Ralph Breaks The Internet Review

Along with Super Troopers 2, Ralph Breaks The Internet was a film I had been anticipating for and wanting to see in the theater. I saw the original a few weeks after it came out and enjoyed it a lot. This one is a solid effort, but not as strong as the first.

Things go awry when the steering wheel of Sugar Rush breaks thanks to Ralph. Mr. Litwak is not keen on getting it fixed. The machine is unplugged and many of the inhabitants are left homeless. Litwak has also gotten with the times and added Wi-Fi to the old arcade. Ralph and Vanellope venture into the world of Wi-Fi and the Internet in hopes of finding that part and trying to pay off the costs of it.

One thing I'll get out of the way is that it stays consistently funny with tons of moments and little gags that make for good entertainment. As far as making fun of the Internet, it gets its point across through the various websites without overstaying its welcome on their purposes. One example is the Disney princesses scene, which was in the trailers. It doesn't come off as a cheap one time gag that lasts for a minute. A bit of thought was put into it, as are some of the other websites.

There is a lot more dedication towards both Ralph and Vanellope. Both John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman deliver solid performances as the two characters and provide a good combo of both comedy and drama while exploring the Internet. A few new characters get some screen time. One is Shank, voiced by Gal Gadot. She gives the story a shot in the arm with the writers take on online gaming and contributes to Vanellope's thoughts about life beyond Sugar Rush and Ralph. The other is Yesss. I don't care much for Taraji P. Henson, but she doesn't come as overbearing with her character. Like Shank, she adds a bit to the story, but to the parody of YouTube. Really, both characters are not written as people you forget about during the nearly two hours of the movie.

Fix it Felix and Sgt. Calhoun both return with their original voices, but are mostly afterthoughts. I'm not complaining much about that. There are plenty of game characters in their brief scenes, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Chun-Li, and Pac-Man. It definitely is more along the lines of a popcorn flick, though. The story is not the greatest, but there's worse. Ralph has a bit of a stubborn attitude at times throughout it. It doesn't make it unwatchable, but as a character, he's not as strong like in the first one. Other than those two things, some complaints might be towards being a product placement for various sites to add in some cheap gags. It's noticeable, but I don't think it detracts from the overall experience.

There aren't too many options other than The Grinch, but Ralph 2 is something to watch in the theater. Go check it out. Not as strong as the first, but still a good solid movie.

Score: 7 out of 10