Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Title: Wreck-It Ralph

Director: Rich Moore

Starring: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch

Rated: PG

Released: 2012

Personal Rating: 4.5/5

Oscars: Nominated for 1

Plot: A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.
---------------------------------------------------------------

King Candy/Turbo
Without the knowledge that King Candy is a tribute to Ed Wynn, I thought the character was a standard gay stereotype. It's nice that the makers of the film did this, however it didn't come across as such to people that didn't know. Such as me. Going past that aspect (as I already made a post on tumblr about it and later had to defend myself for my opinions stated on it): King Candy is a good villain. I liked that his original ego (Turbo) had been mentioned throughout the film, so when King Candy's true identity is revealed it's shocking but you don't question it.

A Good Message
This movie had a very good message and I'm not really sure how to accurately describe it. The hero of the movie (Ralph) learns to accept what life has given to him. Vanellope accepts her glitch even when she could've had it fixed. However, the Ralph part is sort of...odd? The reason he goes on his journey is to be accepted by the other people he lives with. And they're really mean people, as they look at Ralph as a villain and don't realize he's different when the arcade closes. So at the end of the movie Ralph accepts his role as the villain of the game but how the other people in the game react to him is different (at least when the arcade is closed).

Gaming References
I admit I saw this movie mainly for the references and to see if I could catch them all. While the ones I did catch delighted me, I had to stop myself from leaping out of my seat in joy when the Konami Code was shown. I don't know why it made me so happy (as I haven't played Contra or other games with that code in them), but it did. There are many other references in the game. I would also suggest watching the credits as the references (and blatant showing of video game characters) doesn't stop with the movie. I wasn't able to see all of the credits as my Dad was basically yelling at me to leave the theater with him.

Final Thoughts
This movie was highly enjoyable. Like Brave, you knew how it was going to end (good guys win and hero learns a valuable lesson). Unlike Brave, however, Wreck-It Ralph pulls at your heart strings more and makes you doubt the outcome. There was at least one scene where I had to hold back some major tears (I don't like to cry in public or in front of people). If you're a gamer of any age you should see this movie.