'Wreck-It Ralph' Packs a Punch to the Funny Bone and the Heart.

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2012)

It takes a while for a video game to be considered "retro". For a while, games that feature jumping plumbers, flashing ghosts, and super fast hedgehogs were just considered old and stupid. I think there is a certain amount of time that has to pass before a game reaches retro status. It has to withstand the test of time before they become charming again. Before they are remembered fondly, instead of just being remembered. Wreck-It Ralph does for video games what Toy Story did for action figures. It remembers them fondly and brings them back to life in brilliant computer animation and talented voice work. Much like the way that Tom Hanks was the center piece for Toy Story, John C. Reilly is the mainstay for Wreck-It Ralph, however, he is hardly what makes this movie great. The supporting cast of voice talent, including the saccharin and overly adorable part of Vanellope played by Sarah Silverman, and the comedic genius combination of Fix It Felix, played by Jack Mcbrayer and the strong and hilariously tragic heroin of Calhoun, mastered by Jane Lynch. These two together steal the movie. The story is classic. A misunderstood giant who people cower from based solely on looks and is doomed to be alone forever because of the hand that life has dealt them (ahem, Shrek). Ralph takes it upon himself to try and change his fate so he ventures out of his own game through a very imaginative subway system that connects all of the different games in the arcade. In his travels, he enters into a first player shooter game where he feels alive for the first time in thirty years. On a freak occurrence, he enters into the game "Sugar Rush" which is like a diabetic cross between Mario Kart and Willy Wonka's factory. This is where the adventure truly begins. Wreck-It Ralph is colorfully gorgeous in every scene. The story makers work in classic video game characters at just the right amounts, which will appeal to parents taking their kids to see it. A hologram Sonic the Hedgehog, an elegant well spoken Pac-Man ghost, and a homeless Q-Bert are all good for reminiscent laughs that your kids won't understand. This movie will make you want to dust off your old game system and fall in love with your pixilated buddies all over again. Also, it's a shoe-in for best animated feature come Oscar time.
Bottom Line:
Wreck-It Ralph delivers for audiences of all ages. It brings humor, action, and subtle doses of heart throughout. Which way to the closest arcade? briancudemo.blogspot.com