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patentdragonFor the first time this year, it's movie review time!
First up this "Blockbuster Pre-Season" - Disney's Wreck-It Ralph. Now this was fun, in a Monsters vs Aliens way as opposed to a Toy Story way, 'cause there's no hope that you could ever really top Pixar's trilogy. However, the heart that seemed to be lacking somewhat in Brave last year is certainly in evidence here...
At the heart of the movie is a villain's quest for redemption, as "ficticious" video-game character (well, they're all fiction, but this isn't an actual game we're talking about) Wreck-It Ralph tries to change his spots. Not so easy, that, as his quest for the elusive hero's medal gets him into a heap of trouble - much of which he has unwittingly caused - as he ventures outside of his game, and into first a futuristic first-person shooter, then a cutesy racing game which serves as the main backdrop to the story. Now, this may feel a bit too... saccharine, but bear with it, and you'll see some nice story-telling as Ralph encounters, then befriends the annoying and way too cute Vanellope, wannabe racer and "glitch", only to seemingly turn his back on her when he learns that realising her dream could mean her destruction...
There is genuine emotion in latter stages of the movie, as consequences start to mount up - the world of "Sugar Rush" is contaminated by the alien-laden FPS world of "Hero's Duty", and Ralph's "home" game faces the disaster of being unplugged, now that both its stars have gone AWOL, hero and villain... ah, I could tell the whole story right here, but that would deny the creators some of their deserved box-office take, and that wouldn't be fair. The animation is first-rate - the "rank-and-file" denizens of Ralph's game have a neat jerky movement style, like you'd expect from what appears to be a Donkey Kong-era game (clearly the inspiration for "Fix-It-Felix Jr."), compared to the slick "high definition" style of Callhoun, the hard-edged female lead from "Hero's Duty", and it all blends together well, creating a simple yet engaging universe that "comes to life" when the doors of the arcade are locked, and the lights go out.
This may not be Toy Story, or Wall-E, but it deserves to be mentioned alongside those giants. The setting of "Sugar Rush" may seem rather... lacking in detail, beyond various cartoony candy elements, but that really is the only shortcoming. The movie's not too long, it wraps up nicely - and there could be scope for more from this particular universe - which certainly wouldn't be a hardship!
Oh, and let's have a round of applause for the "supporting feature" Paperman. Black and white - bar a single splash of colour just where it's needed. Silent - bar some well-placed music. Beautiful.
The Final Verdict... A simple concept, an engaging setting - all this, and a villain-cum-hero who's hard to hate. Very well executed, and accompanied by a fabulous short. 8/10
First up this "Blockbuster Pre-Season" - Disney's Wreck-It Ralph. Now this was fun, in a Monsters vs Aliens way as opposed to a Toy Story way, 'cause there's no hope that you could ever really top Pixar's trilogy. However, the heart that seemed to be lacking somewhat in Brave last year is certainly in evidence here...
At the heart of the movie is a villain's quest for redemption, as "ficticious" video-game character (well, they're all fiction, but this isn't an actual game we're talking about) Wreck-It Ralph tries to change his spots. Not so easy, that, as his quest for the elusive hero's medal gets him into a heap of trouble - much of which he has unwittingly caused - as he ventures outside of his game, and into first a futuristic first-person shooter, then a cutesy racing game which serves as the main backdrop to the story. Now, this may feel a bit too... saccharine, but bear with it, and you'll see some nice story-telling as Ralph encounters, then befriends the annoying and way too cute Vanellope, wannabe racer and "glitch", only to seemingly turn his back on her when he learns that realising her dream could mean her destruction...
There is genuine emotion in latter stages of the movie, as consequences start to mount up - the world of "Sugar Rush" is contaminated by the alien-laden FPS world of "Hero's Duty", and Ralph's "home" game faces the disaster of being unplugged, now that both its stars have gone AWOL, hero and villain... ah, I could tell the whole story right here, but that would deny the creators some of their deserved box-office take, and that wouldn't be fair. The animation is first-rate - the "rank-and-file" denizens of Ralph's game have a neat jerky movement style, like you'd expect from what appears to be a Donkey Kong-era game (clearly the inspiration for "Fix-It-Felix Jr."), compared to the slick "high definition" style of Callhoun, the hard-edged female lead from "Hero's Duty", and it all blends together well, creating a simple yet engaging universe that "comes to life" when the doors of the arcade are locked, and the lights go out.
This may not be Toy Story, or Wall-E, but it deserves to be mentioned alongside those giants. The setting of "Sugar Rush" may seem rather... lacking in detail, beyond various cartoony candy elements, but that really is the only shortcoming. The movie's not too long, it wraps up nicely - and there could be scope for more from this particular universe - which certainly wouldn't be a hardship!
Oh, and let's have a round of applause for the "supporting feature" Paperman. Black and white - bar a single splash of colour just where it's needed. Silent - bar some well-placed music. Beautiful.
The Final Verdict... A simple concept, an engaging setting - all this, and a villain-cum-hero who's hard to hate. Very well executed, and accompanied by a fabulous short. 8/10
