Ralph Breaks the Internet review

Running time: 1 hour and 52 minutes


Ralph Breaks the internet is a sequel to Disney's Wreck it Ralph (2012), an excellent animated movie about a video game character that lives inside of an arcade machine. The idea was wonderfully flipped because Ralph is a villain with a kind personality, who's voiced brilliantly by John C. Reilly. Outside of the beautiful animation and fun concept, the characters were an abundance of innocent charm. It was also a nostalgia throwback with some of gaming's biggest names making cameo appearances.

We return to Litwak's Arcade where a new Wifi system has been installed, but it's strictly off limits to those inside of the arcade machines. Ralph and Venellope (Sarah Silverman) decide to venture inside of the internet when the steering wheel to Venellope's game, Sugar Rush, breaks off. With only one left, they have to find a way of raising over twenty seven thousand dollars to buy it on ebay before the machine is sent away for scrap parts.

The classic videogame character cameos return from the first movie, but aside from Sonic the hedgehog and Zangief from Street fighter, most are just there in the background. The futuristic looking world of the Internet is ablaze with visual elegance, where everyone on the outside world has their own small avatar that lives out the choices they make on the world wide web.

As Ralph and Vennelope go from one misadventure to the next, the movie does a good job of making gags about modern society's obsession with wanting to be liked on social media, and the popularity of click-bait videos. Without being overly mocking.

But the movie does get far too busy in the last third of its run time, and for all of its heart and warmth, the plot is a little all over the place with stuff just happening to service the characters. There is also a gross and questionable amount of self promotion when the characters visit a Disney themed website in the internet world. We get storm troopers and just about every other Disney character clog up the screen for an entire five minute period of time. It all serves a purpose but it did feel like it was included for the sake of it.

But it's the two leads that elevate the whole experience, the pair are perfectly voiced, giving the characters a sense of optimism and levity in an otherwise emotional narrative. Their friendship feels real, and the two different personalities bounce off of one another to create an unlikely but wholesome duo. One particular moment was heart wrenching but delightfully silly at the same time.

Ralph Breaks the Internet could have been better, it lacks the pacing and story of the first movie. But it's still a thoroughly enjoyable piece of entertainment that's worth going to see if you liked the first one, or even if you're willing to spend the money to take the kids or the family out at the weekend.

3.5/5