A nostalgic trip through my childhood.

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2014)

"I'M GONNA' WRECK IT!"
I got a chance to see Wreck it Ralph on Sunday and really enjoyed it. It was a walk down memory lane and had me feeling nostalgic on more than one occasion.
The movie really feels authentic and you can tell it was made by people who grew up in arcades in the 80's. It's not necessary to be a gamer to enjoy the movie, but if you've been playing video games for as long as I have, you will catch a bunch of little Easter eggs that really enhance the enjoyment of the movie.
Wreck-It-Ralph tells the story of a video game character named Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, that happens to be the villain in his game. He goes to work everyday and does a great job, but he's tired of always being the bad guy and never getting any recognition. He decides to escape his game and ends up in another game called Sugar Rush, where he meets a young girl named Vanellope, voiced by Sarah Silverman, who also happens to be an outcast.
This is where the movie really settles in. The relationship Ralph and Vanellope form is really heartwarming and Vanellope is a really fun character. Silverman voices her with such infectious exuberance that it's hard to take your eyes off of her. I don't want to give too much away, but the storyline really works and never gets too silly, unlike many animated films.
Wreck-It-Ralph is a beautiful movie with vibrant colors and fun characters. It's also a very clever film and almost needs to be watched twice to catch all the neat little references that literally seem like they are sprinkled throughout the film. Ralph also made me realize how much I really love video games and how much of an impact they've had on my life since I was that 5-year-old kid unwrapping the Nintendo Entertainment System that was sitting under my Christmas tree.
The film is really about embracing who you are. For the longest time, I was afraid to admit that I still played video games. There are certain stereotypes about gamers that continue to persist today. Even though it's gotten much better over the last few years, there are still people that would call us nerds or losers. Those same people probably are playing more video games than I do. Yes, Angry Birds and Words With Friends are still video games. Deal with it. Rant over.
After watching Wreck-It-Ralph, I can honestly say that I'm proud to be a gamer. It's part of who I am.