Wreck-It Ralph
Dir. Rich Moore
Walt Disney
Pixar’s latest production, Wreck-It Ralph, is a delightful and darling picture that could bring a smile to anyone’s face. It begins with the protagonist wishing to be seen as someone other than a bad guy by the other characters of his game. To achieve his goal, Ralph visits a different, newer game but realizes changing worlds is not as simple as it sounds. Along his journey, he meets characters who range from adorable to unrefined. The film’s cast consists of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, and Jane Lynch, all of whom were perfectly chosen and brought life to their characters.
While Pixar usually produces movies that people of all ages can enjoy, Wreck-It Ralph is an exception. It is geared mainly towards young children given its setting, characters, and humour. The film is perhaps too cute for adults to equally enjoy but can still appreciated for its other devices. The best moment for adults is the brief The Wizard of Oz parody and homage.
The film’s stand-out feature is undoubtedly its technical aspects. Wreck-It Ralph features different arcade games over a 30-year time span which the animators showed very well. The characters from older games move in a more choppy fashion whereas the characters from newly plugged-in games are animated the same way as modern video game characters. These details did not slip for one second and the characters were shown very creatively.
The environment of Wreck-It Ralph is also quite well-done. Despite the obvious barriers of a film taking place in separate arcade games, Pixar used this creativity to their full advantage and created an ingenious universe.
A rather disappointing aspect to Wreck-It Ralph, sadly, was the music. Usually, Pixar produces Oscar-nominated music and songs, but this time the music was barely present throughout the film. The poorly-chosen Rihanna song, “Shut Up and Drive,” seemed like an attempt to reach teen audiences. This, however, was not executed appropriately especially since it’s a movie meant for children.
The moral of the film, however, makes up for any fault Wreck-It Ralph may have. It stresses equality and not placing stereotypes on people, which is an important message to send to children. This is done very subtly so it does not become preachy, but is simply a continuous message throughout the story. It stresses being proud of who you are despite what your “coding” may be — people will love you for it if you embrace it. While this may be a repetitive message, it will always be an important one for kids to see and Wreck-It Ralph displays this in a sweet, unique way.
Whether you simply love Pixar or are merely a child at heart, Wreck-It Ralph will entertain you while simultaneously bringing a smile to your face which lingers for hours after the film ends. The film emphasizes the importance of equality and acceptance while making humourous remarks for children, making a few clever gaming references and sneaking in a few jokes that adults can enjoy.
