Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BcYBFC6zfY
Rating- PG
Genre- animation/comedy
Warnings- none
This is one of the movies I was most excited to watch this year, and it has finally arrived. Ralph Breaks the Internet or as I like to call it, Wreck it Ralph 2, appeared in theaters on Thanksgiving week and kids and adults alike fulled the rows of seats alongside me. The concept of this movie's universe is enough to attract a lot of people with its unique interpretation on video games and the internet; I know it did for me. Coupled with the vibrant, electric-like aesthetic of the internet world and the clever easter eggs that one can spot if they have a watchful eye, this sequel has thousands of fans excited for what clever story was in store. Yet, sequels have a tendency to be lackluster compared to their predecessor and sometimes just totally irrelevant to the original storyline.
This sequel is no exception to those risks, and while I sat and watched this Disney film I wondered if it'd actually be as great as the internet said it would be or would it break my heart?
The movie stars video game villain, Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Sugar Rush racer, Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) as they have become best friends since the first movie and are now going on a new adventure into the unknown referred to as: The Internet. Through this journey, they learn about the wonders of this technological world and meet some interesting characters who lead them to discover more about themselves and their desires in life.
I went into this not thinking that anything poignant would come out of the story. From appearances, this sequel appears to be just a cash grab to sell more Disney related merchandise. I didn't think it'd be a horrible thing, but nothing as great as the one that came before it. But I was proven wrong. I almost enjoyed this sequel more than the first film. The animation is excellent and easy on the eyes and the creativity is astounding to me.
There were a lot of fun moments that made the kid inside of me jump with joy, plus a lot of funny jokes that a lot of people would understand ranging from references to websites to comments on the internet world and jokes on other popular video game characters. My favorite thing about this sequel is that there was really no plot twist. What you see is what you get, and by that I mean that there is no secret villain or characters who are not what they seem, it's really just Ralph and Vanellope exploring the internet and themselves as characters. Somewhat like a coming-of-age movie for the leads, and it was very pleasant to watch- for the most part.
The new characters that come into this universe are all likable and more than likely already for sale in the Disney store in time for Christmas. I remembered all of them no matter how much screen time they had in total, and yet with every new character the movie lost some great ones.
If you were a fan of Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer) and Sergeant Calhoun (Jane Lynch) then this is not the sequel for you because they are barely in this at all. It's like a slap in the face because they had a lot more screen time together in the first movie and their story was really cute. I was looking forward to learn more about how they managed to grow together, and if anything we only get a snippet of that through exposition and the rest is history. If there's another sequel for this, which there probably will be, I think they will expand their characters more, and this is just the springboard to jump into something even greater, but I can't count on a third movie to this franchise. As of right now, I am disappointed in these characters' lack of involvement in the overall story.
Thankfully, Ralph and Vanellope were still strong leads to follow throughout the story and the lessons that you learn between the two of them is unlike anything I've learned before. I admired how smooth the transition was from this creative and hilarious escapade to a moral that was all too relatable and powerful. Ralph and Vanellope have two different ideas for how they want their lives to go, and because of searching the internet they discover what that is- which still differs from what the other wants, but the movie spreads the message that that is perfectly okay and is in fact healthy to have opposite dreams and allow each other to pursue them.
With that being said, Ralph was a major creep in this sequel! What he intends for himself and Vanellope is really sketchy if it were the real world. That may just be my dark mind talking, but the way in which Ralph feels about Vanellope reminds me of a man-child who can't go on without a little girl by his side. Is that what the writers wanted us to think actually? Because as I said, this felt all too relatable in a sense that I've witnessed this before.
I used to have a "friend" who would fall apart at the mention of me wanting to hang out with someone else, and another one who sent me this cruel email about how distant I've been from him and that I'm a selfish person because of my actions.
It's more common than people may realize that some people force themselves on others for their own desires without the consideration of that person they want to be with. I've even seen some movies where particularly the female has to put her dreams on hold because her boyfriend or friends are not happy that she's not with them all of the time, and that always gave me a bad taste in my mouth. So to depict that toxic relationship to children in a way they can understand was such a great thing to witness.
Ralph Breaks the Internet was amazing to watch for how funny and intelligent it was in many aspects. From the easter eggs to the morals, this is a wonderful movie to watch with the family. I would absolutely watch it again. Although some of my favorite characters disappeared, the new characters helped me overcome that sadness. I'd give this franchise a pass in being fine with one more sequel, but that's it!
I give Ralph Breaks the Internet a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Video Link on Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeJc5bJ-atE
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
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Chun Li looks amazing! A little thin for someone with muscular legs, but not bad at all.
The way that Vanellope talks about how she craves more out of her life even though she loves Sugar Rush is the equivalent of how someone has a 9 to 5 job and is bored with how predictable it becomes and wants more outside of that.
Oh my god, it's Sonic! I am such a fan. This is making my 12 year old self so happy right now.
I spotted a zombie walking off in the background. He comes up a little later on. He's the cutest thing.
Taffyta, I thought you'd be nicer after the first movie. Do you need to be fearful of being executed again?
I see where this is going. Ralph is the one who causes the main problem in the movie because of that track he made.
So this is where Slaughter Race comes in, the players from Sugar Rush will go there.
If the characters in Sugar Rush go to other games, how will that affects the real world? Wouldn't people spot them in other games and get concerned that the games have a virus and shut down those as well?
I don't know about Feliz and Calhoun taking in the racer kids. Not because of the obvious, but more so that it seems a bit out of character, for Calhoun especially. But then again, love makes you do crazy things, like adopting 15 children.
Why was Ralph's transport bubble thing red? Does that mean he'll infect the internet? (boy, would I come to realize how on the money I was by the end of this movie. This doesn't confirm that this is why it was red though)
Those avatars are so cute. I want to make art of my own depicting how I might look as one of those avatars.
Ebay sounds so foreign to me. I've never used it in my life, and it doesn't seem like many people do according to what I see on social media.
Hah, Miranda Sings! A lot of people laughed at the scene where her avatar got crushed.
Gord is the cutest thing I've ever seen and equally the most terrifying thing as well. That arm stretch he does makes me think of the Don't Hug I'm Scared Youtube series.
Shank's hair is to die for.
What's so bad about Shank and the gang, Ralph. I would think as someone who likes to wreck it, he'd be more on board with them.
Hey, Yesss showed a Fortnite video for a second!
You know something? Ralph on a goat's body may look stupid, but it would be a meme nowadays. Look at what they did with Shrek.
I want to go to that Disney place. There's Pixar and Marvel! Oh, I see Iron Man back there. I am squealing inside.
Stan Lee! Mmh...my heart...
That moment we've all been waiting for, the princesses scene.
Why are they all so aggressive? Jesus...I mean, when you think about it, someone did just magically appear in their room and the trauma of either being kidnapped, poisoned, or otherwise made them get tougher skin.
You just know they're going to milk the hell out of those princess pajamas at Disney stores worldwide. Here are a few favorites of mine that I've spotted: Cinderella's G2G shirt, Moana's shiny shirt, Snow White's poison apple shirt, Anna's finish each other's sandwiches shirt, and Belle's Beast Friends Forever shirt.
What did Merida say? I actually want to know. *Looks it up* Ahh, according to Imdb.com, it says, quote: "I gave my mom a cake, she turned into a big bear. My old man tries to do her in. If that's not a pure mess, I don't know what is."
Never read Youtube comments. Never.
A spilled cup of water is enough to made me laugh a lot.
Yeah Ralph, you don't want to lose your best..."friend." But the way you're acting is really disturbing. A grown man angry that a little girl is not around him 24/7 and she wants to have her own life instead of spending all of her time with him? Yeah Ralph. You don't want to lose your "friend." Got ya.
I get it, okay? He was a villian all of his life so not a lot of people liked him until Vanellope did. The thought of losing her would crush him...
As long as the virus does not spread outside of Slaughter Race everything will be fine, which means everything will not be fine because the virus will spread outside of Slaughter Race. Crazy, no?
Aww, I get it...searching for insecurity. This is about our insecurities as human beings and how it can destroy us from the inside out. That's deep...
This friendship break up is not as bad as the first movie. The first movie was just chilling to me, whereas this is just...meh. Although I would be mad like Vanellope was over what Ralph did.
So Ralph is the villain of this movie all along...makes sense. He was born a villain, made into it.
Seeing the multiple Ralphs crawling up the buildings is so funny to me. Like ants!
Is this the time where Fix-it Felix and Calhoun step in to help save the day? Because where the hell are they?!
"How to find your ex-girlfriend's house" and the way that avatar looked walking away, with that serious face...yeah, he going to kill someone.
These Ralph things remind me of zombies (I can hear it now. Of course they were depicted as zombies, Jen! This isn't a surprise!) and whenever there's some zombie aspect or possession thing inside of movie I get the chills. I hate the idea of someone being controlled.
Pinterest!
I wasn't expecting the movie to go down this route of, "allow your friend to follow their dreams and don't bring them down with your toxic possessiveness," but I like it a lot. Not a lot of things depict this and I've seen movies, shows, and so on that stray off this lesson and make it seem nice that one person gives up their dreams for someone else's desires. I knew that wasn't a good thing, and those things leave a bad taste in my mouth. Good for you, Ralph Breaks the Internet, this could change many mindset's on how they treat one another.
I'm also glad that Ralph is the one who stops the monster, which as they explain in the movie, is his own insecurity.
Aww, this is like a long distance relationship now.
Sonic! You've come back, and reading in a book club with Ralph and Zangeif? That is the cutest image I've ever seen.
The advice on how to raise perfect kids was funny and cute.
There's going to be another sequel to this. Something is going to happen where Vanellope has to return to Sugar Rush and Shank drives one of the cute little cars. I bet on it.
Funny writers! They knew I'd wonder why they didn't have that famous Pancake Milkshake scene in the trailer. Also, side note, the mother in the end credits scene says, "Mo." Is that short for Moana?!
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