Wreck-It Ralph: Ultimate Collector’s Edition 3D Set (2012/Disney Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy)

 

Picture: A-/A/B     Sound: A/A/B     Extras: B-     Film: B+

 

 

They may seem like hip, modern works of art with the latest CGI technology, but at their heart Disney and Pixar films are classic fairytales.  They don’t always have the most depth, but the whole hearted tales mixed with well rounded, passionate characters makes for instant classics.  Wreck-It Ralph (2012) is no exception.

 

Wreck-It Ralph is one of the most innovative ideas for an animated film in years.  The film’s star is a larger than life ‘arcade classic’ character named Ralph.  Ralph is the villain for the arcade game ‘Fix-It Felix Jr.’; Ralph destroys a building, while Felix repairs the damage with his magic hammer.  Felix saves the day (and the inhabitants of said building), while Ralph is slammed to the ground below as defeated, disgraced villain; a dance the duo has been doing for over 30 years.  Seemingly drawing some inspiration from the Pixar film Toy Story, once the arcade closes for the day the arcade characters spring to life; traveling through wires to a central hub where they can all congregate and interact.  The world is very segregated as the ‘good guys’ stick with the ‘good guys’ and the ‘villains’ stick with the ‘villains;’ even as we quickly discover the ‘villains’ aren’t so bad and merely have embraced the roles they were cast in.

 

Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) isn’t as content as others in his villain role and after 30 years of ungratefulness from his arcade cohorts decides to go rouge to earn the praise he desires.  Ralph travels to the arcades Central Hub where he sneaks his way into the game ‘Hero’s Duty.’  ‘Hero’s Duty’ is a war ridden, apocalyptic world where soldiers fight alien bugs to save the world and earn medals.  It is here Ralph meets ‘Hero’s Duty’ main character and bodacious babe voiced by Jane Lynch, she slickly explains the rules and her no nonsense attitude.  Ralph manages to nab himself a medal, but subsequently and unwittingly sets off a series of events that will follow him throughout the film.  Ralph’s next stop is into a Candyland inspired racing game entitled ‘Sugar Rush’ where he meets Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman).  Vanellope and Ralph seem to be kindred spirits (even if they don’t know it) as they are both outcasts in their own world; together they set out to change their fates and become heroes in their respective worlds.

 

The film is excellent in that there are no nonsensical plot points; everything has a purpose (just wait everything comes full circle).  The worlds of ‘Fix-It Felix,’ ‘Hero’s Duty,’ and ‘Sugar Rush’ collide as each of the world’s characters attempt to reclaim order, but the path is not easy and will require most to leave the past behind and make me alliances.

 

Wreck-It Ralph is an outstanding film and (in my opinion) outdid Disney/Pixar’s Brave.  Brave went on to win and Academy Aware, while Wreck-It Ralph (the superior film) was sadly forgotten.  Ralph screams ingenuity as every aspect is new and creative; amounting to an excellent film with a great story, memorable characters, and visuals that are beyond compare.

 

This is a film that will pull in audiences from everywhere as it is caters not only to children of all ages, but also classic game enthusiast who may have not even considered watching a Disney film before this.  Gamers will be treated to many ‘inside jokes’ and game references that others may not quite get; as well as seeing appearances from game characters like Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr. Robotnik (Eggman), Q-Bert, Pac-Man Ghosts, and many more.

 

The visuals are truly stunning.  The 1080p MPEG-4 MVC Encoded 3D transfer is stunning.  I saw this film in 3D in the theater and it is just as good (though not as large) in its 2.39 X 1 format (originally in 2.35 X 1).  The 3D has color amped up so that the image is degraded or distorted with the 3D glasses.  The 3D that Disney creates for home video consumption is stunning; while other studios continue to struggle to get it right, Disney does it all right.  The picture is crisp, clean and clear basically without any flaws.  I would still argue (like I did for Monster’s Inc 3D) that the standard 2D version remains somewhat better, but still amazing.  The 2D is just easier to watch and I will argue that 3D still doesn’t bowl me over; though is a nice bonus.   The colors and balance between light and dark in this film are awe inspiring as the characters travel between worlds there is steadiness that never wavers adding to the already stunning visuals.  The sound is a DTS-HD Lossless 7.1 Surround Track that is just as good as the picture!  This film embraces a well-rounded track as the full speaker range is utilized and the soundscape is dynamic as dialogue, music, and ambience comes through with ease.  Even the blips, boops, and dings of the classic arcade backdrop are spot on and will have the biggest game fan smiling ear to ear.  A spectacular audio/visual experience.

 

The DVD is merely a downgrade of the stunning Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D presentations.  At this point only existing in the set for those who have yet to convert to High Def.

 

The extras are not as wonderful as the film itself, but give enough material to dig into. Extras are as follows:

·         Paperman Theatrical Short (Oscar winning) – Available in both 2D and 3D

·         Bit By Bit: Creating the Worlds’ of Wreck-It Ralph

·         Disney Intermission: The Gamer’s Guide to Wreck-It Ralph (hosted by Chris Hardwick)

·         Deleted and Alternate Scenes

·         Video Game Commercials

o        ‘Original’ TV commercials for ‘Fix-It Felix Jr.,’ ‘Sugar Rush,’ and ‘Hero’s Duty’ all of which are very fun

·         Sneak Peeks

 

Awesome Film! And certainly a must see.

 

 

-   Michael P. Dougherty II