Movie Thoughts: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

• Released: November 2, 2012
  
• Directed by: Rich Moore
  
• Running time: 1 h 41 min
• Rating 4/5

Synopsis

A video game villain is tired of being constantly dismissed by the people in his game and goes on a journey across other games in order to obtain a metal to get the recognition he deserves. Along the way, he ends up befriending a spunky young racer named Vanellope.

My Thoughts

I haven't watched this movie in forever. Honestly, the last Ralph-related media I saw was the sequel, which just left me very disappointed. But, going back, I'm once more surprised at how good the movie is.

A lot of people probably went to first see this one for the cameos of other popular video game characters in this, such as Sonic and Bowser, but me not being a gamer in the slightest (I mean, the only games I genuinely enjoy are Animal Crossing, Skylanders and The Dog Island) I obviously really don't care about this. Luckily they're not too in your face and not a huge part of the movie. They're more subtly there, especially in the first ten minutes. After that the focus lies more on our original characters, which is where it should be.

Speaking of, they're actually really good characters. I really enjoy Ralph, I enjoy Vanellope and this bond they share. I like Felix and his romance with this tough no-nonsense lady Calhoun. I even like the twist villain! Yes, I honestly think that, out of the modern Disney twist villains, Turbo/King Candy works the best because he's set up properly before the big reveal of who he really is, something a lot of other Disney twist villains lack.

The story is also pretty damn good and I like how tit went from Ralph simply wanting to prove himself to showing the harm his actions caused by leaving his game. And in the end it's not just about him anymore, he learns to care for Vanellope as a friend, and also ends up befriending Felix (and maybe Calhoun) in the process.

The animation looks fantastic and I love all the little nods they did to actual games, such as certain textures showing up as pixels or the Nicelanders moving at a very low framerate. It's all just great stuff.

I'll also give this movie credit for one of the best third act main character breakups ever. There's no shitty liar revealed or everything, it makes perfect sense in the POV of the characters as they both think they're doing the right thing, and it's just all-round heartbreaking as Ralph is now protecting his new friend by destroying what she loves the most. Just...very good stuff.

I still wouldn't call this one of Disney's very best, but it's definitely up there with some of their greats. It also definitely deserves credit for a great twist villain and some enjoyable characters.