Ironically, I found out about this movie first by seeing the trailer that played before Brave last year (which beat Wreck-it Ralph for the Animated Film Oscar). I remember chuckling at the bad guy support group scene and the classic game references.
But then the trailer went where all trailers go: quickly cut action sequences tied together with slap stick, one-liners, and a pop song. The idea was intriguing, but the pace looked too frenetic and noisy. It went on my "might watch it someday" list.
Then it did really well in theatres. Then it was nominated for an Oscar. Then I read lots of positive comments online, from critics and gamers alike. Then I decided to watch it myself.
I now agree with what others have said: this movie finally figures out how to bring video games to the big screen. It is fun and goofy, treating the source material with the right blend of healthy respect and affectionate irreverence. But it's also surprisingly heartfelt, with characters we come to not only like but also identify with and learn from.
The trailer tells you exactly what you need to know about the world of the movie.
To summarize: Wreck-It Ralph is the villain of a 30-year-old arcade game whose life is a repetitive, 8-bit existence of wrecking a building that the player fixes with the help of the game's namesake, Fix-It Felix Jr. Felix gets fed cakes to level up and awarded medals when he completes his job. Ralph gets thrown from the building and lives in a dump off-screen.
After 30 years, this stick has gotten old and Ralph decides he needs a change. It's as if he's got the Wizard of Oz in his head, telling him that the only thing the good guys have that he hasn't got is ... a medal.
I'll admit to feeling apprehensive about the movie at this point, because it seemed we were halfway through the plot in the first few minutes. The major bits from the trailer had already happened, and Ralph's "hero's quest" felt weak. He's sympathetic, but also whiny. It's soon clear why the other game characters don't go out of their way to be friendly towards him. Before you know it, Ralph's jumped into a more modern game, Call of Hero's Duty, well on his way to getting his "golden ticket."
Little did I know that the trailer had barely revealed what the story was really about, and that lots of characters were going to have to learn the true meaning of "good guys" and "bad guys." This distinction is at the heart of why Wreck-It Ralph succeeds where so many other video games fail: there's no artificial plot trying to make us believe that earning medals, shooting aliens, or winning a race is the ultimate aim of existence for these characters. In fact, the usual trappings of such a story (tragic backstory and marginalization) are given a loving but well-aimed rasberry.
Winning the prize is only part of the joy of a good game that brings you back for more, as anyone who's spent hours exploring extra levels, finding secret passages, or unlocking hidden bonus games knows. In fact, the one character who can't learn to let go of the single-minded "win-at-any-costs" mentality is the exact one we learn to despise as a true villain, good guy/bad guy status notwithstanding. By getting to the heart of why we enjoy games, rather than the technical specs, Wreck-It Ralph is not only a good gaming homage, but a wonderfully endearing movie in its own right.
But please, don't for one minute think the creators didn't get the technical specs right.
Coupled with the great story is a great creative world that will appeal to gamers of all ages and experience levels. Now that the movie's in home release I'm sure many people will watch it again just to catch all the guest appearances by classic characters (I smiled when I caught Daisy and Peach stroll by). 8-bit characters continue their jerky movements even when animated in 3D, and the first-person shooter conveyed just the right Haloish vibe.
Gaming conventions led to cool thematic and comedic bits. I particularly liked how Fix-It Felix's abilities were utilized in novel ways across worlds, and the developer in me loved how the programming of the games themselves became an essential plot point. Many times we got to see the game from both the player and the character perspective, and this "camera" effect led to some neat (and important) moments. There's even a boss level climax (all good games need a boss to fight) with an unlikely but satisfying conclusion.
I think all viewers will have a favorite world depending on gaming preference. As someone who came of age during the days of N64 and Game Cube Mario Kart, I ate up the Sugar Rush racing game, complete with individual avatar and vehicle choices, multilevel race tracks, hidden passages, bonus minigames and stands of identical cheering fans. Even the soundtrack was pitch perfect, for both the movie and the game. I can't be the only one who recognized the infamous Rainbow course or heard a character let out a high-pitched cry as she torched the competition. As one character tried to learn the ropes of racing, I encouraged out loud, "Decelerate, don't brake!" Believe me, at least in the gaming world, it works every time.
A word about the PG rating: there are certain action sequences that are too intense for very young children. Also, some of the characters use language like "stupid underwear head;" nothing I'd consider awful, but something parents of little kids (the kind who repeat everything they hear) would want to avoid.
Ultimately, I think this movie succeeds because it was made by people with a fondness for video games themselves, who grew up with these stories and wanted to tell one of their own. Wreck-It Ralph has plenty for gamers young and old, of all levels, to enjoy. Even nongamers (which, I guess even in the age of Wii, still exist) will enjoy a movie with plenty of heart, spunk, and humor.
Bonus Content: check out Disney's Wreck-It Ralph YouTube channel for mock commercials of some of the movie's fictional games, they're a hoot.
