For the past few years, Disney Animation Studios has been attempting to regain its footing following the colossal rise of CG animation from studios like Dreamworks and Pixar. Though recent hits like “The Princess and the Frog”, “Bolt”, and “Tangled” have revitalized the studio’s initiative, they are not content with merely meeting the competition, but in regaining their prominence as the premier studio in animated features. And in doing so, they may very well have succeeded. “Wreck-It Ralph” is not merely the best animated film of the year; it’s the greatest video game movie ever made, even if it’s not based on a real-life video game.
“Wreck-It Ralph” follows the story of title character Wreck-It Ralph, the antagonist of a retro arcade game called Fix-It Felix Jr. In the video game realm, characters are able to leave their games for a giant train station-like world in which they can mingle with one another and even venture into another characters game. It is here that Ralph (played by John C. Reily) joins a support group for other video game villains.
For 30 years, Ralph has been wrecking buildings while his associate, Fix-It Felix Jr. (30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer), fixes what he smashes, much to the adoration of the game’s citizenry. Ralph, however, has grown tired of being cast as a villain both inside and out of his game and merely wants to be admired and accepted like his heroic counterpart.
To prove himself and gain the admiration of the Nicelanders of the arcade, Ralph game-jumps to the video game Hero’s Duty in an attempt to, in classic video game fashion, win a medal. Things don’t go exactly as planned, however, and Ralph soon finds himself whisked off to the cavity-inducing world of Sugar Rush, where he meets the adorably talented kart racer Vanellope von Schweetz (played by a gleeful Sarah Silverman). With nowhere else to turn, Ralph agrees to aid Vanellope in winning an upcoming race in exchange for recovering his medal.
Though the story is pretty standard fare, the setting and characters are able to infuse it with an incredibly refreshing and unique vibe. The worlds of Wreck-It Ralph allow for some beautiful set pieces, with each world offering a fun riff on a different gaming genre. From classic arcade dimensions such as Tappers and Pac-Man to the towering spires of Hero’s Duty and Sugar Rush, each moment is gorgeously rendered to engross the audience without taking their attention away from the movie itself.
The action, which primarily consists of racing sequences with a short but exhilarating shooting sequence in Hero’s Duty, is thrilling from start to finish and manages to throw in plenty of fun references gamers will immediately identify, from power-ups rewards to the final boss showdown.
If the visuals were a treat for the eyes, the sound is a luxury for the ears. The score (courtesy of “Winnie the Pooh” composer Henry Jackman) is a beautifully stirring mosaic that smoothly transitions with the film from classic 8-bit style themes to hard-hitting rock to tear-jerking melodies that draws the audience into the sprawling worlds of the arcade. Complimenting the score is one of the most enjoyable sound designs you’ll ever hear. The sounds of furniture being smashed and tires grinding the road are perfectly fine, but it’s the use of classic gaming sound effects that gives the movie its own personality, from the wakka-wakka of Pac-Man to the bounce of Fix-It Felix Jr.
With an A-list cast that includes John C. Reily, Sarah Silverman and Jane Lynch, “Wreck-It Ralph” has some of the best voice acting this side of a Pixar film; the voice to character assignments are appropriate and each is given their time to shine. Lynch plays Sergeant Calhoun of Hero’s Duty with a vicious tenacity while McBrayer gives Fix-It Felix the best do-gooder personality you can expect.
Of special mention is Alan Tudyk as the delightfully eccentric King Candy, who comes off as a rather comical parody of the Mad Hatter on a sugar high. But it’s through Ralph and Vanellope’s friendship that the majority of the movie’s heart comes from. Since they are both outcasts within their respective games (Ralph because he’s the bad guy and Vanellope because of her tendency to “glitch”), Ralph and Vanellope form a tender bond with one another throughout the film, one that Reily and Silverman play to amazing effect and will leave all but the toughest of moviegoers in tears.
With “Wreck-It Ralph”, Disney has proven that they are still the masters of storytelling and wrapping audiences within their tales. Though this may be a movie ‘made by gamers, for gamers’, director Rich Moore doesn’t overuse gaming references and instead ops to keep the movie focused on the story. Gamers will still find plenty of Easter egg moments to relish (the Konami code was a personal favorite of mine), but average moviegoers will find the beautiful imagery, incredible score and timeless characters more than worth the price of admission.
This movie receives 5 out of 5 stars by my standards and is recommended for any audience.