Wreck-It Ralph
{4.5/5} “I’m bad, and that’s good. I will never be good, and that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be then me.”
Ralph is the bad guy in a video game called “Fix-It Felix, Jr.” Lately he’s been wondering if he really has to be bad all the time and why no one wants to hang out with him after work. If he can win a medal by playing another game, maybe the others will accept him. He does win a medal, but that’s just the start of his adventure outside his own game.
Wreck-It Ralph, released in 2012
It’s accompanied in theatres by a cute animated short called “Paperman.”
This movie supposes that video game characters are alive and interact with each other essentially like humans after the arcade closes for the day. They have a Grand Central Station-type place where all games connect, and they can go where they want as long as they’re back in their own game in the morning. Some real-life video games are referenced (Pac-Man, Q*bert, Mario), likely including some I don’t know.
It’s an enjoyable movie. It’s funny, and it makes some clever use of the premise. The animation is tremendous, and you can tell which “world” you’re in based on the style.
Ralph is voiced by John C. Reilly (The Aviator). Vanellope, a girl who wants to be a race car driver, is voiced by Sarah Silverman (the TV show The Sarah Silverman Program.). Calhoun, a military leader who kills giant bugs, is voiced by Jane Lynch (the TV show Glee).
The movie was directed by Rich Moore (the TV show Futurama).