In a relatively unprecedented move for animated films, the principal cast of John C. Reilly (Ralph), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz), Jack McBrayer (Felix), and Jane Lynch (Calhoun) recorded much of their dialogue together in the same recording studio. This allowed for some inevitable improvisations to take place for sure, but it also allowed these terrific comedians to elevate these characters to instant icon status. Reilly's Ralph is a tremendously fascinating character with surprising depth and emotion. Yes, he is the bad guy in his game, but he wants to rid himself of that life and become the hero he believes he is destined to be. The only problem is that he is simply not programmed to be the good guy, and that is what makes Ralph such a great character. It is with this revelation about his unavoidable badness that he adapts and understands that he is bad, but that is good because he is being himself above all. Reilly truly shines in this tailor-made-for-him role. Silverman's Vanellope is a fantastic character that I will discuss in more detail below, but she is certainly the highlight of the film. McBrayer's Felix and Lynch's Calhoun are prominently featured in some of the film's most hilarious moments (the Laffy Taffy sequence is classical). These characters make Wreck-It Ralph work, and this cast is the lifeblood behind these icons. Without them, these characters are nowhere close to the legendary status they possess today.
The world of video gaming allows the Disney animators to have an absolute field day with their art, and it is a spectacle to behold from beginning to end. Every single individual game is a chance for us to watch the masters at work like never before. As the opening prologue comes to a close, we are transported inside the Fix-It Felix Jr. game and we are off to the races, being constantly bombarded with gorgeous, breathtaking scene after gorgeous, breathtaking scene. From Sugar Rush to Hero's Duty, every sequence in Wreck-It Ralph is a masterclass in animation. Even the characters themselves are flawlessly animated, especially (but certainly not limited to) King Candy (voiced by the new Disney lucky charm Alan Tudyk) and Vanellope. Furthermore, Henry Jackman's score is superb, intricately weaving in old school flair with modern accompaniments. You read about being transported inside a particular film's world often, but those sort of statements are sometimes blown out of proportion. In Wreck-It Ralph, it may be the most appropriate time to stake that claim. For just over ninety minutes, we are almost quite literally a part of this amazing universe of gaming, and oftentimes, I simply sit back and watch with awestruck wonder.
Even in a film defined by its striking visuals and outrageously phenomenal characters, Wreck-It Ralph is also able to harvest an outstanding emotion climax as well. The dynamic between Ralph and Vanellope is what progresses this story and keeps us coming back for more upon repeat viewings. Ralph's major objective throughout the film is to win a medal and return to his game a hero, but upon meeting Vanellope, his definition of what a hero is dramatically altered. No longer does he believe that heroic deeds are exclusively accomplished by winning something; instead, Ralph realizes that one becomes a hero sometimes even when you haven't won a thing. Through his encounters with Vanellope, Ralph's life is completely changed, and Wreck-It Ralph evolves from a supremely entertaining film to a modern day classic because of it. Additionally, the various twists presented throughout the story are spectacular and keep the story fresh. The revealing of King Candy as the notorious Turbo is one for the ages that still catches me off guard to an extent today, and Calhoun's backstory is a simple, yet highly effective addition to the characterization of the intense commander and the story in general.
Wreck-It Ralph has only been a part of our lives for less than four years now, but it feels as if this film has become an integral part of my Disney fandom. Time will be the ultimate judge of whether or not it belongs in the same breath as such masterpieces as The Little Mermaid or Aladdin, but I do believe in the existence of modern day classics, and Wreck-It Ralph is most definitely one of them. I cannot wait to return to Game Central Station in 2018 with this film's sequel, and I hope it is able to capture the magic and greatness of its predecessor.
Rating: 10/10
Historical Significance: Acting as a confirmation of the studio's third Golden Age status, Wreck-It Ralph became the first Disney animated film since Mulan in 1998 to take home Best Animated Feature at the Annie Awards, the most prestigious animation awards in Hollywood. In fact, the film would win five Annie Awards: Animated Feature, Directing (Rich Moore), Voice Acting (Alan Tudyk as King Candy), Music (Henry Jackman), and Writing (Jennifer Lee and Phil Johnston). Jennifer Lee became the first female to write a full-length animated film for Disney since Noni White for Tarzan in 1999. Lee would go on to co-direct Frozen a year later in 2013 and contribute to the story of Zootopia in 2016 (she will also be penning the screenplay for Disney's upcoming A Wrinkle in Time and will be co-directing Frozen 2). Wreck-It Ralph, by the way, would not win the Academy Award or the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature despite winning the Annie; Pixar's Brave would win both awards. Furthermore, Sarah Silverman's memoir, "The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee," inspired director Rich Moore to create Vanellope von Schweetz. Of course, Silverman would later be cast as Vanellope in the film.
Behind the Scenes: I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to mention the brilliant short film that played in theaters before Wreck-It Ralph entitled Paperman. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2013 and is my personal favorite short film from the studio since Walt's heyday of making shorts in the twenties and thirties. Stop reading and watch the short here. I guarantee you it will be the greatest six minutes of your day. Have you watched it? Good. The paper that so miraculously travels throughout the short can actually be seen in Wreck-It Ralph. If you look closely at the wall behind Ralph during the Bad-Anon meeting, you can spot it, one of the best Easter eggs I have ever located. Additionally, a video game based film had actually been on Disney's radar since the eighties. The original concept is unknown, but the title was originally "High Score." In the nineties, the idea was still being developed under the new name "Joe Jump." When the film was finally issued to production, Fix-It Felix Jr. was initially intended to be the main character, and we are unsure why Ralph was inserted as the lead instead (good call, Disney).
Favorite Character: Ralph is an all-time great character in the Disney canon, but I must go with Vanellope von Schweetz as my favorite character from Wreck-It Ralph. By now, you know how much I love character evolution throughout the course of a film, and I especially love it when a particular character's evolution is triggered by another great character and his or her evolution. Ralph undoubtedly experiences a stark change in personality and conduct by the film's conclusion, but that transformation would not have occurred without Vanellope. As soon as Vanellope enters Ralph's life, his life becomes drastically different because he is the now the best kind of hero he can be in her eyes, and he needs no medal to prove it (even though she does give him the best "medal" possible). Additionally, Vanellope is an amazing character in her own right as well. She is a glitch, a social outcast in the realm of Sugar Rush, but she is determined to flip the script and prove herself to King Candy and the rest of his subjects. All she wants to do is race (even though she doesn't know how to drive, ironically), and she will stop at nothing until her dream becomes a reality. She will build her own car, live inside Diet Cola Mountain, and even befriend a notorious bad guy. Vanellope is one of those characters that you simply cannot stop yourself from caring immensely about from the moment she graces the screen with her presence. Sarah Silverman turns in a career-best, scene-stealing performance as Vanellope as she assists in creating one of the greatest characters from the third Golden Age.
Favorite Scene: The relationship between Vanellope and Ralph is primarily what makes Wreck-It Ralph such a great film, and the signature Disney emotional moment confirms that fact and just so happens to be my favorite scene as well. Finally, Vanellope has a car and a race to compete in. Her dreams of becoming a real racer are so close, and Ralph has been there every step of the way for support and coaching. As Vanellope runs back home to retrieve something she wants to give to Ralph, King Candy pays Ralph a visit. King Candy explains to Ralph that if Vanellope races, the users will see her glitching and the game could be deemed out of order, therefore causing the game to be permanently unplugged with no escape for Vanellope. Ralph is obviously torn. He wants Vanellope to race because it is her dream, but he also doesn't want her to die if the game is unplugged. It is a tremendous conflict that is only disrupted with the return of Vanellope with a gift. In the ultimate act of gratitude, Vanellope bestows upon a Ralph the gift he has been craving for his entire: a medal. This handmade token of appreciation and love from Vanellope simply states, "You're my hero," and when Ralph first receives this medal, it is enough to bring just about anyone to tears. Now, Ralph's conflict is amplified, and with the toughest of tough decisions, Ralph decides to do what is best to ensure Vanellope's safety: he wrecks her car. Heartbroken, Vanellope discovers that King Candy had actually returned Ralph's Hero's Duty medal and she is rightfully furious because she thinks Ralph is only doing this because he finally has his coveted medal. Ralph then returns home to Fix-It Felix Jr. and his life, as well as our lives, will never be the same. We know that amends are eventually made as Ralph discovers Candy's grand plan upon returning to his game, but this is a scene of excellent character development for Ralph and Vanellope, and it also provides the critical emotional punch that elevates Wreck-It Ralph to classic level.Favorite Song: I am not going to go in much depth here simply because there is only one song to choose from really, but I just couldn't write a review of Wreck-It Ralph without highlighting the splendid song "When Can I See You Again?" that plays during the end credits and has since become the anthem for the Paint the Night Parade in Disneyland. If you have somehow missed or forgotten its greatness, listen to the song and watch the official video here.
Updated Ranking: It is rather difficult to properly rank these relatively new films that I consider instant classics because I have only lived with them for a few years, unlike other films that I literally grew up with. However, this is how Wreck-It Ralph stands in my mind today. This could change quite significantly throughout my life, though.
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lion King
- Aladdin
- Tangled
- The Little Mermaid
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Peter Pan
- Cinderella
- The Jungle Book
- Sleeping Beauty
- Lilo & Stitch
- The Princess and the Frog
- Hercules
- Mulan
- The Emperor's New Groove
- Tarzan
- Pinocchio
- Lady and the Tramp
- Wreck-It Ralph
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Alice in Wonderland
- Dumbo
- Bambi
- 101 Dalmatians
- Pocahontas
- Treasure Planet
- The Great Mouse Detective
- Fantasia
- Winnie the Pooh
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
- The AristoCats
- Fantasia 2000
- Meet the Robinsons
- The Rescuers Down Under
- Fun and Fancy Free
- The Fox and the Hound
- Robin Hood
- Bolt
- Dinosaur
- Melody Time
- The Three Caballeros
- Saludos Amigos
- Brother Bear
- Oliver & Company
- The Rescuers
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- The Sword in the Stone
- Make Mine Music
- The Black Cauldron
- Chicken Little
- Home on the Range
Tomorrow, we're going back to school with Mike and Sulley in Monsters University!
-Cody Fleenor
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