The world is goosed. Looking at the news would give you a pain in your face. Looking at twitter would make you want to pull off your leg so you could comfortably kick yourself in the bits. Anguish is everywhere. Tangerine Balls is omnipresent. Thinking too much about it all would put you down in the dumps massively. Sometimes it seems like the only thing that could possibly cheer you up is a blast of Disney, the old reliable. A big ball of heart and fun in a world gone wrong. Just try to ignore the fact that they're another corporation slowly taking over the planet and lash into Wreck It Ralph 2. It's not quite as good as it's predecessor but it will definitely make you smile.
Set 6 years after the events of the first film, Ralph and his best friend Vanellope are 2 video game characters who have fallen into a comfortable routine. They spend their nights together exploring their world, having a few root beers and watching the sunrise before retreating to their respective games to entertain the kids who come to the arcade to play them. Vanellope is getting bored though and in an well meaning effort to change things up for her Ralph accidentally breaks her game and they have to travel into the internet to fix things fast. Ralph though, oh Ralph. Ralph's speciality is wrecking things and in no time his destructive ways could spell an end his both his and his best friend's existence.
This was good fun. It's a sequel you can enjoy without having seen the first and you don't need to be au fait with the world of gaming or pop culture to get the majority of it's jokes. Not all the jokes work sadly but the best parts of Wreck It Ralph 2 come from the heart of the story. At it's core this is a simple tale of two friends finding their relationship tested by growth and change. Ralph on one side happy to stand still and poor little Vanellope on the other side yearning for something new while trying not to hurt her bud. It's a universal thing, an issue no doubt experienced by anyone lucky enough to have good friends in their life and thus will resonate with viewers young and old. But mostly old. One thing Disney films have always been great at is entertaining you while sneakily educating you too. Having a heartfelt message in amongst the CGI and comedy will always elevate a film like this.
Message aside it's a feast for the eyes. Ralph and Vanellope are two brilliantly realised creations, all big arms and huge eyes. The world of the internet they find themselves lost in is an assault on the senses. Every inch of the screen is alive and buzzing. It's the net reimagined as a giant cityscape. Google and IMDB are huge skyscrapers. Ebay is literally an auction house. Pop-ups are like the ubiquitous street chuggers, in your face and a constant annoyance, pop up blockers are besuited gigantic bouncers who'll take no shit from anyone. The google searchbar is a stressed out chap at an information desk who throws out guesses after you speak your first vowel and a man eternally upset by the lack of gratitude he receives. The most entertainingly moments of the film happen here including a hilariously violent explanation for those mysterious losses of net connectivity we all suffer. The imagination of display is fantastic. It's just a pity that, a few very funny bits and pieces aside, the comedic side of the film can't keep up with it's imagination.
John C.Reilly and Sarah Silverman though. Both are superb as Ralph and Vanellope. Funny, rambunctious, totally believable as friends. BTW Vanellope's scene with a room full of familiar faces is a great one and will hit older viewers with a wave of nostalgia. The chemistry between her and Ralph is perfect meaning it's hard to take when they inevitably become estranged as a result of Ralph's destructive ways. Ralph isn't just physically destructive, here he's emotionally destructive too. His ill thought out plans and sabotaging ways indictive of a man terrified of losing control in a world that's brand new to him. It's this kind of depth that carries the movie through it's dull patches where the jokes are hit and miss and the story seems to sag a bit. 1hr 52 minutes is a bit much for a CGI feature film but everything does come together in a lovely way at the end.
I liked this. It doesn't all work but stellar voice-work from its leads and a powerful message about friendship mean there's plenty here for the grown ups while the little 'uns gawp at the visuals onscreen. One thing you'll notice on the journey though is the sheer amount of pop culture that's been swallowed up by the Disney behemoth in the last few years courtesy of an array of cameos and easter eggs. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that yet. Monopolies are rarely a good thing.
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