Ralph Breaks the Internet

Six years since his last adventure, Wreck-it Ralph (John C Reilly) is back, only this time – as the title suggests – our retro protagonist and his intrepid bestie Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) are heading out into the cyber abyss.

At the start of the movie, Vanellope is a bird trapped in a cage. Bored of the monotonous nature of her racing game, she wants a change. A sliding door moment presents itself when Litwak’s arcade gets wifi, providing a route to a whole new world full of adventure: the internet.

Where the previous instalment leaned on its 8-bit origin deftly, with nostalgic references and jokes littered throughout, Ralph Breaks the Internet struggles to find a balance, with hackneyed jokes about gaming nerds and incessant, suffocating product placement giving this film a very different look and feel to its predecessor – although the sequel does retain the sharp self-awareness à la Deadpool that worked so well in the first flick.

The web was an ambitious next step for Ralph, one that he can’t quite make. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t gems to be found there. A number of new faces provide this movie with some of its highlights, particularly the Disney princesses and an intrusive pop-up ad providing laughs. It’s ironic that these should be highlights, however, considering the internet realm of the film feels like an advert for Disney.

Not content to focus on the vast expanse of the net, directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston touch on themes of friendship, loneliness and maturity, often seamlessly linking them all together. At its most impressive, Ralph Breaks the Internet sensitively broaches serious subject matter with wit and charm. Although ultimately a little lost in cyberspace, Ralph, Vanellope et al keep the journey entertaining, touching and worth the six-year wait.

Jake Cudsi

Ralph Breaks the Internet is released nationwide on 30^th November 2018.

Watch the trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet here: