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

Finding Dory: review

Director: Andrew Stanton
Running time: 97 minutes

Pixar produce another fine addition to their library

No film studio has had the consistent influx of quality content quite like Pixar, The Good Dinosaur might have been a bit of misstep. But on the whole, each of their animated features have something special that can't be replicated by other animation studios. Which is why their films are beloved by those of all ages.

Set one year after Finding Nemo. Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), an unrelentingly upbeat, blue fish with a short memory span suddenly gets flashbacks from her childhood, where she once had a family before losing them. She can only recall that they lived in the Morro Bay, so she sets out to find them with returning characters Marlin and Nemo. Their journey eventually leads them to an aquarium, where they meet and are helped by a grumpy, red octopus called Hank (Ed O'Neill).

Finding Dory is full of vivid colour, the visuals ooze off of the screen and it moulds well with the optimistic tone of the film. With that said, towards the end there are a few teary moments (it wouldn't be a Pixar film without one).

As we'd expect from Pixar, the wonderfully designed and charming characters are what's at the heart of the film. With its snappy dialogue, you can't help but root for all of the characters because while flawed they're all innocent enough in their goals to care about.

The final third of the film is far more action-centric than I expected, with a crazy escape plan involving a lorry bursting through a highway on the wrong side of the road. Which seemed a little out of place, but still very entertaining nevertheless.

Also, at the centre of Finding Dory is a positive message about family, belonging and never giving up on those you love. Dory's flashbacks to her childhood are a reminder of how we take our loved ones for granted until they are no longer with us.

What stops Finding Dory from being sublime is its rushed final act, and at times it can feel emotionally manipulative. And to be honest it is inferior to Finding Nemo. 

Verdict: 4/5




 

Kung Fu Panda 3 review

A fun, beautiful, if a little formulaic animated movie, that the kids will sure enjoy.

I confess that I've never seen any of the previous Kung Fu panda movies from start to finish, so I went into this a little blind. So it was a relief to come out of the theatre with a smile on my face, as well as those of my young siblings.

The story sees Po (Jack Black) reunited with his long lost father Li (Bryan Cranston), who takes him to a secret panda village where Po originally came from. Along the way a supernatural villain called Kai is defeating all of the Kung Fu masters in China. So Po and his friends are the only thing that stand in his way.

While the story isn't particularly interesting, or anything close to the complexity of a Pixar feature, it never tries to be anything other than a beat by beat flow of comedy sketch pieces, and action sequences. And believe me, there are plenty of laughs in this movie, I chuckled many times, and there was constant laughter amongst even the adults in my screening. Much of the humour is forced and childish, but it all works nevertheless because the characters are so charming and likeable.

Fans of the previous entries will be delighted to see the return of old characters such as Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Viper and Crane. Although there seems to be less of a group narrative in this movie as Po goes on his own journey.

But the most impressive thing is the animation, which is sublime. The bright colours of the locales and designs ooze off of the screen, and there's times when the animation cuts into a variety of 2D anime scenes, which give it a beautiful far eastern feel, while never feeling out of place.

I can't see why fans of the first two movies wouldn't like this one, my young siblings thought it was the best one they had seen yet. It also helps that the movie is fairly short at 95 minutes, and because it feels like a full on extended action cartoon, not a second feels like it's dragging.

Verdict:3.5/5