“There’s no law saying best friends have to have the same dreams...”
In 2012, “Wreck-It Ralph” gave us a charming glimpse into the thriving universe that lives beneath the surface in old school, arcade-style video games.
It was to video games what “Toy Story” was to analog toys.
The gang is back for “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2.”
Friends Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) are back, living our their daily routine as video game characters (Ralph in the game Fix-It Felix, Vanellope in Sugar Rush).
Vanellope has become frustrated with life’s “predictability,” and yearns for something more.
Ralph wants his friend to be as happy and contented as he is, so he creates a special track in Sugar Rush for Vanellope.
Unfortunately, that move causes confusion for the girl who is playing Sugar Rush at Litwak’s Family Fun Center and Arcade, and it causes the steering wheel the malfunction, and break as the owner of the emporium tries to fix it.
It turns out Sugar Rush is an old arcade game, and a replacement steering wheel is incredibly expensive (the only replacement available is through a third party on eBay). So Mr. Litwak unplugs the game — leaving Vanellope and her Sugar Rush cohorts in video game limbo.
Never one to rest, Ralph devises a plan to fix Sugar Rush by going to visit eBay on the Internet — via Litwak’s newly installed WiFi router.
Ralph and Vanellope make the journey to this “brave new world,” but soon find themselves in need of money, with only 24 hours to raise the necessary funds to secure the wheel.
The main narrative of “Ralph Breaks the Internet” focuses on the fish-out-of-water aspects of Ralph and Vanellope experiencing the Internet for the first time. Viewers will find a number of cute moments and relatable references throughout.
As was the case in the first “Wreck-It Ralph,” the relationship between Ralph and Vanellope is still unorthodox and sweet — the pair has become one of the most capable duos in the current crop of animation.
The pair ends up in a high octane, rough online car racing game. They also make viral videos for a site called “BuzzTube.” Both instances provide for some funny moments.
There are a number of other “Internet tropes” from our daily lives — things that are new to Vanellope and Ralph, but things we take for granted in the Internet age.
In a previous blog post I referenced a trailer that showed Disney Princesses featured in “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” Those sequences are among the most enjoyable in the movie.
I will say, though, that the movie — while entertaining — doesn’t quite achieve the “unique spark” that made the first “Wreck-It Ralph” so compelling.
That said, the movie has a series of enjoyable vignettes, and maintains an emotional core throughout. You really find yourself caring about Ralph and Vanellope.
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