Ralph Breaks the Internet, otherwise known as Wreck It Ralph 2 is probably the perfect movie that represents anyone from the age of 18 to 38. The movie resonates with equal parts Ready Player One, Inside Out, Pixels and enough meme culture to (maybe) make you not touch YouTube or Reddit for a week.
Why you should/need/must catch this movie:
The movie happens 6 years after the original and Ralph and Vanellope have become best friends, spending all their free time together. Things happen and they end up going on a journey through the Internet in order to find a solution, leading to Vanellope realising that there’s more to experience out in the bigger world, which perfectly segues into a mandatory Disney princess song and dance routine (because how is it a true Disney princess film if there isn’t?)
The emotional core of this movie will probably hit home for many and it definitely touches on something that I felt resonates strongly with how I grew up. As the movie progressed, it felt like the story was paying tribute to the kids who grew up with Disney and less about cultivating a new generation of Disney fans. The movie has gone all out with embracing everything that represents that number one buzzword “Millennials” and for an animated movie, it’s definitely one that may have a little too much going on for younger kids to understand.
There’s a little something for everyone (I’m pretty sure):
The movie provides enjoyable fanservice with the appearances of various video game characters right from the beginning of the movie. With appearances from characters that aren’t under its stable, Disney also has the opportunity to showcase all the different IPs that have come under its umbrella in the last decade. I would name some of them but it would be in spoiler territory and it’s definitely more interesting for viewers to spot them yourselves. (There’s also a cameo that will bring a little sniffle to anyone’s nose)
Square Enix and Disney’s partnership in the Kingdom Hearts series might have brought many of the Disney princesses under a common series, but this movie puts them all in the same room that will have every Disney fan squealing in their seats at the pure adorableness that it is. The conversations the princesses have with Vanellope also outright poke fun at the entire Disney princess trope and it’s wonderful that the writers and directors have taken such a bold step to do it. (and I definitely hope they do it again in future)
The references are absolutely over the top and make it amazing:
The movie clearly takes no prisoners in poking fun at pop culture right from the start and some portions may even go over the heads of younger viewers. Parents may have a fun (or terrifying!) time sitting down with their kids and explaining certain memes, although I wary if it’s the right thing to do for those under the age of 10 and while watching the movie, it was amusing to note that the adults in the cinema were laughing and catching certain jokes much more than the kids so I’d also recommend that you might want to catch a late showing of the movie to enjoy it better.
All in all, Ralph Breaks the Internet is probably the most enjoyable film you’ll watch this holiday season and that you’ll be wanting to buy the Blu-ray collection when it comes out, because I will be.
