Animation Rewind: Wreck-It Ralph

Since I never put up a longer, more detailed post on Wreck-It Ralph, here it is. I can only speak about the animated films that were released last year, because I saw most, if not all. I think Wreck-It Ralph was the best of the year, and it certainly didn't need the Oscar to prove that. I was disappointed, but not too sore about Brave's win, because I adore that movie to pieces. But don't worry, I'm not planning on using this post as a rant about those people who think Brave only won because it's Pixar. No, this is an appreciation post for Ralph and all his friends. Slight spoilers ahead!

The eponymous Ralph (John C. Reilly), is the bad guy in the video game, Fix It Felix Jr. “I’m gonna wreck it!” he growls right before he smashes the windows and bricks of the pent house where the video game residents, the Nicelanders, live. “I can fix it!” is the catchphrase of peppy and adorable Felix (Jack McBrayer). Felix is beloved by all the Nicelanders for fixing everything Ralph ruins, and at the end of every game, he’s cheered and presented with a medal while Ralph is thrown from the rooftop. Ralph picks himself up from the mud he lands in and heads to the dump where he lives alone, something he’s been doing for thirty years.

 

Hated by the Nicelanders, and treated with a wide berth by Felix, he begins to question his very existence. What is his purpose in the game if he has no friends and lives in a dump while everyone else lives it up in the penthouse? Why is he hated for doing his job? A medal is what starts Ralph’s journey as he leaves the world of Fix It Felix Jr. If Ralph, a bad guy, can do the impossible and win a medal, he’ll be a hero, he’ll get a room at the penthouse, and he’ll have friends.

The first new video game world Ralph enters is Hero’s Duty, a violent and scary game where the players are tasked with killing the Cy bugs and saving humanity. Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) is the tough military leader, and the only woman in the game. It’s here that Ralph gets his coveted medal, but before he can head back to his own game and reap the hero rewards, he gets trapped with a Cy bug and they’re both transported to Sugar Rush.

Described by director Rich Moore as Candy Land meets Mario Kart, Sugar Rush is vibrant and soft, made up of candy, chocolate, and marshmallows. While he heads out to find his medal, Ralph meets Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), a pint sized cutie with candy in her hair and a mean streak. Little Vanellope has a sharp sense of humor and gets on Ralph’s bad side immediately. But it turns out the two have a lot more in common than it would first appear. Since Vanellope is a game glitch, she’s mocked by the other cart racers, and is never allowed in the races. King Candy (Alan Tudyk), forbids her from racing for the safety of the others as well as her own good, but Vanellope has got the spirit of a racer and never backs down.

 

She and Ralph make an unlikely pair, but she grows on him nevertheless, and despite being a villain, Ralph is her hero. 

But they’re not the only weird duo of the film. Felix has to find Ralph before the plug on their game is pulled, and he teams up with Calhoun to find him, and to destroy the Cy bug Ralph brought with him to Sugar Rush. They’re definitely not a probable romantic match either, but that doesn’t stop little Felix from falling for Calhoun. The chemistry and fluffy romance that starts to build between them is cute, sweet, and very funny.

 There’s so much going on and so much to see, but the film is able to fulfill all the plot points without a glitch.

Wreck-It Ralph is impressive because it introduces a variety of characters in three different worlds. It’s a heartfelt film with some of the richest and most layered characters in a Disney film, or any film. Visually, the film is vibrant, and the mastery of colors leads to a crisp and polished appearance. Whether in the 8-bit world of Fix It Felix Jr., the dark and action packed Hero’s Duty, or the sweet and bright Sugar Rush, the animation is some of the best we’ve ever seen. The character designs are top notch as usual; Disney never skimps when it comes to unbelievably cute or even interesting looking characters. Calhoun for one is gorgeous despite that rough exterior. 

I've written before about Vanellope. But after my fifth time seeing the movie, I just keep falling in love with her even more. She isn't someone you love right away. Her humor is crude and immature. She's a brat. But she has been tormented and bullied for years, and has got loads of spunk and moxie even if she can't escape the game. She's as cute as a button, and her glitch ends up becoming a strength. Even better it's a superpower. It turns out she's a princess, but as she proudly tells Ralph, she's not really a princess but a racer. Those things aren't mutually exclusive of course, but Vanellope isn't comfortable in a big, poofy gown. (She looks adorable in it though!) She's just a really important heroine, and this is her story as much as Ralph's. And while Ralph is a hero, one who sacrifices his life to save his friends, Vanellope, tiny little nine year old Vanellope, ends up saving him and the day.

As the audience falls in love with the characters, much credit must be given to their respective voice actors. Reilly’s voice is a pleasant match for our hero, and he makes Ralph a lovable guy. Silverman perfectly embodies Vanellope’s endearing and sardonic nature. The relationship between her and Ralph is so authentic, and this is due to the fact that Reilly and Silverman recorded their lines together, a rare occurrence in animated films. I have to wonder why McBrayer has never been immortalized in a Disney film before this one; his cheerful tones bring tiny and precious Felix to life. Lynch is unsurprisingly wonderful as Calhoun. Tudyk as King Candy is a riot, and even sounds a bit like Ed Wynn’s Mad Hatter in Disney’s 1951 Alice in Wonderland.

             

For the video game buffs out there, the cameos will prove to be an especial treat. Something else worth mentioning is how sincere this film is; not once does it veer into the cynical side of things. Disney Animation has never been a cynical studio, and hopefully that doesn’t change. Wreck-It Ralph has plenty of laughs, tears, and the underlying theme of staying true to yourself. It’s often a well-worn theme found in animated films, but it ties in so perfectly here that you actually believe it.

And yes, this movie will wreck your heart.