In Disney/Pixar’s Wreck-It Ralph, the arcade game characters intermingle each day after the arcade closes. But for Ralph, the giant-handed villain in his game, the 1980’s classic “Fix-it Felix Jr.”, life isn’t all power-ups and extra lives. A brute with a heart of gold, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) escapes his game on a quest to prove to the world that there’s more to him than just being bad.
For 30 years Ralph has been the “bad guy” in Fix-it Felix Jr. His job is to smash up an apartment building until it is repaired and he is routed by the game’s hero, Felix (Jack McBrayer). Even though he’s just doing his job, Ralph is treated as an outsider by the other characters in the game.
After dealing with this for so long, Ralph goes through a bit of an identity crisis. He sets out to become a hero in another game, a violent first-person shooter called “Hero’s Duty” to win a gold medal, certain that’s the key to his acceptance back in Fix-it Felix Jr. There, Ralph encounters a tough-as-nails commander named Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch), who leads heavily armored warriors as they mow down out of control “Cy-Bugs”. His going rogue creates all sorts of problems with Felix and Sgt. Calhoun in pursuit before Ralph can do more damage.
Later Ralph ends up in Sugar Rush, an Anime-influenced go-kart racing game set in a confectionery wonderland of cotton-candy clouds and peppermint forests that would make Willy Wonka proud. There, he encounters a young racer named Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). Vanellope is a “glitch” — a malfunctioning program.
Mocked and despised for her glitchy nature by the mean girls of Sugar Rush (led by Mindy Kaling) and their leader King Candy (Alan Tudyk). She enlists Ralph in her game-changing efforts and a fragile friendship is born. The relationship between the two misfits is what makes the movie really successful.
Wreck-It Ralph is a 93-minute blast of color, creativity, and fun. It starts a bit slow, but once it picks up, it doesn’t slow down. There are more video game cameos and appearances than you can count, and you’ll have a great time, whether or not you get any of the references. Because Pixar is cool like that. Go check it out. You’ll love it.
Photos courtesy Walt Disney Pictures.
