With such an absurd idea for a sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet stormed into theaters with a solid 58.3 million dollar opening in the U.S. over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Reviews are buzzing with nothing but good to say about the film and giving Disney another success story under their impressive resume. Despite all the buzz, all the raving reviews, and success at the box office, is it worth the watch for a casual movie fan?
The short answer is yes, Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the internet” is a fun, fast-paced, blast with a secret heart of gold underlying the goofiness of the film. It is beyond self-aware, full of Internet culture references and bleeds passion and creativity. But that is just the short answer.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” picks up 6 years after we last met our heroes Wreck-It-Ralph and Vanellope Von Schweets as they have a very tight friendship being video game characters within the world of Litwak’s Family Fun Center. Vanellope’s game “Sugar Rush” has a partially broken and Ralph And Vanellope go on an adventure to the newly installed WiFi router and explore the Internet to get the part. I won’t give away the events that transpire throughout the movie but I will say that many shenanigans ensue.
There is so much to gush about the movie that I will have to start with the negatives I had with the movie before praising it. The movie can be incredibly off-putting to those who aren’t used to fast-paced movies like this one, as it is non-stop jokes and visual gags from the get-go. It also doesn’t dwell on anything for very long, as it is a movie made for kids. Some of the imagery towards the end can be seen as frightening for the very young viewers but its nothing that older kids can’t handle.
As for the good, it’s hard to find a place to start regarding the quality of the film. There’s so much going for the movie that the broad and the minute details are all impressive. For starters, the animation is bright, colorful and in-your-face, but in the best way possible. The animation style is very cartoon-like, but that is perfect for the way that the movie portrayed itself through its tone and dialogue. With every Disney animated movie, the animation quality gets better and better and this is no exception. The dialogue is simple enough for kids to understand, but jam-packed with jokes and references to Internet culture that it will keep those who are savvy with that culture thoroughly entertained. I will probably need to see it a few times to catch all the jokes thrown at the audience.
The main voice acting returns for this sequel including John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman as the two main leads, but it also brings in Taraji P. Henson and Gal Gadot for two new characters. Everyone who was cast in the movie gave it their all and really immersed themselves into the characters they were meant to portray. Taraji P. Henson gives a lively performance to a lively character while Gal Gadot gives a cool vibe to her bad-ass driver character. Sarah Silverman even sings a song and it isn’t nearly as annoying as one might think when they hear that Sarah Silverman is singing a song in a Disney movie. Even most of the Disney Princesses return to reprise their role, even if it is a brief scene.
There is a kid-friendly message about friendship that I felt was put into the film organically and made a lot of sense given the characters actions in the plot. I won’t spoil the message, as it was a surprise to me when I first saw it. I thought it was an excellent addition to the movie, otherwise, it would have made the movie seem pointless and bland.
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is a wonderful addition to the Disney library and will definitely keep you and your children smiling for the whole runtime.
8/10
