Genre:
Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Produced by:
Clark Spencer
Directed by:
Phil Johnston, Rich Moore
Written by:
Phil Johnston, Pamela Ribon
Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures
Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer,
Gal Gadot, Alan Tudyk, Ed O’Neill, Taraji P. Henson
Runtime: 116 minutes
SYNOPSIS:
In this sequel to Disney’s Thanksgiving
hit Wreck it Ralph (2012), Ralph (John C. Reilly) once again finds his
video game home and its surroundings in danger. So, it is up to the residential
bad guy and his best friend Vanellope (Sarah
Silverman) to prevent their universe from total extinction. Only this time
around, their adventure takes them from the limitations of the video game
consoles to the limitless space of the World Wide Web, where the strength of
their friendship is going to be put to the test.
REVIEW:
As edgy as its premise may sound, the
first Wreck it Ralph movie doesn’t
veer away too much from the typical animated storytelling formula. Obviously, it
would be difficult to name a movie that both explores the behind-the-scene life
of a video game character as well as offer an irreverent take on the video game
tropes besides Wreck it Ralph. But it
would also be difficult to deny that its story and supposedly self-referential
style of humor serve as a different take on a type of story and style of humor
that had existed several years and movies before. In its story, Wreck it Ralph is essentially Toy Story with the video game characters
replacing the toys. In its self-referential style of humor, Wreck it Ralph is essentially Shrek with video game references
replacing the fairy tale references.
Still, even with its familiarity, Wreck it Ralph managed to make it work
once more. In typical Disney fashion, Wreck
it Ralph found the perfect balance between nostalgia trip and compelling
story. There were enough colors and
slapstick humor to entertain the kids as well as enough mix of 1980’s inspired
video game characters, real 1980’s video game characters and in-joke video game
references for the adults to chew on. At the same time, surprisingly, the film
also used the video game visuals to introduce kids to mature subjects like
unemployment, homelessness and existential crisis plus teach them the simpler
things like the importance of friendship and tolerance without going all too
preachy.
Then again, pop culture-savvy
productions of Wreck it Ralph’s kind
are often a risky roll of the dice. For every Shrek, there is always The Emoji
Movie (2017) around the corner. Coming out only a year after the
critically-derided the Emoji Movie, Wreck it Ralph sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet could not have
come at the most inappropriate of time. With a premise that sees the characters
explore the Internet, there’s a considerable fear that the slightest
mishandling could result in the ever reliable Disney producing the next the Emoji Movie. A trailer where half of it is product
placement does little to distance Ralph
Breaks the Internet from The Emoji
Movie’s comparison. With that in mind, can Ralph Breaks the Internet buck that trend?
It is no longer surprising to say that Ralph Breaks the Internet boasts
stellar-looking animation. The Wreck it Ralph movies have always had a
concept that welcomes a more experimental style of animation. It gives the
animators the liberty to bend all the rules of animated filmmaking, in regards
to how characters move and look in their environment.
It’s the only cinematic forum that allows for
an interaction between certain characters that move fluidly like all the
modern-day 3-D CGI animation, and certain characters that move statically in a
way that mirrors the arcade game animation. It’s also the only forum that
allows for an interaction between certain characters with those cutesy, big-eyed,
cartoonish physical form and where certain characters like Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) and new addition Shanks (Gal Gadot) that look as close to real
life with their 3-D, high definition physical form. It’s a clash of two
different animation styles that don’t always work in harmony in one frame, but
here, they sync so naturally that they give each and every image a life on its
own.
But the real innovation in Ralph Breaks the Internet isn’t
necessarily the character animation, but more of the background animation, in
particular the World Wide Web. Last year, filmgoers had seen the World Wide Web
done the wrong way with the Emoji Movie.
It’s almost unimaginable a world with such rich, exciting potential can look so
cheap and dull through the Emoji Movie’s
sitcom-esque animation.
With much depth and definition in its
rendering, the World Wide Web in Ralph
Breaks the Internet is a million miles better than the Emoji Movie, in the sense that the universe feels and seems
like a living, breathing utopia. It’s a
place where fantasy and reality somehow seamlessly blends. Its fantastical
imagery, filled with sleek structure, holographic billboards and cool bluish color,
might seem like something ripped straight out of a space opera movie, but there
are aspects in their way of life and interaction that’s oddly tangible in
today’s society.
And that is evident from the movie’s
decision to personify the computer terms. It is easier to identify emotionally
with these computer terms when they come in a more personable form like a
desperate salesman for the click bait pop up ad, a college professor for the
search engine, or even just a human being for the Internet users (even if they’re
shaped more like a bobble head doll than a human being). At the same time, on a
purely visual standpoint, seeing these computer terms navigate through its
environment like the everyday person makes for an exciting viewing.
And obviously, in a movie about the
Internet, it is inevitable that Ralph
Breaks the Internet will be filled to the brim with a truckload of pop
culture references. When it seemed like the focus group scene in Wreck it Ralph was the limit in pop culture
references, the sequel takes them into further dimension, one that can only be rivaled
by the Deadpool movies.
There is not a second that passes by
where a single look to the left or right isn’t a product placement, an app or a
cinematic intellectual property. At times, those things can be a bit
overwhelming. There are periods in the movie where it nearly meanders into the Emoji Movie territory, and every
image feels like the filmmakers telling the audience than the Internet and
fantasy is much more fun than the real world. There is even a scene where a character
travels to a Disney website filled with the studio’s current lucrative
properties, which is there for Disney to sort of brag and say, “I own
everything”.
But thankfully, the references and
product placements don’t play much part in the narrative beyond just some cool,
blink-it-you’ll-miss-it Easter eggs. They are there to elicit a slight grin to
the audience, before moving on to the next scene. Even if the references take a
bigger importance than a second worth cameo, they’re used for effective comedic
purposes.
Look no further than the way this movie
subverts the Disney Princess trope. It’s
disappointing that the trailer spoils a lot of what could have been a
surprising moment. But there is no doubt that Vanellope having a girl’s day out
with the Disney Princesses is the high point in the movie. The Disney
Princesses’ humorous presence here manages to straddle the gray area, where
it’s neither a marketing agenda nor an offensive jab. It’s an example how to
deconstruct tropes in the most fun way. Also, they’re given much to do than
just a sit-down cameo, particularly in a scene involving the princesses
performing Avengers-style butt-kicking heroics that yearns for a franchise. Somewhere,
some place, Disney studio execs are probably busy on their phones, trying to
make a Disney Princess team-up movie happen.
Throw all the pop culture references and
product placement aside, then Ralph Breaks
the Internet actually has a lot more to say on a deeper level. One key
element that gets an emotional upgrade here is how it explores Ralph-Vanellope friendship.
In Wreck it Ralph, it was only after
Ralph spends some more time with Vanellope in the Sugar Rush setting where the
movie shifted into a story about friendship. Despite the beautiful message,
that first movie dealt with the friendship aspect in a simpler, more literal
manner. Basically, it took the money-can’t-buy-happiness
route in stressing the importance of friendship, where the hero realizes in the
end that it’s the non-material attainment (a companion) than a material one (in
that movie’s case, a gold medal) that gives him a stronger sense of self-fulfillment.
Fortunately, this movie doesn’t take the
same easy way out. Friendship isn’t as easy as choosing between a gold medal
and a human being. Sometimes, it requires a bit of soul searching. And it’s the
psychological aspect of Ralph’s journey that makes the friendship exploration this
time around more mature.
This whole movie forces Ralph to look into the mirror
and ask: what is the meaning of being a friend? Is it about accepting others
for who they really are? Is it about trying to change people into the way we
want them to be? It is the kind of existential dilemma that’s reflected through
his arc. Ralph has grown so fond of Vanellope at this point that the notion of
potentially losing his friend in any shape or form makes him a bit insecure
about himself as well as irrationally overprotective of Vanellope, which only
gets worst when the temptations of World Wide Web start to push her further
away from Ralph. It is Ralph’s battle against these types of personal
conflicting emotions which gives the epic finale the extra dramatic weight.
Beyond exploring deeper into themes that
had existed in the previous movie, Ralph
Breaks the Internet also takes the opportunity to go much deeper with newer
themes, particularly surrounding the Internet. Fortunately, the way this movie
deals with the Internet phenomenon is by acknowledging its positive and
negative impact. And to the writers’ credit, they manage to tie the social
commentary in beautifully with the main characters’ personal arcs.
A sense of wanting something that’s new and
in a way, almost free from rules pervades through Vanellope’s arc. That’s what the
Internet represents. It’s this world where there is always everything new to be
discovered and everyone can be who they want to be, which falls in contrast
with Vanellope’s mundane, controlled lifestyle in the Sugar Rush arcade game. It’s
that aspect of freedom and discovery about the Internet that makes the world
feel like a positive environment.
At the same time, those two things can also
serve as negatives. Internet is portrayed as a fickle thing, where people can
go from glorifying something to vilifying it in a matter of seconds. Often,
people abuse their right for freedom of speech to say bad things about other
people. It’s reflected in a sequence which sees Ralph travel through the comments
section that’s heartbreaking in its resemblance to cyber bullying.
Ralph
Breaks the Internet
isn’t without its own flaws. In contrast to most animated film’s tendency to start
off fast, it takes a more careful approach in its storytelling. It’s only towards
its second act where the titular set-up finally starts to kick in. A lot of
this movie's first act is the usual sequel-type catching up moment, where we
take some time with each of Wreck it
Ralph’s principal characters, and find out what they’ve been up to six
years after its predecessor.
On the one hand, those first few minutes
may serve as a pleasing retread to familiar territories for fans of the first
movie. A few splashes of rainbowy colors from the Sugar Rush setting and Ralph and
Vanellope’s back-and-forth are sure to keep the audience’s attention in the
early proceedings, even when there’s not much context in those scenes. On the
other, those first few minutes can be a bit of a drag for the more casual
viewers. It’s a movie that requires patience for everything to pay off,
especially the kids. Safe to say, those who prefer their animation hyperactive
from the starting line will be left disappointed.
But, once Ralph and Vanellope get transported
to the World Wide Web, once the story starts to overpower the world’s product
placement-heavy surroundings, the movie rarely puts its foot wrong.
Also, since this movie shifts its focus
from the video game world to the World Wide Web, it also means having to reduce
the role of some supporting characters from the previous film. One of the
clearest casualties in this entry is Felix (Jack McBrayer) and Sergeant Calhoun. Besides the Ralph-Vanellope
main quest, another entertaining aspect in the first Wreck it Ralph movie is the side quest between the mild-mannered
Felix and the hardened Calhoun. It’s their gruff-meets-polite back-and-forth that
keeps the bone-tickling humor going even when two main characters aren’t
around.
On the one hand, it’s a relief that they
are still included in this movie. On the other, these two characters really
don’t have much to do here besides being a pair of cameos. At one point in the
movie, the writers to give these recently married characters some sort of arc surrounding
their interest to start a family in an attempt to make them relevant. Yet it’s
never referred again throughout the movie. As Ralph and Vanellope are deep into their
Internet adventure, the movie never cuts back to the video game world to see
how the other characters are doing. Save for the beginning and the end, they
completely vanish from the story. As a result, for a movie about characters
whose home world is in danger, there is little sense of urgency in the Internet
adventure.
Disney usually gets its casting right,
and the same can be said about their animated films. John C. Reilly and Sarah
Silverman have held the roles of Ralph and Vanellope for six years, and it’s
really hard to picture anyone voicing their characters but them.
Without having to see John C. Reilly’s live-action presence,
just hearing the actor’s grizzled warmth and everyman persona resonate through
his voice is like hearing a close friend talk to the audience in person. Ralph
might be a cartoon character on screen, but at the same time, he’s an ordinary
guy, which Reilly’s voice work helps
transcend the character beyond fiction. Sarah Silverman, a 47 year old
comedienne believe it or not, is seemingly blessed with an eternal childlike
voice to bring the sugary, bounce-off-the-walls type manic spirit of Vanellope into
life. Her voice is just so believable as a kid that it is mind blowing that it
came out of a woman nearing her 50’s. Separately, they’re mesmerizing. But the
beating heart of this movie is their chemistry, their riffing off of each
other. A lot of their dialogues require quick, smooth shifts between kiddy
humor to mature ones, and the shifts would not have been as effective if John C. Reilly is paired with a much
younger co-star.
As for the new additions, what makes their
voice acting here work is the actors’ real-life public persona more than the
characters they’re portraying. To portray a desperate salesman that’s meant to
be a personification of click bait pop up ad, the filmmakers need a neurotic
presence behind the mic, and in the end no one can sound neurotic better than Bill Hader. Hader’s Spamley is an entertaining side character to substitute for
McBrayer’s Felix’s lack of screen
time. To portray a sassy CEO that’s meant to be a personification of Youtube-like
video website trending tracker, no one is as sassy as Taraji P. Henson. Fashionable and brimming with confidence, Henson’s Yesss character comes also
with attitude and a sprinkle of wisdom. To
portray a video game racecar driver that’s basically a Gal Gadot lookalike named Shanks, look nowhere else than to have Gal Gadot voice it herself. She’s
effortlessly charming as this badass lady who someone can look up to as a role
model.
CONCLUSION:
Ralph
Breaks the Internet
injects the screen with a huge dose of colorful animation, pop culture
references plus a slight hint at a potential Avengers-style Disney Princesses
team-up movie, while also bringing over the same type of slapstick humor,
clever satire, heartfelt message, and compelling character dynamics of the
first one to the proceedings.
Score: 9/10.
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