Wreck-It Ralph

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

Wreck-It Ralph

Release Date:  2 November 2012                                                           Runtime:  101 Minutes  

Review Date:  13 November 2012                                                          Rating:  3 (of 6)

 

A Toy Story it is not, Wreck-It Ralph strays and could use a Fix-It-Felix to get it back on track.

The trailer was misleading—seemingly, a villain wants to become heralded as the good guy, as lamented to a video game character cameo-laden support group, and he goes game hopping to do so.

However, in actuality, Ralph only hops into two—the fictitious Honor’s Duty and Sugar Rush.  The cameos seen in the trailer are pretty much the extent, the support group scene extended and the scenario returned to a second time.  There was one other clever prolonged cameo that lasted a scene that I won’t spoil but other than that, a second here, a glimpse there is the scope of the others.

Don’t get me wrong, I get it—Disney wants to merchandise their own original creations, not someone else’s.  They make more money that way.  I had just hoped I’d be seeing more of the likes of Q*Bert.  I mean, Sonic the Hedgehog is on their movie posters but not even really in the movie at all, only appearing briefly on a TV screen, not even in person if you will*.  And since you’ve got at least 5 games of yesteryear represented on the movie posters, you’d think they’d have a larger role.

While you’d expect a movie titled “Wreck-It Ralph” to be about Ralph’s journey, at one point you begin to feel it’s just as much Vanellope’s story, at times even more so, overshadowing Ralph’s.  I get the intention and sentiment that in order to redeem himself he needs to help someone just as much a misfit and put them first but the way it’s executed just feels like wandering.

Not a bad flick, but not quite the one I wanted to see.  And certainly not the one I wanted to hear—the soundtrack was very annoying.  I think maybe they’d term it “saccharine” but I believe in the past that label applied to some music I actually like.  Instead, it was more like nails on a chalkboard.

I did, however, enjoy the 3D aspect.  I also liked the animated short that preceded the movie.  I didn’t see Tangled in the theater to see if this is a reoccurring thing for the new Disney Animation Studios, but it’s a welcomed page from the Pixar playbook.

*I have read others noting he appeared two other times as well, but that just goes to show how easily missed/forgotten these spots were.