Wreck-It Ralph (1 & 2)
This Pixar movie draws many comparisons with Toy Story but I still think it's the best animated film released in 2012 (much better than the same studio's Brave, which bored me beyond belief).
Much like Toy Story, it follows an array of characters who spring to life when there are no human witnesses, this time it's characters from the world of video games.
Ralph is a bad guy from an 8-bit arcade called 'Fix-It Felix', in which he demolishes a house while the good guy repairs it. Sick of a repetitive existence of not being appreciated, he game-jumps so he can be viewed as a good guy, but succeeds only in putting other video games in peril.
The story is great for kids of all ages and the references to video games of the 90's will keep the maturer viewers pleased.
Despite not being too original, it's a good, fun movie with some sweet and funny moments.
WRECK-IT RALPH 2: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (PG)
D: Rich Moore & Phil Johnston
Disney (Clark Spencer)
US 2018
112 mins
Animated
W: Phil Johnston, Pamela Ribon, Rich Moore, Jim Reardon & Josie Trinidad
Mus: Henry Jackman
voices of: John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope Von Schweetz), Gal Gadot (Shank), Taraji P. Henson (Yesss), Alan Tudyk (Knowsmore)
*SPOILER WARNING*
The hypocrisy of Hollywood at its very finest here, since The Emoji Movie did the exact same thing as this in 2017, but because this is Disney and it crams in some SJW agenda feminist message
about toxic masculinity (misandry seems to be very big in 2018) this is being considered a good film. Piffle!
Not only is this a weak sequel, I believe it actually does great harm to the original film and the messages it conveyed, such as being happy in yourself, and even those perceived as bad guys can have good within them. There's none of that here. In fact, Ralph isn't even the main character. It's all about Vanellope and her emancipation from the patriarchy, because fuck men. In a kid's film. Well done Disney.
The plot sees Ralph and Vanellope escape their games when Wifi is installed at the games arcade and they journey through the Internet to find a new steering wheel on EBay for Vanellope's racing game after it was accidentally broken. In the first film, Vanellope was unable to leave her game because she was a glitch, but she can in this sequel because "reasons".
Through their online journey, a metropolis of product placement creates their new world of discovery with large buildings representing Snapchat (you know, for kids), Twitter (because this worked so well in The Emoji Movie) and Buzztube (an amalgamation of Buzzfeed and YouTube, because even young children should have Buzzfeed's content shoved down their throats). Their quest also introduces them to a car-racing game along the lines of Grand Theft Auto, completely inappropriate for Vanellope's age market, but who cares, seedy violence and a dangerous atmosphere is good for underage kids. This game also has a main female character because toxic masculinity must be stopped!
Disney simply can't resist the opportunity to pimp its own shit here, so Star Wars and Marvel also make an appearance, as well as Disney Princesses who have a big scene where they want to ABOLISH THE PATRIARCHY, because TOXIC MASCULINITY. Remember, this is an important theme in a kids movie, and since Ralph is portrayed as an insecure doofus and all the other male characters are either criminals or pushovers, it's very easy for Disney to push this skewed message on the easily brainwashed.
There's also messages that a woman should do whatever the hell she pleases regardless of consequences, because the patriarchy must be stopped, so she abandons her game to live on the internet and despite gaining the steering wheel, Ralph goes back to his world alone like the awful, awful man he is.
Another bit of propaganda shoved down our throats is that we shouldn't pay attention to comments we read on the internet... especially those written by men, and we should believe everything we are told by Buzzfeed, Disney and other corporations, don't have independent thought at all. Do as you're told, you peasants. Buy their merchandise! Buy their merchandise! Buy their merchandise!!
This isn't Wreck It Ralph 2. It's The Emoji Movie 2.
4/10
