1471. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch

Director: Rich Moore

Running Time: 101 mins

Wreck-It Ralph is an American film about a bad guy from an arcade video game who wants to be a hero for a change. However, his attempts to win a medal that prove his heroics cause chaos for all the video games at his arcade.

I absolutely loved this film. It’s inventive, imaginative, funny and full of heart, not to mention complete with all the classic video game characters you could ever want. Wreck-It Ralph is one of those rare kids’ movies that follows all the tropes of the genre, yet delights and touches you in so many ways. Whether it be the colourful animation, the brilliant voice performances, the heartfelt story or anything else, this is easily one of the best animated movies I’ve ever seen.

If there is one thing that really stands out in my mind about this film, though, then it would be its boundless scope of imagination. Taking on the Toy Story premise of personifying the video game characters and giving them their own world, the countless ideas that this film comes up with are absolutely wonderful.

The unlikely interplay between video game characters from all walks of life makes for some great comedy, but it also helps to really emphasise how diverse this world is, and the fact that that is done so effectively means that the film works almost perfectly at every moment. What’s more is that all the different worlds that we see our characters venture through add so much vibrancy to the film, as the mix between 3D animation and old 8-bit proves a delightful nostalgic treat, whilst also simply making the film as a whole look brilliant.

But the endless imagination doesn’t stop there. Along with all the different worlds, the main characters of this film couldn’t have been chosen more perfectly. At the centre of it all, we have Wreck-It Ralph, a professional bad guy who wants to be good. Whilst it may end up a little like the typical ‘you’re special no matter who you are’ story, it’s so easy to sympathise with Ralph, thanks to his cuddly animation and John C. Reilly’s delightful voice performance.

Alongside, Ralph works with Vanellope, a rebellious ‘glitch’ who is outcast by all the people in her world. Again, that does occasionally fall foul to the same trope, but thanks to Sarah Silverman’s unique voice performance, making Vanellope a far more dynamic character than you would expect, it’s also very easy to care for, and that’s what helps to make this such a heartfelt film. Along with the supporting players Fix-It Felix Jr. and Calhoun, we get a wide variety of characters all coming together to help one another. It may sound cheesy as I write it, but it’s honestly handled extremely well in this film, and makes for a beautifully touching watch throughout.

And then there’s even more. Beyond the beautiful animation, excellent performances and heartfelt story, Wreck-It Ralph is an absolutely hilarious film. By far the funniest of the Second Disney Renaissance, the comedic actors behind the characters put in such a great turn to provide as much energy and fun to the film as possible, whilst the writing is jam-packed with all sorts of playful gaming jokes, good slapstick and endless but still delightful puns.

In the end, Wreck-It Ralph is a brilliant film. It’s a kids’ movie that absolutely anyone can love, thanks to its upbeat and vibrant atmosphere, along with a heartfelt and engrossing story centred around four hilarious and delightful main character, all voiced brilliantly by an A-list cast, and that’s why Wreck-It Ralph gets an 8.5 from me.