Blu-ray Review: “Ralph Breaks the Internet” Offers Terrific Bonus Features

Hi everyone!

Ralph Breaks the Internet is now on Blu-ray and we received a copy to review (it has been available since February 26th, 2019).  Here are my thoughts on the bonus features and I included my original movie review (and our Ralph Breaks the Internet press conference video is also embedded below). The film is really fun and there are quite a few worthy bonus features here.

Blu-ray & Digital:

How We Broke the Internet –Disney says about this feature, “Go behind the scenes at Walt Disney Animation Studios to get an in-depth look at how the filmmakers brought a world to life that billions of people visit every day but never actually see – the internet”.  This is fantastic half-hour feature that includes the filmmakers, animators and others involved in the process. Producer Clark Spencer and directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston are a big part of the feature, discussing topics from deciding what the internet would look like to the serious issue of online bullying and also how Vanellope sees the internet as adventure and Ralph doesn’t. We see clips of actors including Gal Gadot. It is nice seeing movie animators also having such a big part of the feature. Definitely worth a watch and it includes some early concept art.

Surfing for Easter Eggs – There are a lot of Easter eggs (hidden references of Disney characters and films) in the movie, and even some hidden Mickeys. If you watched the How We Broke the Internet feature first, you’ll see this mentioned briefly but a lot more are shown in these few minutes.

The Music of Ralph Breaks the Internet – Score composer Henry Jackman says it’d be tempting to think that you’d go on a “crazy synth adventure only” but that that he need orchestra as well. The filmmakers also wondered what would happen if they got an “Alan Menken type” to do the movie in a laughing type way and then they talked seriously about it. Alan Menken talks about being a fan of Sarah Silverman (Vanellope) and we see Silverman singing with the orchestra. Gal Gadot also hasn’t sung before on camera and Ralph Breaks the Internet is her singing debut. This is another terrific feature!

Deleted Scenes – Disney says of this feature, “Five deleted scenes with intros from directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston. Scenes include Into the Internet, Opposites, Domestic Hell, Bubble of One & Recruiting “Grandma.”” The deleted scenes are very early animation, and are an interesting look at what could have been added.

BuzzzTube Cats – Disney says of this feature,  “Many videos were created by the animators to fill the screens of the Internet world…and lots of them are of cats! Check out the BuzzzTube to watch this hilarious cat compilation”. This is a really fun grouping of animated cat clips in one feature. If you love cats – and I do – this two minute feature will be a must-see more than once. The animators did a great job of capturing the nuances of cats.

Music Videos – “Zero” by Imagine Dragons and “In This Place” by Julia Michaels.
Digital Exclusive:

Baby Drivers – Slaughter Racing School – Take a spin behind the wheel with the artists behind Ralph Breaks the Internet as they go to race car driving school. I found this feature not too exciting, but it’s worth checking out.

DVD:
Music Videos – “Zero” by Imagine Dragons and “In This Place” by Julia Michaels.
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My original spoiler-free 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).

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