Ralph's an emotional wrecker

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Joyee Chan
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Joyee Chan |
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When the arcade lights go out and players leave, avatars inside video games come to life, at least in Disney's Wreck-It Ralph.

The title character (John C. Reilly), has been working in Fix-It Felix Jr for 30 years, but tearing down buildings only so Felix (Jack McBrayer) can repair them gives him no pleasure, no medals, and no party invites.

So one day, Ralph decides to get into some of the other arcade machines on a game-hopping adventure to win a hero's medal.

It's when Ralph lands in the go-kart game Sugar Rush and meets would-be racer Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) that the movie finds its emotional core.

Familiar vibe? Well, executive producer John Lasseter directed Toy Story and its sequel. This film has the same emotional pull, attention to detail and ingenuity.

Whether it's the humour of Super Mario Bros' Bowser, Mortal Kombat's Smoke and Sonic the Hedgehog's Dr Eggman sitting at a bad-guy counselling session at Pac-Man's, or Sergeant Calhoun's "most tragic back-story of all" in the violent first-person shooter Hero's Duty, it's impossible for gamers not to feel a strong sense of nostalgic amusement from the 8-bit era of the 1980s.

Wreck-It Ralph is brilliantly done, and a serious contender to the best animated film of the year.

YP Rating: 4/5



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