Ralph is just a poor arcade bad guy, sick of his everyday job of wreckin’ in the realm of Fix-it Felix jr., he wants nothing more than to be accepted as a good guy and live among the game folk. In order to do this Ralph goes turbo’ and crosses into the many arcade games through game central in order to achieve a medal and become the hero.
Wreck-It Ralph at times feels like a rehash of some of Disney/Pixar’s great CG animated blockbusters, often taking plot points and ideas from the likes of Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and other Pixar classics. Despite this it does bring something new to the party, and that’s the world of gaming. This is used as a great tool for the adults and maybe even older teens. Most of the younger audiences will go for the more basic laughs, while the older generation will enjoy seeing characters from classic arcade and console games from throughout the years. There are the superstars such as Sonic, Super Mario and Street Fighter, as well as more cult games like Q-Bert and Tapper.
Visually, as with all of Disney’s offerings, Ralph is a treat for the eyes, from the 8-bit stylings of the opening credits to the eye for detail within each game world that Ralph stumbles into. There are subtle yet clever differences within each world that make each transition a pleasure to watch. Be it the juddering game folk of Fix-It Felix to the clever use of Grand Central Station as a model for the film’s Game Central’. The nods to game culture and pop culture in general come thick and fast throughout the film and will be nice for the adults to chuckle at while leaving the kids oblivious.
The cast is a strong who’s who of American comedy stars, from veterans like John C. Reilly as Ralph and Sarah Silverman as his glitchy sidekick, Vanellope to Jane Lynch of Glee fame and 30 Rock’s Jack McBayer. They all bring their individual comedy quirks to their characters, but Alan Tudyk as King Candy really takes it to that extra level, creating a laugh with almost every line.
Ralph’s major flaw is it gets lost within its middle act. Ralph reaches the colourful, candy filled world of racing car game, Sugar Rush, and the plot starts to lose itself, much like Ralph losing his hero’s medal in a chocolate mud pit. Ralph’s quest for approval as a good guy takes a backseat to make way for Vanellope’s back story and at times it feels as if the writers are trying to squeeze in as many good value messages as the entire Disney back catalogue combined.
With its nods to gaming classics and the many homages to classic arcade and console games, Wreck-It Ralph is a great family film. With enough slapstick and bright colours to keep the kids happy and the usual clever nods for the adults now and again, it is another impressive if slightly recognisable CGI animated venture from Disney.
Overall Verdict: Not a classic like Toy Story or Monster Inc., but Wreck-It Ralph has enough to make it stand out from the crowd, with a great voice cast and enough gaming culture references to please even the nerdiest of nerds.
Reviewer: Gareth Haworth