Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, check your wifi connection and discuss Ralph Breaks the Internet, which premiered in the United States on Wednesday, November 21, 2018.
Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we are all individuals, even mutual love of something (or hate) can come from different places: you may find everything from critique to fangirling to maybe even hate-watching.
Now, join J.L. Gribble and Casey Price as they talk about Ralph Breaks the Internet. [Note: Spoiler-free!]
J.L.: I had to keep reminding myself that Ralph Breaks the Internet is a kid’s movie. I saw this on a date night with my husband because we both loved Wreck-It Ralph — it was a fun look into the history of video games, full of nostalgia while also having a great plot about friendship.
In contrast, the sequel was a fun look at the current state (and some of the history) of the Internet, while also having a plot about friendship. Note that I lost the word “great” in this repetition from my previous paragraph. The plot wasn’t bad, far from it, but the moments about the plot were when I had to remind myself that this is, first and foremost, a kid’s movie.
But everything else in the background? I loved it! As someone who’s been on the Internet since the mid-90s, practically raised by fandom through the ages of social media, there were so many Easter Eggs to note and enjoy. I feel bad for the actual kids watching this movie who are missing out on half of what makes it great.
I don’t regret spending the money to see this in the theater, even an evening showing. But unless you have kids (the primary audience) and want to take them out, this might be worth saving for a home-showing. The charm from the first movie is still there, but it’s a pale echo. I’m still laughing about some of what I saw, but since half of what we saw will be dated in less than a decade, Ralph Breaks the Internet probably won’t have the same staying power and nostalgia points that Wreck-It Ralph managed so effortlessly.
(Except for the Disney Princesses. I loved absolutely everything about them. And I want their clothes.)
Casey: My quick take? Here goes. Ever spent any time at all online? Yes? Okay, do you want a colorful, humorous, good time at the movies? Of course you do. Go see Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Longer reaction? I was delighted with this film. I love Wreck-it Ralph and I’ve watched it numerous times. I tried not to have any expectations going into the sequel. When a friend asked whether Ralph Breaks the Internet is as good as the original, my answer was that it’s just as good, but in an entirely different way. Wreck-it Ralph was about finding your place and your friends. Ralph Breaks the Internet has a different theme. No spoilers, of course.
A big part of the fun of this film, as with the first one, was playing Spot the Reference. Because this is a Disney movie, the writers had a lot of freedom to include bits and bobs from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars in addition to as many Disney characters as their hearts desired. I’ll let you have your own fun, but I was most amused watching Vanellope crash a Q&A with a certain Guardian of the Galaxy.
Vanellope, as expected, was adorable. Her entire time with the Disney Princesses and their insistence that she would find her answers with a song (and the circumstances under which she needed to sing the song) was perfect. Vanellope’s first attempt at a song sent me into a fit of giggles. Her second, under the Princess-prescribed conditions, made me sniffle a little. (I just want to pause here and wonder out loud: Why do I keep letting Disney/Pixar hurt me emotionally? First Finding Dory, then Coco, now this…what’s next, Disney?)
I really liked the new characters. Taraji P. Henson and Gal Gadot were perfect for their respective roles (Yesss and Shank), as was Alan Tudyk as the long-suffering KnowsMore (an AskJeeves knockoff, I assume). If there’s another film, we’ll probably see Gadot/Shank again, but probably not KnowsMore. Which is a bit of a shame.
The only thing that I was disappointed with was the significant lack of Calhoun and Felix. In my dream world, we’d get to see what happened back home in the arcade and what they went through while Ralph and Vanellope were off on their adventure. I know why they weren’t a big part of this film, but I like them just as much as I do Ralph and Vanellope. So one complaint in an almost two-hour movie. And that’s not bad.
Featured image via uBackground. All other images via IMDB.
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