Movie Review: “Ralph Breaks the Internet”

Hi everyone!

Ralph Breaks the Internet is now in theaters. The movie takes place six years after Wreck-it Ralph, and is set mostly inside the internet instead of a video game.

There were quite a few previews, with Dumbo looking especially promising (it also looks like a heavy tissue movie). Toy Story 4 received not one but two trailers, neither giving too many clues on how good the movie may be. But it’s good to see Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the gang back together.

Now, a short, spoiler-proof review of Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) has spent years inside of Sugar Rush and is wondering if there is more to life than the video game in Litwak’s Family Fun Center & Arcade. She’s looking for something new, but would even settle for a new track – just a change. Ralph (John C. Reilly) tries to give her what she wants, but it ends up breaking the game and putting all the characters out of work and needing a new game to go to. Ralph decides he wants to buy the part to fix the game because the owner will not. Ralph and Vanellope set out for the internet, which is a tangible place in the movie. It reminds me of the IT Crowd actually, when Jen introduces the internet. Ralph needs to go to Ebay and win the part needed.

Ralph and Vanellope end up in a game called Slaughter Race to steal a car to pay for the part (that Ralph bid up way too high). Instead, Ralph soon realizes he can be an internet video Buzztube star, and the money rolls in. I believe YouTube was mentioned early on, there are some real names like Ebay and Amazon but not all are. And each is a real and tangible place in the internet, which is itself a destination.

One of the most talked about scenes is off the Disney princesses dressed in comfortable attire and not in their usual dresses. There are actually a couple of scenes, the first one was longer than I thought it would be and it had some of the biggest laughs in the movie – to the point I couldn’t usually hear what was said. I look forward to seeing the home version for that. They are inside Oh My Disney, which is also a real place in the movie.

In the end, I thought Ralph Breaks the Internet was a lot of fun. Just as I felt before seeing it, I think the internet aspect is going to age quickly. Will Ebay or Snapchat still be around in 10 years? There is no way to know. However, the story of friendship will not age. And while kids will love it, there are very adult themes explored like codependency, clinginess and being able to spend time alone (mostly at the end of the film). I was surprised at the depth of the movie in that sense.

Stay through the credits – all the credits. The credits are pretty long, and you may want to leave. But there are two different scenes – one we’ve seen much of in a trailer previously, but it’s really funny.

There is so much that goes on in the movie, but there is no need to try to explain more. I enjoyed the movie beyond what I expected.

Mousesteps score for Ralph Breaks the Internet: B+

Ralph Breaks the Internet is rated PG. The film directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, and the cast includes John C. Reilly (Ralph); Sarah Silverman (Vanellope); Taraji P. Henson (Yesss); Jane Lynch (Calhoun); and Jack McBrayer (Felix).