After spending an entire film trying to convince us that video game villain Ralph (John C. Reilly) wasn't really the bad guy all along, Phil Johnston and Rich Moore's Ralph Breaks the Internet flips the script. The belated sequel to the 2012 hit doesn't have a villain in the conventional sense of the word, but if there is an antagonist to be found, it's Ralph himself. As Ralph's friendship with Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) is tested, his insecurities and separation anxiety become the core challenge of the entire film, leading him to do some pretty insensitive things. Once a beacon of dopey sweetness and misunderstood intentions, Ralph is now a burden to be overcome. In the film's second half, his white knight persona takes on a monstrous form, exacerbated by the perils of the internet and his own inherent lack of self-worth.
If you know nothing about this sequel, you're probably wondering- how exactly did we get to this point? Picking up six years after the events of the original, Ralph and Vanellope are basically still repeating the same old routine. They work during the day, get drinks at Tapper's bar in the evening, and mess around all night. They're best friends, and they've been practically inseparable since they first met. But Vanellope, ever the adventurous spirit, craves something more from her pixelated existence. She loves hanging with Ralph, but the repetitive schedule is beginning to take a toll. Hoping to cure his friend's boredom, Ralph creates a new track in Sugar Rush, one that's dangerous, fun, and everything Vanellope could ever hope for.
Unfortunately, the track causes the game to break in the human world, leaving arcade owner Mr. Litwak (Ed O'Neill) with no choice but to unplug Sugar Rush; in his view, the sole replacement part is too expensive. Left without a home, Vanellope is in an unshakable funk. Well, until Ralph devises a plan to visit the most wondrous place in the world- the Internet. In their journey across the web, Ralph and Vanellope will search for the part that can fix Sugar Rush once and for all. Their plan will take a lot of money, so Ralph ends up becoming an Internet meme with the help of Yesss (Taraji P. Henson), the tastemaker for video sharing service "Not YouTube" (it has another name, but it's definitely YouTube).
Ralph gets a lot of hits on his videos- he really does break the internet- but things begin to change when Vanellope makes fast friends with Shank (Gal Gadot), the best player in an online racing game known as Slaughter Race. If Ralph and Vanellope's paths diverge, will he be able to cope? It's an ambitious and unexpected angle for a sequel to take, especially since it flips so much of what happened in the first film on its head. When the trailer debuted, the biggest laugh came from Vanellope's instant camaraderie with the Disney princesses, a result of every iconic character understanding what it was like to have a "big, strong man" credited with solving everything. Ralph Breaks the Internet makes that joke the crux of its thematic development, and it navigates the realms of masculinity and vulnerability with the subtlety of a dozen sledgehammers.
But it's a Disney movie aimed at kids, so there's nothing wrong with the presence of a malicious virus that shouts "Insecurity!" whenever it detects a soft spot. The sequel's own weak spot is not its thematic scope, but its flimsy core narrative. Even though the filmmakers have their hearts in the right place, it can seem like directors Moore and Johnston surveyed all of their possible options and made the best bad choice. Something about this sequel just comes off as forced and contrived, highlighted by a risky story that's never quite as effective or emotional as it should be. If Ralph and Vanellope going to the internet was best avenue for the franchise to take (or a corporate mandate from the Mouse House), the film still has to find a reason to get them there in the first place- and a reason to stay. The search for a game part is sufficient, but there are a number of missed opportunities along the way- the nostalgia of old video games vs. the internet revolution, the madness of online culture, the presence of many memorable supporting characters.
Which brings us to the treatment of the internet itself- as well as the very nature of this synergy-driven production. In a brief introduction before the movie, the directors mentioned that it was hard to fit everything they loved about the internet into a single film; immediately, my eyebrows were raised. Ultimately, Ralph Breaks the Internet doesn't treat its primary locale with an uncritical eye- in one prominent scene, Ralph is devastated when he realizes that his viral videos aren't universally acclaimed. Yet even as it acknowledges the harm that comes with the online world, the internet is just a setting here- never anything more than that. References are everywhere, but there's little nuance to be found.
The film's saving grace is its sense of humor, as there's never anything close to a shortage of laughs. Much to my own chagrin, I enjoyed some of the shameless synergy; watching C-3PO walk into a room with the Disney princesses is far more amusing than one would expect. And despite its reliance on internet inside jokes, Johnston and Pamela Ribon's screenplay expands its comedic reach far beyond the easiest targets.
The result is a witty and clever piece of entertainment, functioning as the kind of kid-friendly, adult-sensible animated film we've come to expect in the post-Pixar Disney era. Watching the hopelessly naive Ralph navigate a system designed to prey on naivete produces some cringe-worthy laughs, while Vanellope's internal struggle culminates in an extravagantly delightful musical number. It's all fleet and funny, and the movie is never a challenge to endure. But after such a strong first installment, I can't help but view this scattered, frequently strained sequel as something of a minor disappointment. Ralph Breaks the Internet is fun and inventive, but it's missing that perfect touch.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.7/10)
Images: Disney/IMDb
If you know nothing about this sequel, you're probably wondering- how exactly did we get to this point? Picking up six years after the events of the original, Ralph and Vanellope are basically still repeating the same old routine. They work during the day, get drinks at Tapper's bar in the evening, and mess around all night. They're best friends, and they've been practically inseparable since they first met. But Vanellope, ever the adventurous spirit, craves something more from her pixelated existence. She loves hanging with Ralph, but the repetitive schedule is beginning to take a toll. Hoping to cure his friend's boredom, Ralph creates a new track in Sugar Rush, one that's dangerous, fun, and everything Vanellope could ever hope for.
Unfortunately, the track causes the game to break in the human world, leaving arcade owner Mr. Litwak (Ed O'Neill) with no choice but to unplug Sugar Rush; in his view, the sole replacement part is too expensive. Left without a home, Vanellope is in an unshakable funk. Well, until Ralph devises a plan to visit the most wondrous place in the world- the Internet. In their journey across the web, Ralph and Vanellope will search for the part that can fix Sugar Rush once and for all. Their plan will take a lot of money, so Ralph ends up becoming an Internet meme with the help of Yesss (Taraji P. Henson), the tastemaker for video sharing service "Not YouTube" (it has another name, but it's definitely YouTube).
Ralph gets a lot of hits on his videos- he really does break the internet- but things begin to change when Vanellope makes fast friends with Shank (Gal Gadot), the best player in an online racing game known as Slaughter Race. If Ralph and Vanellope's paths diverge, will he be able to cope? It's an ambitious and unexpected angle for a sequel to take, especially since it flips so much of what happened in the first film on its head. When the trailer debuted, the biggest laugh came from Vanellope's instant camaraderie with the Disney princesses, a result of every iconic character understanding what it was like to have a "big, strong man" credited with solving everything. Ralph Breaks the Internet makes that joke the crux of its thematic development, and it navigates the realms of masculinity and vulnerability with the subtlety of a dozen sledgehammers.
But it's a Disney movie aimed at kids, so there's nothing wrong with the presence of a malicious virus that shouts "Insecurity!" whenever it detects a soft spot. The sequel's own weak spot is not its thematic scope, but its flimsy core narrative. Even though the filmmakers have their hearts in the right place, it can seem like directors Moore and Johnston surveyed all of their possible options and made the best bad choice. Something about this sequel just comes off as forced and contrived, highlighted by a risky story that's never quite as effective or emotional as it should be. If Ralph and Vanellope going to the internet was best avenue for the franchise to take (or a corporate mandate from the Mouse House), the film still has to find a reason to get them there in the first place- and a reason to stay. The search for a game part is sufficient, but there are a number of missed opportunities along the way- the nostalgia of old video games vs. the internet revolution, the madness of online culture, the presence of many memorable supporting characters.
Which brings us to the treatment of the internet itself- as well as the very nature of this synergy-driven production. In a brief introduction before the movie, the directors mentioned that it was hard to fit everything they loved about the internet into a single film; immediately, my eyebrows were raised. Ultimately, Ralph Breaks the Internet doesn't treat its primary locale with an uncritical eye- in one prominent scene, Ralph is devastated when he realizes that his viral videos aren't universally acclaimed. Yet even as it acknowledges the harm that comes with the online world, the internet is just a setting here- never anything more than that. References are everywhere, but there's little nuance to be found.
The film's saving grace is its sense of humor, as there's never anything close to a shortage of laughs. Much to my own chagrin, I enjoyed some of the shameless synergy; watching C-3PO walk into a room with the Disney princesses is far more amusing than one would expect. And despite its reliance on internet inside jokes, Johnston and Pamela Ribon's screenplay expands its comedic reach far beyond the easiest targets.
The result is a witty and clever piece of entertainment, functioning as the kind of kid-friendly, adult-sensible animated film we've come to expect in the post-Pixar Disney era. Watching the hopelessly naive Ralph navigate a system designed to prey on naivete produces some cringe-worthy laughs, while Vanellope's internal struggle culminates in an extravagantly delightful musical number. It's all fleet and funny, and the movie is never a challenge to endure. But after such a strong first installment, I can't help but view this scattered, frequently strained sequel as something of a minor disappointment. Ralph Breaks the Internet is fun and inventive, but it's missing that perfect touch.
THE FINAL GRADE: B- (6.7/10)
Images: Disney/IMDb
Comments
Post a Comment