Surprisingly good story and not just a gimmick movie

Rating: Null/10 (10 July 2016)

A rather big racket was raised when we first heard that Disney had acquired the rights to all these classic video game characters and was in the process of making a movie about them. What was the story going to be right, were our beloved characters going to be treated fairly, who was going to be in it? Well, as it turns out, we barely get to see any of them. Most of the good parts were in the trailers. And, in my opinion, that's good.
This is an original story, utilizing mostly original characters and fictional video games, but with a background of classic games and characters. And that feels right. The story is set in an arcade, where after the lights turn off for the night, the various characters from all of the games gather and spend time together. One of these characters is Wreck-It-Ralph, from the made-up game Fix-It- Felix, Jr. - a pretty blatant Donkey Kong rip-off, but in a loving manner. Villains are treated with quite a large amount of disdain by the other characters, and Ralph feels like he doesn't get the respect he deserves. He is in many ways the second most important character in the game, but the others treat him like dirt. So he leaves, trying to find recognition elsewhere.
And from thereon out it's exactly what you've come to expect from Disney. Great characters, great visuals, good morals and lessons, exciting adventures and even a decent twist near the end. Ralph meets a young racer girl character named Vanellope in his travels and these two are very funny together. Ralph's way more gruff and jaded, but also somewhat wiser because his game has been around for so much longer, whereas Vanellope is much more willing to push the boundaries and able to roll with the punches, never letting anywhere stop her.
Is it a perfect film? No. Personally I'm somewhat disappointed that we only get to see three games, when we had to whole arcade to explore. From the story point of view it makes sense because it always takes time to establish a new setting, but it still feels like they didn't explore all the possibilities. The secondary characters, mainly Felix and his love interest, are also somewhat boring in my opinion, though they have their moments as well.
Nevertheless, it's still overall great entertainment and an excellent addition to the Disney canon.