"First rule of the Internet...do not read the comments. I should have told you that. Look. This place can bring out the worst in some people, but you gotta ignore all this." - Yesss
Initial thoughts before viewing: I had my eye on Ralph Breaks the Internet before if came out because there was a lot of buzz in the Disney-verse about all the princesses coming back for this movie. I ended up seeing it in theaters and feeling pretty meh about the movie overall.
If you'd like to read a recap of Ralph Breaks the Internet, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the entire plot summary.
Highlights:
-The movie spoofs the Disney princess industrial complex (in the most loving way). Vanellope's princesses’ meta-meetup is one of the film’s best scenes. Aside from the seriously cool factor of having all past Disney princess meet up on screen (many in a computer generated realm for the first time!), the princess scene is also the catalyst for Vanellope figuring out her true destiny and dream. Said director Rich Moore, “It wasn't just a funny scene about Vanellope taking the air out of some of the princesses and seeing that they have their little flaws. They became instrumental in Vanellope realizing that she is a princess, too, and that her dreams matter as well.”
-The movie takes a moment to address toxic online behavior. There is a moment when Wreck-It Ralph is standing in a room where he can see all of the comments being posted under a series of videos he created. They pile up in real time, one on top of the other, and the vast majority are deliberately hurtful. Although he tries to shrug off the pain, an algorithm named Yesss sees that he is suffering and offers the following words as comfort: "First rule of the internet: don't read the comments." It is one of many moments in the movie inspired by the life lessons one acquires after spending enough time online, and it hits home for many. The message here is clear and poignant: cyberspace is a place where dreams can come true, but can also become nightmares.
-Ralph Breaks the Internet does a better job with its female characters this time around. In my previous blog post on 20212's Wreck-It Ralph, my biggest criticism of the movie was that its two lead female characters Vanellope von Schweetz and Sergeant Calhoun have some major representation issues. This time, Disney has stepped it up and added 2 new original female characters that are in charge and seriously kick butt: a head algorithm named Yesss (Taraji P. Henson) and a top racer name Shank (Gal Gadot). Both new characters serve as helpful mentors to our leads and help drive the plot of the story.
Disliked:
-Ralph is painted as clingy and pretty insufferable throughout the movie. The events that put Vanellope's life in danger are caused by Ralph's unwillingness to accept his own vulnerability. He is needy, clingy and afraid of losing his best friend, but instead of addressing his fears in a healthy way, he tries underhanded and manipulative tactics in order to force his will on her. As a result, his toxic behavior winds up being literally embodied in a giant monster that threatens to destroy the entire internet unless he can convince both it and himself to grow up.
-Vanellope goes Turbo, but somehow that's okay this time...? Going Turbo is not a good thing. The act is selfish and destructive. In the context of the first film, going Turbo and rebelling against the code is the worst thing possible. However, in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Vanellope's behavior can best be described as going Turbo. She's bored with a racing role she spent the whole first film fighting to achieve. When Ralph makes a new track for her to try, she rebels against the racer controlling her to attend to a personal desire, which results in a broken steering wheel and the risk that Sugar Rush will be unplugged. This selfish action results in her game being shut down and its occupants becoming homeless.
Her behavior doesn't improve, as she's easily distracted by an online racing game called Slaughter Race and starts expressing a desire to stay in that game instead of restoring her own. Ralph is against this, but the film paints Ralph as being the selfish one. Vanellope finally does get what she wants and is coded into Slaughter Race, abandoning her old game.
Her arc in the second movie is a classic "follow your dreams" plot -- popular with Disney, but not fitting in the movie's universe. To achieve it, the movie universe's rules have to be broken, which ultimately means it doesn't work.
Closing Thoughts:
Ralph Breaks the Internet meanders a bit during its journey, stopping to take several little detours that aren’t strictly necessary. Most of these detours are clever and funny; a few help drag the movie on and on to its almost 2 hour running time (yikes). While the movie is a visual feast with tons of Easter eggs and adult-focused gags, to also manages to feel like too much.
For a movie that is fun in so many ways, the major disappointment here is that the two main characters of Ralph and Vanellope are just so darn unlikeable (and therefore hard to root for). They are bad friends to one another, and each become more and more obsessed with their own selfish goals as the movie progresses. And while Ralph seems to learn his lesson about addressing his own insecurities in the end, I'm not sure Vanellope ever quite matures at all. She gets everything she wants by the end (a new game to call home, space from needy Ralph) and doesn't need to seem to make the same sort of sacrifice that Ralph does in regards to their friendship.
The bottom line: While Ralph Breaks the Internet can be charming and self-aware, the heart of the film which is supposed to be the friendship between Ralph and Vanellope feels uneven and unfulfilling. It's probably worth a watch, but there are infinitely better stories out there with more fulfilling emotional cores and likeable leads.
My Rating: 4.5/10
