Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) Review
"The kitty gets the milkshake! The bunny gets the pancake!"
-Ralph
Several years after the events of the first movie, the steering wheel used to play Vanellope von Schweetz's (Sarah Silverman) video game, Sugar Rush, breaks and is too expensive to repair. Faced with the destruction of her game, Vanellope and Ralph (John C. Reilly) journey to the Internet to buy a new wheel. They have to find a way to raise money quickly if they want to save Sugar Rush, but Vanellope soon realizes she's not sure if she wants to leave the endless possibilities of the Internet behind.
What Works:
The only problem I had with Wreck-It Ralph was the character of Vanellope. I found her extremely annoying and not at all endearing. Ralph Breaks the Internet fixes this problem completely. Vanellope is very likable and relatable this time around, but she stills feels like the same character. It's a nice change and one of the best parts of this sequel.
The relationship between Ralph and Vanellope is great and we get a lot of amazing emotional moments from them especially in the 3rd act. The friends realize their futures may not be on the same path and that's extremely relatable. My eyes may or may not have welled up with a few tears. It's a touching and sweet story and it's the core of this film.
I really liked the world of this movie and the visual representation of the Internet. The filmmakers really got to unleash their creativity in creating this world. I want to rewatch this film just so I can catch all of the stuff I missed in the background. I was worried this movie might tread too close to Emoji Movie territory with the references to technology and hip culture, and it does a little, which I'll get to, but it mostly just shows us a creative smorgasbord and doesn't cram it all down our throats.
I really wasn't sure I would like the scenes where Vanellope hangs out with the Disney Princesses, but they were some of the best parts of the film. I love how self-referential they are and Vanellope's reactions to them are hysterical.
Finally, I need to mention one of my favorite scenes of the year. If you saw the trailers, you most likely saw the scene where Ralph feeds pancakes to a bunny. This scene never fails to crack me up and is one of the most darkly funny moments I have ever seen in a kids' movie. They even add a great joke that wasn't in the trailer. This scene is just the best and makes me want to go eat pancakes.
What Sucks:
As I said above, I was worried this movie would try too hard to be hip and with it and end up being an Emoji Movie, but there is only one sequence that goes in that direction. When Ralph and Vanellope come across what is basically YouTube, Ralph starts to make tons of Internet videos to make money. I didn't love this sequence and I know it won't age well. I find most of Internet culture annoying, so this sequence did nothing for me. I won't say it's anywhere near the level of the Emoji Movie, but it's definitely my least favorite part of the movie.
Finally, the second act does feel a little unfocused and loses the emotional component that makes this story work. The beginning and end of this film really focuses on Ralph and Vanellope, but this gets lost in the middle for awhile. What we get in the meantime isn't bad, but I think it could have been better.
Verdict:
I had very low expectations for Ralph Breaks the Internet. I didn't like the direction this movie was going in and I thought it would be an unmitigated disaster. I am very happy to declare I was dead wrong. This movie makes Vanellope much more likable, the emotional stuff is great, the world of the Internet is very cool, and there are some really smart and funny sequences. The second act isn't quite as good as the rest and the viral video sequences don't do anything for me, but, without a doubt, this movie has got it going on, even if it should have been called Ralph Wrecks the Internet instead.
8/10: Really Good
What Works:
The only problem I had with Wreck-It Ralph was the character of Vanellope. I found her extremely annoying and not at all endearing. Ralph Breaks the Internet fixes this problem completely. Vanellope is very likable and relatable this time around, but she stills feels like the same character. It's a nice change and one of the best parts of this sequel.
The relationship between Ralph and Vanellope is great and we get a lot of amazing emotional moments from them especially in the 3rd act. The friends realize their futures may not be on the same path and that's extremely relatable. My eyes may or may not have welled up with a few tears. It's a touching and sweet story and it's the core of this film.
I really liked the world of this movie and the visual representation of the Internet. The filmmakers really got to unleash their creativity in creating this world. I want to rewatch this film just so I can catch all of the stuff I missed in the background. I was worried this movie might tread too close to Emoji Movie territory with the references to technology and hip culture, and it does a little, which I'll get to, but it mostly just shows us a creative smorgasbord and doesn't cram it all down our throats.
I really wasn't sure I would like the scenes where Vanellope hangs out with the Disney Princesses, but they were some of the best parts of the film. I love how self-referential they are and Vanellope's reactions to them are hysterical.
Finally, I need to mention one of my favorite scenes of the year. If you saw the trailers, you most likely saw the scene where Ralph feeds pancakes to a bunny. This scene never fails to crack me up and is one of the most darkly funny moments I have ever seen in a kids' movie. They even add a great joke that wasn't in the trailer. This scene is just the best and makes me want to go eat pancakes.
What Sucks:
As I said above, I was worried this movie would try too hard to be hip and with it and end up being an Emoji Movie, but there is only one sequence that goes in that direction. When Ralph and Vanellope come across what is basically YouTube, Ralph starts to make tons of Internet videos to make money. I didn't love this sequence and I know it won't age well. I find most of Internet culture annoying, so this sequence did nothing for me. I won't say it's anywhere near the level of the Emoji Movie, but it's definitely my least favorite part of the movie.
Finally, the second act does feel a little unfocused and loses the emotional component that makes this story work. The beginning and end of this film really focuses on Ralph and Vanellope, but this gets lost in the middle for awhile. What we get in the meantime isn't bad, but I think it could have been better.
Verdict:
I had very low expectations for Ralph Breaks the Internet. I didn't like the direction this movie was going in and I thought it would be an unmitigated disaster. I am very happy to declare I was dead wrong. This movie makes Vanellope much more likable, the emotional stuff is great, the world of the Internet is very cool, and there are some really smart and funny sequences. The second act isn't quite as good as the rest and the viral video sequences don't do anything for me, but, without a doubt, this movie has got it going on, even if it should have been called Ralph Wrecks the Internet instead.
8/10: Really Good
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