2012’s Wreck it Ralph is one of my absolute favorite animated films. It’s on a level that a lot of animated movies rarely reach. When I heard there was a sequel in production I couldn’t wait to see what was in store. I’m glad to say that Disney’s magic shines through this film. It’s not a work of perfection, and I don’t think it’s on the exact same level as the first, but it’s pretty damn close!
So what was so good about this sequel? Well for starters, the voice work is just so great! Sarah Silverman gets a very special shoutout in this section because she brings Venelope to life in such a vibrant way. It is perfect casting for that role. John C Reilly is also great at voicing Ralph and there couldn’t have been a better pick. Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer are both still great as Felix and Calhoun. We have some good new additions too, such as Gal Gadot as Shank and Taraji P Henson as Yesss, and I really loved their voicework here as it was very fitting.
To go along with the great voice talent, there’s absolutely stunning animation and visuals which is just mesmerizing at times. All the characters look great, especially Gadot and Henson’s. I also thought the internet was very well realized. They were very inventive in creating that world and explaining how it operates. I particularly loved seeing how they handled the search bar and taking you to a specific website. There are some really well put together action sequences, one in fact where I was in awe of how spectacular the visuals were.
The script is very well written too. It provides good character development, some really fun/meta humor, and dialogue that elicits strong emotional reactions when needed. The message is also really strong and positive, some examples being flipping the whole damsel in distress princess theme on its head, supporting your loved ones dreams, showing the effects of cyberbullying. All are very important themes and I was so happy to see them on display here.
There really weren’t very many moments where I felt negatively towards the film. There was one part of the film where I felt a bit lukewarm about it, and that’s the beginning. For some reason, I just thought the beginning was a little weak. Not to say it was poorly done, but I was sitting there hoping it was gonna kick in. Also, I would’ve preferred to have seen Calhoun and Felix incorporated in a better way, I wanted to see more of them because of how great they were in the first one. While I realize that they had to make room for the newcomers, I still think this sequel was too light on them, and I say that simply because they have such a great vibe/energy about them and they uplifts the film as a whole.
There’s really only one thing that I just flat out did not like and that is the mid credits scene. I stayed in my seat after the credits started rolling to see if there was a mid credits scene and unfortunately there was. This extra scene was not only unfunny, but also pretty dark for the target audience. The tone of it was going for comical but I don’t think it achieved that, instead it’s oddly dark and just doesn’t fit the film well. But the good news about that is that you can just leave once the credits start rolling and you’ll be all good. PS: Parents I suggest not sticking around for the scene if your kids are especially young.
All in all, Ralph Breaks the Internet is a really well made sequel that everyone can have fun with. It’s got so many great things from the voice talent to the visuals to the writing that all work in its favor, and it’s for sure one that I recommend you go see.
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