“Wreck-It Ralph” combines a fresh idea with a love of retro
video games and it’s hard not to love this animated tale set in the world of
video arcades. Directed by Rich
Moore, this movie creates a fully realized world of video game characters and the
lives they live when the arcade closes for the day. Wreck-It Ralph (perfectly
voiced by John C. Reilly who captures Ralph’s good heart and rough exterior),
the 9-foot-tall, 643-pound bad guy from the ‘80s arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. is tired of being ostracized
for his destructive behavior. He can’t help it if he was programmed that way,
but after 30 years, he’s tired of his demolition job. Because Ralph wants to be
liked, he decides the only way to win the affection of the people in his game
is to earn a medal. To do this, he goes to the most likely place, the Hero’s Duty game, via Game Central
Station (modeled after New York’s Grand Central Terminal). In Hero’s Duty, he crosses paths with tough
Sgt. Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and ends up in the land of Sugar Rush, which incorporates elements of Japanese animé.
In this vibrant land of cupcakes, cookies and candy, he meets the scrappy
little misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). Initially, Ralph sees
her as a pest, but as the story progresses, he starts to feel compassion. A
glitch in her character (a programming error) has caused the other residents of
Sugar Rush to mock her. Even the
ruling King Candy (Alan Tudyk) is part in the cruelty. Both outsiders, Ralph
and Vanellope ultimately connect in an endearing father/daughter-type
friendship.
Moore has brought meticulous detail to his imaginary world
of electronic characters and one enjoyable sequence is when lonesome villains
gather at a Bad-Anon support group. Here we see Super Mario Brother’s Bowser, a spiky, fire-breathing tortoise,
Pac-Man, Q’Bert, and Zangief, a Russian wrestler from Street Fighter II. Silverman adds a lot of entertainment with her smart-alecky
delivery, which contrasts nicely with Reilly’s earnest nature. And Lynch’s Sgt.
Calhoun is similar to Buzz Lightyear from Toy
Story with her extreme seriousness about her duty juxtaposed with the
fluffy surreal background of Sugar Rush.
“Wreck-It Ralph” is a gorgeously told story that will play just as well to
children as to their parents. Surely it is the favorite for a Best Animated
Feature Oscar. 11/6/12
1 comment:
Probably the best animated film of 2012. The kids will love it and so will you!!
Post a Comment