"ACT I They Meet"
Pixar’s latest foray into digital entertainment had all the makings of a classic. Starring John C. Riley in the title role as a major villain of a 1980’s era arcade game whose repetitive job day after
day, quarter after quarter causes him a midlife crisis. He tries to
sort his feelings out in a villain support group meeting but eventually
on the 20th anniversary of his games release he ends up leaving his game
for others, looking for the recognition and praise he feels he
deserves for all his hard work over the years. Ralph wrecks everything
he comes in contact with, its how he was programmed, so eventually he
smashes and klutzes his way through various games to end up in Sugar
Rush, finding little orphan Sarah Silverman in a typical arcade style
racer with a well imagined saccharine candyland theme.
And here the rest of the movie spins it’s wheels with various secondary characters trying to bring Ralph home (notably Jack McBayer and Jane Lynch of current network TV fame) or kick him out. Therein lies the problem with Wreck it Ralph, very little of the film is actually about Video Games or has video game references (perhaps as little as a third). Most of the film is mired in the sticky bubblegum pink world of Sugar Rush, with its candy fueled characters and their pipsqueak voices. The Sugar game itself is very well imagined, so much so it feels like two different movies gummed into one with Ralph’s game getting the short end. The candy jokes outweigh the game jokes 2-1 but are quite funny (the local police are indifferent Chicago-land mustachioed donuts, dangers include diet cola volcanoes mixing with Mentos). Throw in a throw away love story a dire threat and a haywire maniac and you’ve got your typical CG movie for kids right?
Well this was supposed to be a Pixar not a Dreamworks flick. Their
films are typically known as more arty and something both kids and
adults can adore equally. However the cartoony art here is
“same-as-always”, why couldn’t the visuals be pushed more towards the
retro 8bit look (like the poster did)? The music is quite simply the
worst in any Pixar with no-brainer hip-hop pop tracks straight from
Disney Teen Radio (the trailer used Talking Heads to great effect,
another bait and switch). John C. Riley does wonders with the material;
Ralph himself is funny and endearing and has a great look. Most of the
other characters just feel forced or stiff with voice acting that
whimpers along (the Candy King being an exception). Instead of the “Toy
Story of video Games” we get just another Shrek clone – “outsider can’t
fit in, breaks a character’s heart, saves the kingdom and gains
respect, roll credits over last year’s music”.And here the rest of the movie spins it’s wheels with various secondary characters trying to bring Ralph home (notably Jack McBayer and Jane Lynch of current network TV fame) or kick him out. Therein lies the problem with Wreck it Ralph, very little of the film is actually about Video Games or has video game references (perhaps as little as a third). Most of the film is mired in the sticky bubblegum pink world of Sugar Rush, with its candy fueled characters and their pipsqueak voices. The Sugar game itself is very well imagined, so much so it feels like two different movies gummed into one with Ralph’s game getting the short end. The candy jokes outweigh the game jokes 2-1 but are quite funny (the local police are indifferent Chicago-land mustachioed donuts, dangers include diet cola volcanoes mixing with Mentos). Throw in a throw away love story a dire threat and a haywire maniac and you’ve got your typical CG movie for kids right?
Rich Moore (of Futurama fame) directed Ralph and the minute attention to wise-cracking details and the lack of focus on what the actual story is (a man’s long suffering job and the lack of respect he feels in his rut) is definitely Rich’s style but is better suited for the small screen than the silver. Ralph and his pixelated ilk deserve a better representation from Hollywood, who still hasn’t crafted a “good” video game movie let alone a great one.
Wreck-it Ralph is strictly a humorous kids movie without much for adults (hello, untapped nostalgia demographic calling). Most kids these days have never spent $10 in tokens at the local Chuck E Cheese playing Ghosts n Goblins or Ms Pac Man. They would get more bang for their parent’s bucks if they did.
5.5 Bits out of 10 (MEDIOCRE)
