WRECK-IT RALPH Review

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Directed by Rich Moore

Starring
John C. Reilly
Sarah Silverman
Jack McBrayer
Jane Lynch

Movies based on video games have a reputation of being pretty awful. I mean, seriously, have you seen Super Mario Bros? It's probably the worst movies I've ever seen. Absolute garbage.
But these films didn't really become commonplace since the early 2000s, with films like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil. And few have been considered to be any good.
And then there's Wreck-It Ralph, which, despite being based on a completely fictional video game, is unquestionably the greatest video game movie ever made.
The premise for Wreck-It Ralph is basically the video game equivalent of Toy Story. When the lights go out and the arcade closes, the video games and their characters come to life. Characters can travel out of their own games and into others. The film stars Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly), a villain in the fictional classic arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. Ralph is tired of being the bad guy, and wants to be the hero he knows he can be. Despite opposition from others within his own game and fellow baddies, Ralph sets out on a quest to become a hero by winning a medal in another game. Without giving too much away, Ralph's actions cause more problems than expected, and he must save the entire arcade from threat of being shut down completely. Along the way, Ralph meets a very colorful cast of characters, and the video game universe created by Disney is simply incredible and full of subtle references that gamers will pick up on.
Despite a great opening, the beginning of the second act moves a bit too frantically. It feels like tons of stuff is being thrown at you a bit too quickly, but it isn't hard to follow or anything. At times, things can feel a bit too overwhelming. It recovers quickly though, and the story moves at a good pace from then on. In addition, the grand finale feels as though it was wrapped up a bit quickly, but the ending is still solid.

On the Upside - Strong voice acting, fun premise, and great animation makes for the best animated movie this year. Tons of tiny references for the hardcore gamers will make you chuckle.

On the Downside - Some minor pacing issues and a weak finale can be a bit frustruating, but it doesn't bring the experience down too much. Non-gamers will probably not like it as much.

Bottom Line - Gamers will love Wreck-It Ralph, others won't get the full experience. But it's still worth watching. The best animated movie this year.

Score - 9.5/10