Wreck-It Ralph - An instant Disney Classic

Rating: 9/10 (10 February 2013)

Ever since that little alien said "I'm Lost," danced with a Hawaiian girl to an Elvis song, and ended up learning the meaning of Ohana, I'd prayed for another motion picture of pure Disney animated magic to match the instant classic that was Lilo and Stitch. That was October 2002.
It's taken ten years for that movie to arrive. It was worth the wait. Wreck-It Ralph is one of Disney's finest creations. Every last one of you has to see this because it's, to quote the critics, "As phenomenal as Toy Story... Unmissable." I had high expectations for this, and normally a film disappoints when I do, but this blew them out of the water.
I would not dream of spoiling a single moment in the film, because it, more so then any film of recent memory, creates a world of it's own and the rules governing them. Every action every character makes is true to their personalities. In visuals, sound, music (all perfectly balancing the right mix of retro nods and genuine storytelling) it is a triumph, as well as the voice actors' work, who are well-known but not huge celebrities, and never make you think of the actor instead of the character (except for cameo character Sonic, but his voice in the last decade had become infamous for annoying die-hard Sonic fans).
Another great triumph is how it mixes the video game nods with it's story, which actually delves into what these character's lives are like when the arcade is closed. The references, both to video games and other films, as as well-structured as those in Bug's Life, Toy Story and all the Pixar classics. No doubt the work of Executive Producer John Lasseter, and Director Rich Moore, a Simpsons and Futurama veteran with several Emmys under his belt.
Animation-wise? It's a triumph. Though it follows the more modern CGI rule of animators working on scenes as opposed to specific characters like all the 90's Disney films, the gestures, facial expressions and movements of the characters fit perfectly and make them as believable as fish, monsters, or even robots. Not just the five key players, but others too, showing that the crew love the source material. The design glows, both from the 8-bit graphics we see from outside the game to the fleshed- out interiors. Fix-It Felix Jr. purposefully looks like a not very visually detailed game on the inside. Hero's Duty is a mix of every Sci-Fi FPS out there from Halo to Gears of War. Game Central Station is a vast hub room, and it makes sense.
But Sugar Rush, where we spend most of our time, is gorgeous (even if the film only had visuals going for it, there would be plenty of eye candy to behold). It meshes the speed of Mario Kart (the game's fictional release date is, not coincidentally, 1997) with the cuteness of Kirby, feeling like it was from Japan (no coincidence that the film's Japanese title is Shugâ Rasshu, securing at least moderate success for it over there).
You can't talk about a Disney movie without mentioning the soundtrack, can you? Not including two existing songs (Shut Up And Drive serves some narrative usage) there are four new songs, one a gritty remix for Hero's Duty, and the other three being credits songs. 'When Can I See You Again?' is to this what 'Down To Earth' was for WALL-E, continuing the story during 3 minutes of a stylistic epilogue. 'Wreck It, Wreck-It Ralph', written by the same people who did the Pac-Man Theme Song, is a single that reveals some fictional back-story for Ralph and Felix. And 'Sugar Rush' makes some inspired decisions, especially being sung by Japanese artists and having some Japanese vocals in it. They are along the line of Tarzan's songs - tasty, catchy junk food. I predict them becoming a guilty pleasure for many.
Outside of The Lion King and possibly Dinosaur, Disney scores rarely stick around too long in the viewer's head. Composer Henry Jackman blends video game stylization with standard modern orchestration, and the style dominates, both to it's credit and against it. It certainly helps the movie feel more authentic, though the themes won't stick with many. Then again, hands up anyone who remembers specific cues from the Toy Story films? Regardless, it cannot be faulted, and does it's job effectively, ranging from Carl Sterling territory to full orchestral sections in the more tender moments. The Act III cues, in particular, do everything right (The denouement cue is beautiful, and I love it after one listen).
I have several dozen other, well-structured reasons why this film is a masterpiece, but I want everyone to discover all the surprises in it. Decades from now, students will be studying this film's structure alongside Star Wars, Wizard of Oz and Jaws. OK, maybe I'm being too optimistic there, but this is the same guy who has A Bug's Life as his favorite Pixar film, so what do I know? Obvious joke there aside, video game fans will naturally have a field day in the cinema (or on DVD/Blu-Ray - I'm sure, unlike many recent animated films, it won't lose it's impact outside of the cinema).
Recommend this to everyone. Don't forget to take the kids - they'll enjoy it almost as much as you will. Even cynical teenagers should love this (I'm still the latter, but not the former). Wreck-It Ralph is an instant classic, and I'm intent on paying it another viewing or two, in the cinema. See it, enjoy the cleverness of it, feel for the 3D characters (structure-wise - I saw this in 2D) and love it. Never take the film for granted, because it's to movies what Super Mario Galaxy was to video games.
"As great as Toy Story 1, 2, and 3." "Destined to be a classic."