Ralph Breaks The Internet Has One Trick

Ralph Breaks the Internet is a movie that knows how to do one thing and not the other. The plot’s not great. While video game characters doing a fetch quest is a perfect metatextual idea, it’s not all that engaging as a story. Most of the challenges arise from Ralph being dumb—and the ending “battle” is nonsensical in a lot of ways from a literal perspective.

Ralph Breaks The Internet Is A Bit Confusing

But what the movie is, is emotionally logical. Emotionally powerful. Vanellope and Ralph have a fantastic relationship and an interesting moral is explored through it. Ralph Breaks the Internet states that best friends don’t have to share all interests. Friends may be separated by distance, one day. I personally have experience with that and I’m sure many others do as well. The movie understands the fundamental backbone of the character dynamics presented. Sure, the monster being defeated by love and understanding is cliché and confusing but emotionally it’s still a poignant moment. And if that doesn’t do it for you, I nearly cried not a few moments later during the waving scene.

Ralph Breaks The Internet Tugs Heartstrings

The soul of the movie is timeless. Strip away the trappings and these are timeless characters. But, because the movie references websites and the modern internet, it’s consigned to be a nostalgia film at best, and dated at worst. The Disney Princess thing was a sight to behold, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a gimmick.

Ralph Breaks The Internet Has “Features”

The whole movie’s a bit of a gimmick. A gimmick that contains a lot of heart, a lot of interesting and visually fun moments, but a gimmick, nonetheless. It’s not the best of Disney; it’s not the worst, but ten years from now I know which of the two movies—the original or this one—will still be a fond memory.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Friday Fiction: This Dragon Prefers Bacon
• The Magnus Protocol Reviews: “Dependents”
• Doctor Who Episodic Coverage: “The Well”
• Friday Fiction: The Last Flight
• The Magnus Protocol Reviews: “Circling Back”