Aleya Ericson | rawr reviews
Many die-hard fans of childhood simplicity moaned at the ending of the “Toy Story” trilogy in 2010.
But this year the movie “Wreck-It Ralph” can appease fans of childhood video game arcades everywhere. Following in the tradition of “Toy Story,” after humans leave a video arcade, the video game characters come alive and move about freely between arcade games after the arcade closes at the end of the day.
“Wreck-It Ralph” follows the adventures of Wreck-It Ralph, the video game villain of the arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr., who is tired of his job as a villain. Every day, players insert quarters into Fix-It Felix to control the hero of the 8-bit game as he attempts to repair an apartment building that Wreck-It Ralph destroyed.
“Wreck-It Ralph” appeals to gaming enthusiasts by incorporating many modern and not- so modern games into the movie. The game Fix-It Felix Jr. as a whole appears to be modeled after early versions of Donkey Kong, the classic 8-bit arcade game that spawned the Mario franchise. Much like Donkey Kong, in Fix-It Felix Jr., the 8-bit hero ascends levels of elevation and dodges obstacles in order to defeat a villain at the top of the level.
Eventually, Ralph grows weary of his job as a villain and being hated by the residents of the apartment building. Ralph ventures outside of his arcade console into other arcade games in an attempt to win respect and recognition from his own game. Ralph is pursued by Fix-It Felix, Jr. who attempts to bring him back to the game, as no arcade game can function without a villain.
“Wreck-It Ralph” is a rare success as a movie that manages to appeal to every audience. Younger audiences will enjoy the omnipresent themes of every kid’s movie: being yourself, following your dreams and doing the right thing. Older audiences will enjoy the references to classic video arcade games such as Qbert and Tapper.
All audiences will be amazed at the wonderful animation that went into designing the video game worlds. The candy racing world, which Ralph eventually finds himself in, is fantastic from the forest of candy canes to pits of chocolate. The candy racing world may be derived from the classic board game of Candyland.
Some of the characters that populate “Wreck-It Ralph” may be plucked from popular arcade games, but the unique characters of the movie still shine.
Vanellope Von Schweetze, voiced by Sarah Silverman, is a little girl in the candy racing game who dreams of being part of the race. Despite at the beginning having a voice that sounds like a 6-year-old smokes six packs of cigarettes a day, Vanellope’s voice eventually hits the appropriate pitch. The simple unmatched enthusiasm that Vanellope displays for racing and life is comparable to any real-life child. Easily one of the most loveable characters in the movie, Vanellope’s quest to join the race is heartwarming to watch.
“Wreck-It Ralph” is an overall adorable movie that is well worth the time to watch. The movie was so touching that the showing I attended was filled with verbal “Awwwws” at the end of the movie. So if you’re craving a dose of childhood nostalgia, “Wreck-It Ralph” is an excellent choice.