Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-02-2012, 07:30 PM:

CINEMA: 13th Avenue Warren, Wichita, KS
AUDITORIUM: 19
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema 2K/2D
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None [Cool]

RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four)

THE PLOT: He's gonna wreck it! Wackiness ensues

I realize this is a kids movie, but did it have to be SUCH a kids movie? A LITTLE kids movie?

Considering they're marketing the whole concept around 8-bit video games with most referencing stuff originally played by teens who are now in their forties, you'd think they'd throw the adults a bone or two. But the majority of the movie takes place in a game called Sugar Rush, a girly take on Mario Kart.

Having said that, the kids in this audience (and there were a LOT of them), seemed to love it. Especially the girls.

There was a cute short before the movie because, if it works for Pixar, it must work for everybody.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-03-2012, 12:25 PM:

Yeah, I had high hopes at the beginning and when the big battle scene happened in the Hero's Duty game, but the middle got sort of tiring and then it improved at the end. To be fair, we watched it during a late show and I was tired out from a long day, so we need to watch it again to give it a fair shake.

Like Sam, I thought there would be more references to the "old" video games and appearances by the old characters. But...maybe they're saving some of that up for the inevitable sequels. I could see a great battle taking place inside the "Defender" game, for example. Lots of good characters in that one. (It was my favorite back in the day.)

I did get a major kick out of the Oreo cookie "soldiers" co-opting the Winkies' march tune from "Wizard of Oz" though. That made me laugh out loud.

The opening short was cool, although why they decided to tack it onto this kids' movie is questionable since anybody under 10 would think it's icky, or be monumentally bored with it. (Although I will say, it's good for concessions sales.) They should've placed it with a romantic comedy or something.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 11-09-2012, 04:03 PM:

Great movie! Lots of laughs -- really clever jokes.

"Release the Devil Dogs!"

This movie is a hoot!

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 12-01-2012, 10:47 PM:

this was mediocre but also kind of boring. I thought the character of Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) was grating and me want to reach in and hit her with a frying pan.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 12-12-2012, 09:17 AM:

Frying pans? Who knew, right?

Loved every moment of Wreck-It Ralph. I think they got just the right balance with the old game references, too many would have gotten old quickly and distracted from the story.

When I saw the trailer, I was a bit concerned for how annoying Vanelapi might get, but I felt like they did a good job of finding a "center" for that character. By the time the other racers destroy her cart, you really do feel for her.

Posted by Stu Jamieson (Member # 4626) on 12-22-2012, 08:17 PM:

In some ways Wreck-It Ralph is what TRON: Legacy should have been. One of the core problems with TRON: Legacy was that it completely disregarded the subsequent advances in video gaming since the first film. In an age where the first person shooter is considered de rigueur, TRON: Legacy was still playing with light cycles (Blockade/Surround) and illuminated frisbees (Pong). Wreck-It Ralph corrects this oversight by internally chronicling the history of video games from the likes of Q*Bert and Tapper to 2D fighters Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat to the modern 3D first person shooter, where Wreck-It Ralph is a "classic" conglomeration of Rampage, Donkey Kong and Crazy Climber.

Ralph (John C. Reilly), a bad guy who seeks the social acceptance and profligacies of a good guy, teams up with Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), a buggy (in the software sense) character who finds strength in her weakness, in a story which teaches kids that they don't have to be satisfied with their lot in life, they are free to strive for better.

Highly derivative of other films such as Toy Story, the aforesaid TRON and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Wreck-It Ralph has barely an ounce of originality but it's very sweet, fun and has lashings of nostalgia (and some bruising product placement!)

In aping the style of Pixar, Disney has moderate success although the obligatory preceding short falls shy of par, lacking the literary elegance of much of Pixar's work. The same could be said of the feature but it's a good attempt, though it's probably best if Disney left this kind of film to its Pixar arm. John Lasseter does executive produce, however.

As a slice of family entertainment, you can't go far wrong with Wreck-It Ralph. It's as fun as a ferret in your underpants and it even has a kill screen but, naturally, only the most die hard film goers will stick around to see that!

7.5 out of 10.