Ralph Breaks the Internet is not just another trite exploitation of current Internet culture. It is far more.
Ralph Breaks the Internet Synopsis
Ralph’s lame attempt to build Vanellope a new race track results in critical damage of the steering wheel for Sugar Rush, which in turn brings on the possibility of the game being shut down for good. To save Sugar Rush, the two best friends decide to check out the Internet using the new WiFi system installed by Mr. Litwak. Once online, the duo is dazzled by the many, MANY possibilities of the Net, and swiftly sucked into a money quest to buy a new steering wheel. Another problem then arises when Vanellope discovers what she feels to be a potential new home. On the other hand, simple-minded Ralph just wants to get everything over with and return to his arcade.
Snappy Review
One of the great things about movies is that you really never know what you’d get. Yeah, it’s exactly like chocolates, as someone’s mommy famously said 20 over years ago.
I watched Part 1 i.e. Wreck-It Ralph on Dec 31, 2012. While I didn’t hate that movie, I thought it was kind of flat. Despite all the cameos, the whole show seemed no more than a colourful assembly of retro video gaming icons.
Worse, the two leads were hardly memorable. The whole sweet-guy-underneath-the-villain-exterior trope, and vice versa, have long, long been overdone in other movies. For example, Shrek.
Because of this, I didn’t look forward to Ralph Breaks the Internet. To be quite honest, I even expected it to be another Emoji Movie.
Well, what would you know? It’s a perfect praline with just the right sweetness! Here’s one movie that doesn’t just borrow the name of its inspiration, it actually understands the culture, the social phenomena, and the threats involved.
Be it the anthropomorphic presentation of browser pop-ups, the annoyance invoked by over-zealous auto-completes, or the tyrannical authority of ONE algorithm over an entire video-sharing site, Ralph Breaks the Internet doesn’t just dish out familiar icons and names for laughs. It actually tickles where it’s familiar. Correspondingly, where it’s truly funny. (Particularly for a blogger like me)
In addition to which you have Ralph and Vanellope’s grand adventure, which explores everything from the hope of retro video games to be reborn in modern titles, to the naivety of novice Internet users. On the latter, when we first started out, how many of us were bewildered by the rainbow of promises that is the Internet? How many of us accidentally empowered a Trojan out of paranoia, curiosity, or a misguided zest to help a friend?
Long story short, I think Ralph Breaks the Internet is the best animated feature I’ve watched this year; yeah, I feel it’s even better than Incredibles 2. This is a comedy that doesn’t just make you laugh. It strongly encourages you to reconsider what you have laughed about too.
Click here to view the trailer.
Check out my other snappy movie reviews.
