4.5 out of 5
Wreck-It Ralph is nominally a Disney production, but it's hard not to see the impact that Pixar (and studio head/Wreck-It Ralph executive producer John Lasseter) has had on the film - and that's definitely a good thing. Like Pixar's work, Wreck-It Ralph begins by establishing a wonderful, silly alternate world; in this case, that involves the characters who inhabit video games, who spend the time not playing games socializing, meeting in support groups, doing game tourism, and much more. First time director Rich Moore has directed a lot of episodes of Futurama, and much like that show at its best, Ralph packs the frame with in-jokes and nice touches for fans, but never neglects the characters and story that gives the film its heart and soul. That story - about a video game character who struggles against his "bad guy" role in the hopes of being something more - becomes something far more universal and thoughtful than you might expect, and it finds mirrors throughout the film, from classic characters pained by their obsolescence to glitches that want to be full-fledged characters. And it's all done with humor, a wonderful visual style, and most of all, a lot of fun. A lot of people felt like Pixar dropped the ball a little this year with Brave, and while I don't really agree with that statement, I do think that Wreck-It Ralph might just be a little better. Of course, that could be the gamer in me who loved all of the retro references and the sense of fun that ran through it all; then again, it could be joy at the way Wreck-It Ralph let its world keep expanding before miraculously tying everything together in unexpected ways, or the way that the plotting so neatly supported the rich ideas at work. It's a really fantastic movie, and another one of those joys that's not just for a child's eyes to savor and enjoy.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
