I hate to admit it, but video-games based movies and movies about video games usually suck. I dunno why. Or maybe I just never watch the good ones. Other than Tron, other mainstream movies like Gamer and Staying Alive suck pretty bad. But I was pretty excited when I saw cameos of bad guys in the bad guy anonymous meeting during the E3 trailer of Wreck-It Ralph. But I was also a bit cautious about it. Due to the fact that previous movies about video games tanked, I wasn't very sure how Disney would do in this movie.
Then I had to wait, till November when the movie comes out. It was released in the US on the 2nd of November, so I thought 'Hmmm, maybe it would be released here in Malaysia a few days later, which means after my semester exam, it would be just the right time to watch it'. But I was wrong, it was released in Malaysia on the 29th November. So I had to wait another four more weeks till I can watch it.
Meanwhile, the reviews of the movie were positive. 'Finally, a good video game movie' I thought. So my expectations were high before entering the movie. So, when I watched the movie today.......
Short version: It was a really good movie. It exceeded my expectations by a mile, and I would consider it to be one of the best movies based on video games ever made.
Long version:
WARNING: MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS
Where do I even begin? Maybe by a summary of the plot.
Wreck-It Ralph is the bad guy in an arcade cabinet called Fix-It Felix Jr. in which Fix-It Felix Jr. is the good guy. He's been playing the bad guy role for 30 years and he's getting tired of it because he doesn't get the appreciated by the other NPCs in the arcade cabinet (aka the residents in the apartment he destroys). He sets out on a journey to other arcade games to get a medal (something rewarded to Felix whenever he wins a level), something he thinks that would make him appreciated in his game world.
Some say this is a video game version of Toy Story, as the video game characters come alive when the arcade closes. It's a fun to see how Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter would stop fighting each other and go to the Tappers bar for a drink.
One of my favourite part of the show was the bad guys meeting, where you can find Ralph, Zangief and M.Bison from Street Fighter, Kano from Mortal Kombat, the Zombie from House of the Dead, Bowser from the Mario games, Dr. Eggman from the Sonic games, and even Clyde, the ghost in Pac Man all in one room. Mad props to Zangief for being the Street Fighter character that deliver the most lines (cuz he's my main), including his 'crushing a man's skull like a sparrow's egg between his thighs', which is one of the most awesomest descriptions of his spinning piledriver. Also, I was surprised when at the end of the bad guys meeting, it was held in the Ghost's house (or whatever that is) in Pac Man.
The different video game worlds were also nicely done. Other than all the cameos and video game references which appears from different games (which I'll get to later), the train they used when they travel to the Game Central Station looks different for each game. There's a retro look to the Fix-It Felix one, a modern/futuristic version in Hero's Duty, and a simple looking one in Pac Man.
Now for the references. So many of them, and some that I even missed. From the exclamation mark from the Metal Gear series to Ralph sarcastically saying that his name is Lara Croft, to mushrooms from Mario, and even the famous Konami Code referenced. There were even some I missed, like the graffiti saying 'Leeroy Jenkins' and one about 'Shen Long'. There's also a Subway reference, and the diet cola and mentos shout out. Also, Ryu's appearance at the Tappers bar and Chun-Li and Cammy, along with some Princess Peach and Daisy lookalikes in the Game Central Station. Not to mention, Sonic losing his rings when he got hit. And portraits, of Ryu, Ken, Tails, Sonic, Eggman and more in the Tappers bar. Seriously, there's so many of them that I lost track and lost count.
I also realised that, for a Disney movie that is suppose to appeal to the general audience, it got a lot of crap pass the radar, which is rare. There was Kano ripping a zombie's heart out (presumably doing a fatality), Ralph finding Zangief's red underwear at the Tappers lost and found, a red guy with horns called in the bad guys meeting called Satan but pronounced as Sah-teen. The phrases 'move your molasses', 'milk my duds', 'pussywillows', and 'pillow pants' heard at some point. Yeah, this is a kids show alright.
The credits sequence was awesome to watch. From Ralph and Sonic in the Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2, to Ralph, Venellope and Ryu detroying the car in the Street Fighter II Bonus Stage, to Ralph fighting Blanka, and finally to what seems like an older looking version of Hero's Duty which resembles Doom, one of the earliest FPS.
Overall, I would highly recommend this show to anyone who likes video games, animated shows, children and even their parents to watch this. It's nice for the kids nostalgic for the parents. It also have a decent plot that is well executed, and some good moral values in it that children can learn from (coming from a movie about video games, which is generally perceived as bad for children). It has some hilarious moments, some tense moments, sad moments, and heartwarming stuff. An great movie that is quickly becoming one of my favourtie animated movies out there.
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