Fun for all ages

Rating: 10/10 (9 November 2012)

Disney's newest movie, Wreck-It Ralph, a 101 minute film directed by Rich Monroe is a real thrill ride that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Movie attendees will watch John C. Reilly play the voice of protagonist Wreck-It Ralph, the bad guy in the arcade game "Fix-It Felix Jr." that just wants to be someone who is appreciated like the game's hero Felix. Also, Ralph goes through a lot of transformation, starting out as a bad guy just trying to be appreciated as a good guy and transforming into a genuinely caring, lovable nice guy. Another interesting part of the movie is the arcade that the movie is based in; it appeals to some of the older generation coming to watch the movie because of the childhood memories brought back by the arcade games they spent their time, and quarters, playing when they were younger.
Significantly, the movie begins with Ralph(John C. Reilly) shown doing his job of getting angry and smashing a building in Niceland, the name of the land in "Fix-It Felix Jr.", followed by the loved hero of the game, Fix-It Felix Jr. himself, coming and rebuilding the smashed windows of the apartment building with his magical hammer. Felix fixes the building all the way to the top and the Nicelanders go to the roof, and after throwing Wreck-It Ralph off and into the mud, they give him a metal and praise him for his helpfulness. Day after day this happens making Ralph an even angrier bad guy, causing him to dream about him becoming a hero, winning a metal, and becoming appreciated. One day, Ralph sees, from his home in the dump, a 30th anniversary party going on in the penthouse of the apartment building he destroys daily. This was the final straw of Ralph's willingness to continue on with his job without being thanked the slightest bit, so he goes into the building to crash the party. Against the pleas from the Nicelanders, Felix awkwardly lets Ralph into the party, but being the over-sized clumsy bad guy he is, he smashes the beautiful intricate cake made for Felix. Ralph is downright embarrassed and leaves the game in search of a medal to be appreciated.
Additionally, Ralph changes a lot form the start to the finish of the movie. In the beginning, Ralph is an angry, misunderstood bad guy only interested in himself, but at the end he transforms to a kind, caring good guy that would sacrifice himself for others. Looking for a medal to in, Ralph finds the perfect opportunity in the game "Hero's Duty," a first person shooter game where the objective is to kill evil "cybugs," manages to wreak havoc in the game, but still win a metal. After winning the metal he takes an escape pod, loses control and crashes into a new game, "Sugar Rush." While in the process of crashing, he loses the metal to a young girl that he later learns is a glitch in the game. She uses the metal as a coin to enter a race but is banned from racing, due to her being a glitch. A deal is struck between Vanellope(Sarah Silverman), the girl, and Ralph in mutual benefit for both of them, Ralph gets a metal and Vanellope gets to race in the race. Ralph is reluctant and not very friendly with her, but over time grows more and more fond of her and even becoming best friends. By the end, Ralph completely changes from a bad guy to a loving kind good guy that would even be willing to sacrifice himself for others.
Essentially, many people would enjoy this movie, but some may avoid seeing it since it is a G-rated Disney movie. Some may think that the plot is childish and not worth it to pay for and see. Another example of people not wanting to see it may be that moviegoers might think that the arcade game setting would be nerdy and wouldn't understand it. Finally, people could just think that better movies are out and just watch it on Netflix when it comes out.
Moreover, another example of what makes this movie so great is the arcade setting. Many older people most likely remember playing the games portrayed in the movie that brought them entertainment and happiness. Games like PacMan, Donkey Kong, Tappers, a root beer bar tending game, and other games like Qbert and Final Fight. Although some of the people in the younger generation may not know what some of the old arcade games are, they were a great addition in the movie nevertheless.
Overall, this movie is really exceptional, and may even be heartwarming to certain people. It excellently mixes action and a great story line. Disney produced a real winner with Wreck-It Ralph, and is definitely a must-see. Casting of the voices, plot, and animation are all good things about this movie, and is a great movie to see with your family. If you do choose to watch this excellent piece of cinematography, pay attention to the classic arcade games in the movie.