A Left-Out "Lummox" Learns About His Place in the (Video) Universe and What a "Hero's Duty" Really Means in "Wreck-It Ralph",

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2014)

or many of the same reasons that the "Toy Story" franchise has proved to be an enduring masterpiece, the "Video Game Story" "Wreck-It-Ralph" (hereafter "WIR") is certain to do the same. From seemingly dull-witted, destructive, and vilified "bad-guy oaf" Ralph's (John C. Reilly's) simple wish to earn a medal and subsequent respect from other video game characters, WIR explores prejudice, rejection, the need for acceptance and appreciation, compassion for fellow misfits, and the requirements of true heroism. We've been exposed to these lessons before, but WIR is a nostalgically winning, kinetic, and ultimately poignant refresher course.
In particular, I appreciated WIR's subtle reminder not to judge a book by its cover. Resembling a human version of Donkey Kong (no offense, Ralph), Ralph might lead us to the knee-jerk conclusion that if a character is physically impressive, he must be short on brains. Ralph isn't. Especially for a guy whose job it is to demolish a video game penthouse before cheerful carpenter Felix (Jack MacBrayer) can repair it, Ralph is a pretty sensitive, observant, and rational soul. He knows it's not right that the other Fix-It Felix, Jr. characters shun him and relegate him to the nearby dump and won't even invite him in the video game's 30th anniversary party. Ralph has tried support-group villain therapy, but it doesn't really work because the other members are resigned to a fate they think they can't control. Even Tapper (Maurice LeMarche), Ralph's bartender confidant, has no suggestions for breaking out of the rut.
However, fate literally collides with Ralph when he runs into an armored infantryman from the "Hero's Duty" war game, who informs him that anyone who breaches a tower in the game wins a medal. Ralph believes that by winning a medal, he can win others' respect. Ralph takes the infantryman's place and, despite his strength, finds it tough sledding handling the non-stop battle to stop a bunch of attacking giant alien beetles (shades of "Starship Troopers") AND handling tough, brusque no-nonsense Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun (Jane Lynch). Nevertheless, Ralph manages to scale the tower and win the medal.
Through more "Hero's Duty" mishaps, Ralph lands in a fighter-type flyer with one of the alien bugs, zooms throughout the video universe and eventually crash-lands in another video- game, a candy-land race-car game named "Sugar Rush". A crafty, sassy, little wannabe racer and "glitch" named Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) seizes the medal from Ralph and uses it to earn a spot in the "Sugar Rush" racing derby. As a "glitch", Vanellope finds it hard to literally keep herself together. If she competes in the derby and finishes the race, even if she doesn't win, Vanellope will become a full-fledged, "unglitched" video racer.
Although Vanellope is even more of a misfit and pariah than Ralph, naturally the two snipe at and antagonize each other at first. Then Vanellope realizes they can help each other; if Ralph can help her build a race car and train as a racer, she can win back the medal for him as well as achieve her dream. Ralph grudgingly agrees and a close (if still contentious) friendship blossoms.
But Ralph's actions have opened a Pandora's Box of chaos for the video universe. Without him, the Fix-It Felix, Jr. game is out of order and defunct, compelling Felix to join up with Sergeant Calhoun to seek Ralph and the lost flyer/beetle respectively. Some video characters fear Ralph has become like "Turbo", a fiendishly rogue racer who has disrupted (and may still be disrupting) other video games. The seemingly kindly and addle-brained King Candy (Alan Tudyk), ruler of "Sugar Rush" may have a hidden sinister agenda regarding Vanellope. The beetle Ralph accidentally brought with him to "Sugar Rush" may be multiplying and proliferating and threatening Candy Land's existence. Worst of all, as a "Sonic the Hedgehog" video image reminds us, a video character who dies outside his game dies permanently. Can Ralph undo the disorder he has wrought and rise above his desires to save not only Vanellope but the whole video universe, even if he has to sacrifice himself?
WIR is an unbridled visual, sensory, and mental delight that again vividly reminds that all beings (even "bad guys") have a purpose in the universe, that we all deserve care, attention and respect, and, as Ralph eventually and spectacularly finds out, that finding redemption and heroism means putting others' needs before our own.