EDITOR’S NOTE: In the original print edition of this article, the headline classified the film “Disney-Pixar” when it is actually “Disney.”
As an avid Disney fan as a child (and now as well), I went to the screening of Wreck-It Ralph with high expectations. For as long as I’ve known, Disney films have never ceased to captivate the inner child in me. The creative storylines, exceptional graphics and comical voice acting always seemed to amalgamate into one magical Disney product.
For Wreck-It Ralph, Disney used a similar formula as they did to all their other films. The characters were brought to life by popular celebrities such as John C. Reilly and Jane Lynch, the visuals were absolutely stunning and the concept of the film itself was brilliant.
Yet, there was one thing that bothered me about the film as a whole. As I watched it, it didn’t feel like the Disney I knew. It had all the components of a typical Disney flick, but the plot wasn’t as exciting or innovative as I expected. The “video game world” setting was certainly something new, but the plot seemed to lean on the generic side. As a whole, it seemed to lack the originality of its predecessors like Toy Story and Monsters Inc.
To be clear, this was not a bad film. It just seemed a bit underwhelming for a Disney film. Despite the disappointment, though, the movie still had its bright spots and kept me entertained for the majority of the time.
The film tells the story of Ralph (John C. Reilly), a disgruntled video game character that’s tired of perpetually being the “bad” guy. After constantly watching the protagonist of his videogame be lauded with praise and ovation for his heroic deeds, Ralph takes it upon himself to prove that he can be a hero as well.
The entire film takes place in an arcade, which will surely appease video game fanatics who have been waiting for a gamer-friendly Disney flick for years. As Ralph hops from game to game in search of a way to alter his villainous image, notable video game characters such as Bowser, Tapper and Pac-Man all make cameo appearances, giving a realistic feel to the arcade that’s portrayed in the film.
As Ralph continues his journey, he winds up in a candy-themed racing game called “Sugar Rush” where he befriends a bubbly young girl named Venellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) and learns from her what being a true hero really means.
In terms of visuals, the creative team behind the film certainly deserves high praise. The thrilling effects transported me into the colorful, action-packed videogame world. If you take into account the level of precision and detail put into a single animated shot, you know the lengths in which the animators go to in order to deliver an eye-catching product. Normally I hate seeing movies in 3D, but with Wreck-It Ralph it worked in its favor.
Another aspect that the producers definitely got right was the choice of voice actors. From John C. Reilly’s bumbling and goofy persona, Sarah Silverman’s bratty sass and Jane Lynch’s authoritative, badass tone, each character was truly brought to life. In particular, Reilly really transforms Ralph into a loveable bad guy as Ralph’s awkward jokes, clumsy phrases and silly mannerisms are all enhanced by Reilly’s comical bravado.
Going back to my one main criticism that it didn’t feel like a Disney film, here’s my rationale. Yes, it’s true that most children’s films follow the stereotypical plot where a hero has to overcome some kind of conflict and defeat the bad guy, so I won’t rip Wreck-It Ralph for being too plain.
I guess I was just expecting more comedy, more character development and a deeper sense of coherency. Without giving away too much, Wreck-It Ralph had an amazing setup for success with everything it brought to the table but failed to bring that magical Disney charm that is so often found in their films.
Wreck-It Ralph certainly has engaging features that won’t disappoint, but by the time you’ve left this arcade you may not want to select “Play Again.”
Critic’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffinguinta@gmail.com
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Get over it. It’ll be OK.
Uh, yeah. The editors changed it after a “hater” (me) suggested they should. And the change, again, does *not* fix the review, unless you think Pixar and Disney are interchangeable, which you shouldn’t have to be a student of animation to know, they’re not.
It’s a half-assed review That has nothing to do with what kind of person the writer is or isn’t, or even how good a writer he is, or may become. It’s just an empirically true statement.
Absolutely loved this article! Just saw the movie recently and can relate exactly to the author’s sentiments. I did enjoy most of the movie but do agree that this hardly compares to some of the Disney films of the past.
And to the haters, quit your griping. It’s incredibly childish to be quibbling over such a small issue. The editors fixed it anyways and the article holds the exact same merit it had before.
Really people, who gives a damn? This is a wonderful paper with incredibly dedicated students.
Bravo, UT, Keep up the good work!
Ha! I laughed when I read all this. Don’t worry dude, these people just have nothing better to do. They’re probably frustrated because they never got anywhere in life because they didn’t have a future (unlike you). Either that, or they don’t get laid enough (if at all) because they’re such jerks. No worries, keep writing
The only “ignorance” and “stupidity” I see here is from the horrible person who trashes a college freshman’s hard work and personal opinion. Please stop, you pompous ass.
“So,” nothing. You’re grasping at straws. Except for Lasseter–who is chief creative officer for both Pixar and Disney, his name is on *all* their films no matter how “hands on” is is–I recognize no names from Pixar in the creative credits. And yes, I would have.
I don’t know about Jerry or anybody else, but I was alerted to this ridiculous mistake because if was featured on the Google news page. You’re playing with the big boys and girls, you’re going to be judged like them too.
Yeah, this is a college paper, not a professional one. I know that because a professional paper would have at least posted a correction, if not pulled the whole piece since it’s no longer sound.
Also, it’s not written “really well apart from the Pixar gaffe.” (“For as long as I’ve known”? As long as he’s known *what*?) But even if it were, since roughly two-thirds of the review is based on comparisons with Pixar, that still doesn’t free him and/or his editors from blame.
The film was actually produced by Pixar’s cheif executive John Lasseter, who employed a bevy of his Pixar animators and writers on this film…so…
Look Jerry, it’s a bit hypocritical to call someone a stupid human being when you spend your time bashing people who work hard to produce these articles. This guy is a college student, not a professional journalist. He actually wrote this really well aside from the Pixar gaffe.
You have no right to call someone else stupid or ignorant when you in fact are being ignorant yourself.
Further: It’s not just a matter of taking out the word “Pixar” and the writer’s thoughts are still valid, because he wasn’t comparing it to Disney, he was comparing it to Pixar. Which is not the same thing.
It’s as if I were to compare the graphics department of a college newspaper to USA Today. The students would fall short, yes, but it would hardly be a fair comparison.
If you’re going to call this writer ‘unbelieveably stupid’ and ‘ignorant’, Jerry, I’d really like to see your article, because I’m sure it would be BRILLIANT.
Asshole.
If it makes you feel any better, the front page of our Seattle Times made the exact same huge mistake.
While the error of saying it was a Pixar film is definitely a large mistake, I think that calling the writer “unbelievably stupid” and “ignorant” is a bit harsh. Sure, we can’t compare “Wreck-it-Ralph” to a film in the Disney-Pixar Family, but we can compare it to the Disney film family, where it still does in fact fall short. Take out the word “Pixar” and the writer’s thoughts are still valid.
Uh, yeah, I was gonna say the same thing as Jerry, Josh and Brian.
Like the others have remarked, this is not a Disney-Pixar movie. Please don’t compare it to one.
Oh. My. God. How unbelievably stupid is this human being? This isn’t Pixar, you moron. I’m sorry, because I’m usually against insulting people over the internet, but when I read the heading of this article, I got so mad. It’s just so incredibly ignorant.
Yep, “Wreck-It-Ralph” is not a Pixar film.
I fail to see where Pixar is mentioned on the poster or any of the marketing material. This is a CG Disney movie, not a Disney-Pixar film.