Wreak-It Ralph (November 2, 2012)

Walking out of the theaters, Wreak-It Ralph was not exactly what I expected it would be. I thought it would be a traditional video game movie, focusing on one character going through one game. But I was pleasantly surprised with what Disney came up with instead, a twist on the genre. tells the story of Wreak-It Ralph, an arcade game villain who rebels against his "bad-guy" role with dreams of becoming a hero. This serves as a great and interesting story, revealing that bad guys are not really bad they are just programed that way. However, they are unfairly treated because of their role, which is actually important and necessary for the games to function (potentially more so than the hero!) Ralph is a likable protagonist who just wants to be liked by the other residents of his game, Fix-It Felix Jr. He goes about achieving this goal in a misguided way and almost destroys all the games in the arcade, but his heart is in the right place I cannot find it in me to blame him. Vanellope von Schweetz, a glitched racer in the game, Sugar Rush, is a cute and sassy young girl who becomes Ralph’s friend as he helps her win a race to become a fully-fledged racer (able to be selected by people playing the arcade). They share a bond as both being misfits, cast out from their respective games. They, in turn, help each other accept themselves for how they are- unique characters worthy of love and respect. Fix-It Felix Jr. and Sergeant Calhoun end up together while searching for Ralph and attempting to clean up his mess (and they make a surprisingly sweet couple) The movie is filled with classic video game references and cameos such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario, Bowser, and Dr. Eggman. Being a fan of video games, spotting these made me smile. The animation is superb, perfectly capturing the retro game feel with an adorable sugary coating and the music compliments the arcade vibe (I particularly love the song Owl City contributes that is played over the end credits, “When Can I See You Again?”. The voice acting is also top notch. In conclusion, Wreak-It Ralph is a surprisingly great movie, dare I say, the best video game movie, with the mantra, “I’m bad, and that’s goof, I will never be good, and that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be than me,” perfectly encapsulating the spirit and message of this endearing film.

Final Ranking: 9/10