Theoretically, video-game movies should be easy to make. Just ask the creators of the games to help with the script, cast a good actor and try to reach beyond the source material, right? But Hollywood refuses to take video games seriously, and as a result, all video-game movies are the same. They're all cheaply made, they're all quickly made and they're all really bad. As far as I know, none of them reach beyond 20 or so percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and infamous ones like Alone in the Dark have been mocked in online videos. The only passable one is 2010's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time with not-Persian Jake Gyllenhaal, and that was just trying to be a new Pirates of the Caribbean. So I am thankful for Wreck-It Ralph because it brings the whole idea of a video game movie to a new level.
Ralph (John C. Reilly) is a self-aware '80s video game villain in a midlife crisis. His game just turned 30, and he's tired of being friendless while his game's beloved hero Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer), lives the high life. One day, Ralph decides to prove his worth by winning a medal from a new shooter game in his arcade. After grabbing the prize, Ralph hops to Sugar Rush, a candy-themed racing game, and meets Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), a glitch in the game's programming. Ralph finally has a friend, but when his absence from Fix-It Felix makes it look like the game is broken and the machine is threatened with being unplugged, Ralph needs to find himself and restore order to the coin-ops.
I really hope there's no last-minute foreign animated film or innovative pet project this year. I hope Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belleville) and Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away) are quiet until 2013, because I really want Wreck-It Ralph to win an Oscar. Wreck-It Ralph is the best animated film I've seen this year, and it's most definitely the best video game movie ever made. It has a great cast, it's very well written and directed, the animation is beautiful and it's really fun. The film is a love letter to games and their nostalgia, and Wreck-It Ralph treats them in a sensitive way that ends up being really touching.
Another great part of Wreck-It Ralph is how much detail the filmmakers put into every scene. The objects Ralph smashes shatter into realistic dust and debris; there are old Nintendo sound effects when people jump; and environments are fully animated, not just characters. Every other American video-game movie has been live action, and seeing the idea in animation really makes it work. When Ralph walks through "Game Central Station," classic characters like Sonic the Hedgehog and Chun-Li from Street Fighter pass by and chat in the background. There's even an axe-wielding zombie from the old House of the Dead games. These are homages rather than just references; never does the film look to the audience and say "remember this? This existed!" It's all in great taste, and it's a blast to watch.
Wreck-It Ralph is a film for anyone who has ever loved video games. No matter what generation you are from, whether you grew up at the arcades or with Final Fantasy, you'll find something to like here. It's just so damn well done, from the jokes to the animation to the story and characters. It all melds really well together and even though there are some parts that are clearly made for kids, adults have a lot to look forward to. However, I wouldn't recommend seeing it in 3D, because there's no noticeable effect and the film clearly wasn't meant to be watched through glasses. Other than that, Wreck-It Ralph is pretty flawless, and regardless of age, you'll be sure to enjoy the movie. So plug in and see Wreck-It Ralph.