Wreck-It Ralph is Disney's latest computer animated enterprise. And it was a lush whopper. Tempestuous action, brilliant color combined with wonderfully creative environments and ample childish humor will be in store.
I grew up in video game culture. I had the original Nintendo and played many of the classics through to completion. It amazes me the nostalgia that pixelated graphics can render. I won't say kids are spoiled today. Different games for different times. Yes games are far more expansive with stellar graphics that were unimaginable when I was a kid. Yet, Super Mario Bros. 3 was good 20+ years ago and will still be good in 20+ years. It's simplicity reigns supreme. I don't get to play games much anymore but I by no means think they are a waste of time or a mark of nerdom. I played God of War 3 a few months back and had the time of my life for ten hours. It's amazing how far games have come.
Back to Ralph. Pixar is the undisputed king of CGI animation. That said, Disney has crafted a film that presents a challenge to their sovereignty. It's no surprise that John Lasseter was apart of the project. You might expect it to be a movie with a lot of old game characters. Don't get your hopes too high, though, this is an original story with only brief references to the golden oldies. It took an unexpected story turn for me and spent much of the time in candy land. The creativity of the worlds and idiosyncratic personalities are plenty to keep your enjoyment level elevated with various high octane chase scenes and much forgotten sound effects to provide all the catharsis one could handle. I can't wait for the next generation of games. Fantastic Virtual Reality is headed our way.
By the way, the opening silent film, Paperman, was great—waterworks were employed.
Recommended Viewing: Wall·e - Tangled - Rango
Bob Scale: The Critic: 8.3 - The Fan: 8.8
MetaCritic: 72
Rotten Tomatoes: 84
IMDB: 8.4
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