A Reel Review: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET

WRECK-IT RALPH, the computer-animated surprise hit of 2012, was a film that fed a lot of quarters into our sense of nostalgia. Based on original and classic video game characters, the film took us through the inner workings of video games and the arcades that house them and brought back many memories of cabinet-sized games in simple, 16-bit glory. The sequel, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, doesn’t bother with nostalgia at all, and instead plows head-first into the future. 

Six years after the events of the first film, video game characters Ralph (John C. Reilly), and his best friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), leave the friendly confines of their games and arcade for the world wide web…in search of a replacement part for Vanellope’s broken game which is now on the verge of being scrapped. 

Where the first RALPH film was a story about clinging to the past, the sequel literally leaves that behind and focuses on the here and now. Ralph is now very happy and content with his life, while his best buddy in the whole wide world Vanellope is now bored with her game and is ready for a new challenge. The friendship between the two is developed strongly and drives the film. Ralph, who is still the lovable dumbass, will do anything for his friend even to disastrous consequences, and the two different goals for the characters becomes a challenge to their friendship. 

Directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston see that friendship as the center of the film, and they are right to do so. The challenges Ralph and Vanellope face threaten their relationship and very existence, and they have to overcome obstacles that any one of us have faced out here in the real world. It gives this animated fantasy a lot of heart and it really works. 

Where the film really shines is the creative power in showing us the inner workings of the internet. Familiar terms and places such as email, pop-ups, pop-up blockers, trolls, eBay, Instagram, Twitter, and social media are all given physical representations. Even the human users on the other side are given a presence, and the results are mind-boggling. There are also several fan-favorite cameos scattered throughout the film, including a visual assault when the duo visits the Disney website. 

John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman seem to be having a blast with their parts, and both fit their characters so very well. Other parts filled in by Taraji P. Henson, Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, Alan Tudyk, and a few other surprises are handled very well. The show is stolen by Gal Gadot, who appears as a tough racer in a high-stakes bloodbath of a racing game. 

The last half-hour goes a little off the rails, even to the point of being ridiculous, but by movie’s end all can be forgiven as it goes for a fitting and bittersweet wrap-up. The first WRECK-IT RALPH had lessons for us all to learn in a familiar setting, and the sequel takes us to new places with even more to learn. It’s fun, heartwarming, and worth every quarter. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it