A terrific Xmas treat for the whole family.

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2012)

It's quite apt that a large portion of Disney's latest animated adventure takes place within an arcade game called Sugar Rush, as it's the perfect description for this colourful, high-tempo caper. When Ralph (John C. Reilly) decides he no longer wants to be the bad guy for the Fix-It Felix Jr. video game – after three decades of unrecognised service – he treks out to other machines in search of heroic glory. The tale of accepting who you are is as old as cinema itself, however the joy here is in the eclectic characters and their fish-out-of-water experiences. The Mouse House has a bit of coin and as such we get a vast array of identifiable faces – the "baddies anonymous" meeting in the opening scene features everyone from Sonic the Hedgehog's villain Dr Eggman, Mario's nemesis Bowser and a Pacman ghost – yet it's the made-up avatars that truly shine. The eponymous klutz Ralph and his nice-as-pie foe Felix (Jack McBrayer) are fantastic polar opposites, whilst Hero Duty's battle-hardened warrior Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and Sugar Rush glitch Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) pinch the limelight whenever on screen; the former's penchant for badass one-liners and the latter's indefatigable enthusiasm both proving to be infectious and memorable. A terrific Christmas treat for the whole gang.