Wreck it Ralph (2012 ) - 8/10

 I remember Wreck it Ralph as a kids movie that had a cool premise, but ultimately just came and went. It just didn't seem to have the staying power that other Disney/Pixar movies had. In retrospect, WIR is much more than it initially appeared to be. It still has a great premise, but is also willing to tackle some well trodden themes in a fresh and compelling way. And I think the lack of popularity over time is really just a reflection of the age group. Not to take anything away from films like Frozen, but their popularity is largely due to the way younger kids latch onto certain things like songs or characters. Its unpredictable for what exactly that 'thing' may be, but having listened to my daughters favorite song (yes singular song) for 1,000,000 times and never see her grow tired of it, I've seen that in action. So while WIR and Frozen share some very similar thematic DNA, WIR is geared to a slightly older audience who doesn't have that same rabidness for the same thing over and over. But anyway, we should just jump into the rubric and see why I think WIR should have more notoriety than it currently does. 

1. Acting 

I think John C Reilly is a much more versatile actor than people give him credit for, especially those that only know him as a Will Ferrell collaborator. With that said, his voice performance can be a bit flat here. He succeeds in making Ralph a likable oaf, but is vastly overshadowed by the surrounding cast that are giving much more distinctness to their characters. For instance, his counterpart for a bulk of the film is Vanellope von Schweetz played by Sarah Silverman. For her part, this seems like a perfect role for Silverman who is able to make Vanellope the sassy, annoying, yet still adorable foil that she is. 

In addition to the main characters, the rest of the ensemble also did a great job. Jane Lynch does excellent work making Sergeant Calhoun into the gruff and commanding military character with a soft side. Jack McBrayer is smartly cast as the slightly bumbling, but good natured Felix. And Mindy Kaling resurrects a bit of Kelly Kapoor to make Taffyta Muttonfudge the great mean girl rival to Vanellope's underdog nature. But by far the strongest performance comes from the wonderful Alan Tudyk who is playing a secret double role as both the tottering King Candy and the evil villain Turbo. Tudyk's performance is slyly layered and he, most of all, is speaking as a character vice simply lending his normal voice and inflections to a character. 

2. Cinematography 

There is a lot to love in the animation and design of this world. Most of that is a credit to the various art and animation teams, but there is some good digital camera work happening. The shots are nicely composed and the action scenes are actually very well executed - especially the racing scenes. I also liked how they mimicked early video games limited animations styles for certain characters. We can especially see this with the residents of Niceland having a much lower frame rate than the other character in the scene in order to give them a jerky movement. I can't find any specifics on that technique, but you can actually see a very similar use of nonstandard frame rates in Into the Spider-Verse which make me wonder if it was parallel thinking or if WIR helped inspire one of the more famous animated movies of recent history. 

3. Production/Costume Design 

There are so many great instances of smart design within WIR. The general premise of the film certainly helps a lot in this regard since it opens up so many possibilities to explore. I also like that the film is using a combination of actual intellectual properties with its own original games. It lends the world a sense of authenticity and fun recognition for the audience, but is also allowing for some flexibility with the various characters that actually participate in the plot. 

Specifically for the established IPs, all of the borrowed characters are faithfully rendered and the blending of their original looks with the 'world' of the film work very well. I also like how they designed the in-game worlds and managed to tie that into how they would appear for the actual players at the arcade. It all just feels very clever and well composed. 

As for the original designs, both the characters and worlds look great. 'Original' is obviously a bit loose here since there are clearly some heavy homages to games like Donkey Kong, Mario Kart and Call of Duty/rail shooters. But, the adoption of those games is well realized within the movie. Ralph's world looks simple, but is smartly built out with the game to be more that just a retro 8-bit world. The newly installed and chaotic sci-fi world of Hero's Duty looks wonderful and captures the updated feel compared to its counterparts. And the land of Sugar Rush is a fully realized Candy Land packed with endless amounts of snack related details and references. 

Apart from the big ticket designs, what helps Wreck it Ralph is a slew of blink-and-you'll-miss-it details that both sell the world, and show a larger level of care than most films. For instance, early in the film there is a scene where Ralph smashes a cake that the citizens of Niceland made. The resulting splatter of the cake that is disbursed around the room is formed in pixelated square shapes to match the design style of that world. It effects the story in no significant way, nor will many viewers notice it, but it's a great idea to play out. And this is only one of dozens of video games related references that make the film special.  

4. Writing 

The theme that is central to WIR is one that has been explored in many kids targeted films: self love. Now, while this may not be ground breaking territory, it is still a worthwhile concept to explore. Ralph is labeled as a 'bad guy' within the video game world and he is struggling with that notion. All he really wants is to be accepted by the citizens of his game and be included in their lives. Instead he is rejected by them and is forced to live in the neighboring dump instead. There are two important things in that dynamic. First, Ralph needs to learn that he is more than what others label him and must nurture his self love in spite of it. On the flip side, the other characters need to learn to see beyond the labels placed on others, and instead focus on the actual merits of the individual. This central theme is reiterated in almost every other main character. Vanellope is not the glitch and reject her world has made her into, Sgt Calhoun is more than some hard ass space marine, and Felix is much more nuanced than the goody-two-shoe he appears to be. Each character goes on a journey of self discovery throughout the plot and all arrive at a mutual understanding of loving exactly who they are. As for the greater world, Ralph and crew's efforts are noticed by the world around them and each is shown to be more than what others assumed they were. It may be repetitive, and it may have been done many times before, but the writers manage to make it all still worthwhile by creating compelling characters that go on that journey. 

As for some of the other aspects of the script, I enjoyed how committed they were to sprinkling in clever dialogue throughout the entire film. Almost every line has a double meaning, pun, or a surprisingly deep insight that the characters get to deliver. Additionally, the writers seemed willing to go to some darker places with the characters. For instance, having Ralph smash Vanellope's car in order to protect her, after having just established their growing friendship for the audience, is a riskier choice that carries a good amount of emotional weight. 

The script also wraps up quite nicely. Most of the main character, themes, and plot devices are all introduced in the first few minutes of the film. At group, we get hints about the main villain Turbo, learn about Ralph's inner turmoil, get introduced to the theme of labels and self love, and we set in motion Ralph's initial quest to seek out a medal. Each of these gets played out in the finale with King Candy being revealed to be Turbo, Ralph's stating of the 'bad guy' mantra as he sacrifices himself, Ralph's acceptance of himself and ascension as a hero, and we bring back the medal in the form of Vannellope's candy medal to him. Again, we see a level of care and follow through from the writers that other films tend to lack. 

However, if there is one thing that I felt a bit disappointed in, it was the under use of the film's concept. WIR sets up a scenario where the characters can travel into any game inside the arcade. Instead of exploring that, Ralph really only goes between his game, Hero's Duty, and Sugar Rush (with a brief stop inside Tapper). I get why this is the case from a production standpoint, but it still feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. Even just a brief montage of Ralph trying to win medals from a bunch of different games instead of just Hero's Journey would have felt like a fuller use of the premise than what we got. 

5. Sound Design 

 The soundtrack is largely fine, filled mostly with borrowed pop hits and some original scores. Everything felt fitting, though nothing in particular made the film stand out. 

Otherwise, the use of sounds ripped directly from various video games (or inspired by them), is an obvious yet well executed addition. 

6. Editing

The film clocks in at 101 minutes which is a fitting run time for a movie like this. I did feel like it lingered a bit too long in Sugar Rush, but I understand that from a plot perspective. Otherwise, it keeps a decent enough pace and the sequences are well composed. 

7. Visual Effects 

I already talked a lot about the design qualities of the film, but as for the execution of them, WIR still comes in strong. I like that this is a different style than most other Disney films and I also like that each character and their respective world's feel unique. Everything is rendered well and has a high level of detail. 

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation 

Movies either about video games, or direct adaptations of video games, have been a tough nut to crack for Hollywood. WIR solved that problem by aligning itself within a video game world, but treating it simply as a backdrop for storytelling and character exploration. Because of that, WIR manages to elevate both its theme and creative concept above its peers. 

9. Stunt Coordination 

The few 'action' scenes that are in the film are well designed, with the Sugar Rush race being a particular highlight that was smartly and affectionately crafted. 

10. Direction 

Despite having a long career in animation prior to WIR, it is still surprising that this was Rich Moore's directorial debut. The film is carefully crafted and smartly executed and I would have expected it to have come from a more established director. 

Legacy/Final Thoughts

I wrongfully dismissed WIR as a more minor work from Disney animation. I'm happy to have been pleasantly surprised on this re-watch and I now am left to wonder why it hasn't secured a larger place in the zeitgeist. Ultimately, this film may just be a bit more niche given its setting and age demographic. But, maybe time will tell and more kids will come to it as it becomes a bit more retro like its central character.