(US poster)
Wreck-It
Ralph is the perfect homage to 90s videogames. Because of this, you would
be forgiven for thinking that this film might not be your cup of tea. But don’t
let that put you off. At its heart Wreck-It
Ralph is very much a typical Disney film and it has everything you would
expect from the finest animators in movie history: emotionally invested characters,
an original and deep plot-line, top of the line voice acting and the capacity
to make a grown man cry.
The leading character, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly)
is the ‘villain’ in the popular videogame Fix-it Felix Jr. He’s been doing his
job for many years, wrecking the same building over and over again. Ralph doesn’t
have an issue with this. What he does have an issue with however, is not being respected
for what he does. On the basis of this, he decides to go ‘turbo’ and he leaves
his game to acquire a medal from the world of Hero’s Duty. However, things soon
turn sour, as Ralph is held responsible for the future fate of his game and the
arcade where he calls home.
Joining John
C. Reilly is a star-studded cast, featuring the talents of Sarah Silverman,
Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Alan Tudyk. As you’d come to expect from Disney,
the voice acting never falls flat and does well to supplement the already
brilliant script. Silverman is a highlight as the squeaky voiced youngster Vanellope
von Schweetz, who ends up befriending Ralph.
Wreck-It Ralph
holds many videogames references, but not so many that it gets to the point
where it alienates the audience. Featuring characters and references to popular
franchises such as Mario, Sonic and the Metal Gear Solid series, Wreck-It Ralph is a video game fan’s
wet dream.
Ralph is also one of the finest Disney characters
ever created. His penchant and desire to become more appreciated for what he
does makes him a character that most people will relate to. His initial desire
develops well over the course of the film as he comes to realise that his friend’s
dreams are equally as important as his own. More often than I’d like to admit I
had to fight back tears, particularly during the final moments.
Verdict: a tight script, brilliant casting and an
emotional plot do well in making Wreck-It
Ralph one of the greatest Disney films of all time, if not the best.
Score: 9.5/10
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