11/26/18 - Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) - 6-/10

Ralph is strange set of dichotomies: a children’s film that is crammed to the brim with near solely adult gags, a film that is cretinously simple but with an emotional depth and heft of adulthood, a movie that reeks of crass commercialism and media juggernaut’s all encompassing grip while also poking fun at it in a quite fun meta narrative. I would be rolling my eyes and then chuckle at something cute or pointed. Overall, it was pretty good for what it was.

The voice acting was solid, capturing the vibes necessary but not over-doing it. Similarly, the animation was well-done, but nothing overly astounding. Animating a video game setting lets them play with it abundantly. The stand-out of the film is the internet as they do a tremendous job of visualizing the world wide web and how it is interacted with. There is a huge section of the online activity that is blasphemously left completely out of this film (you know what I am talking about), but this is a kids’ film, so I get that and certainly don’t hold its loss against the film.

The highlight of this film is the Disney interactions, especially the Princesses. They are probably the biggest part of the push-pull/love-hate dance that Ralph engages in. Their pointed in-jokes are funny but there is a gross capitalistic exploitation that dripped off every visual gag and melodic wisecrack. Do I fault them for using what they have and are to do their job: make money? I don’t know. At least it engaged both my adult intellectual faculties and my Disney childlike humor. Let’s call it a wash… Special note: Stay until mid-way through the credits. Maybe the funniest moment of the film rests there.

I liked this Ralph more than the first. It never explodes off the screen, but it is a fun time and a solid animated feature that will delight adults and children alike. In my eyes, it also does more and expresses more than the first film. Not too shabby.