of the goodie hero in his video game, called Fix-It Felix Jr. In the video world, your games exists like a big family and when the lights go out, you literally retire to your quarters in the video game. Well, Fix it Felix lives in the Penthouse, but Wreck it Ralph is not as fortunate, and lives in the dumpster. One night, Ralph has had enough and decides to break out of his game!

To show he too can be a hero, Ralph leaves, to prove his worth elsewhere. He winds up inside Sugar Rush, a racing game, where he meets Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), a spunky racer whose story takes over the film. The world of Sugar Rush, populated by walking, talking sugary sweets, is like a separate movie where snack humor takes center stage. The filmmakers did their homework, however, and it doesn’t take hardcore gamers to pick up on cameos from Sonic the Hedgehog, Q-Bert and Mario-villain Bowser. Even the movements of the characters ring true and the sweeping overhead shots of the Sugar Rush raceway are dead-on.

Anyway, all in all, there is always a happy ending for the good/bad-guys even.. and Wreck it Ralph is a top notch movie – with a great storyline. In the end, all the loose strings come together, and every pawn in the show has a part to play in the bigger picture of the movie. An amazingly well thought out plot and an equally stellar script.. so humorous you will be clutching ur rattling funny bone for hours. And the clincher is of course, the focus on classic-style arcade games providing a nostalgic kick for adults who remember childhood days spent with rows of quarters and greasy joysticks. Yet the film also offers a fast pace and colorful characters for children who grew up on Playstation or Xbox. Very entertaining – a must watch!

Watch the Trailer: