5 Reasons Why Wreck-It Ralph is the PERFECT Video Game Movie

It’s no secret that video game movies aren’t world-renowned for breaking box-office records or inspiring any type of critical acclaim. And why should they? Historically, they’re often boring and contrived, and at worst they’re completely absurd, having nothing to do with the source material. And even if they were closer to the source material…since when is it fun to watch someone else play a video game?

Ok I take that back…millions of people watch gamers on YouTube every day. But you wouldn’t go to a movie theater and pay to see this…would you?

With Ralph Breaks The Internet (formerly known as Wreck-It Ralph 2) in theaters this week, it appears that the focus has shifted significantly from video games to the world wide web. Personally, I’m hoping that Disney remembers Wreck-It Ralph‘s roots as a love letter to gamers, because it truly is the perfect video game movie. Here’s why:  

5. Ralph and Felix are original characters

Part of what makes the original Wreck-It Ralph work is that the main characters are mostly original, while simultaneously functioning as tributes to popular video game characters. Ralph is clearly based on the titular antagonist of the original 1981 Donkey Kong, with Fix-It Felix serving as the stand-in for Mario (or more specifically, Jumpman).Vanellope von Schweetz and Sergeant Calhoun are more original characters, but they’re clearly based on generic Mario Kart racers and Call of Duty soldiers, respectively.

Why does this work? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to make this a Donkey Kong and Mario movie? Aside from the obvious rights issues (Mario wasn’t even included as a cameo, though he does get a mention), this would have been awful. When the Super Mario Bros. movie came out, Bob Hoskins’ (R.I.P.) and John Leguizamo’s portrayals of Mario and Luigi were heavily scrutinized under a microscope. Mario and Luigi, even in 1993, were more than just characters – they were icons of an industry (Mario was famously more recognizable than Mickey Mouse). The expectations for a faithful adaptation of these characters was overwhelming, and ultimately, not achievable – obvious because we haven’t seen our favorite plumbers on the big screen since.

By going with original characters, the filmmakers gave themselves more freedom to take risks – and ultimately, it paid off. The characters (more specifically, Ralph and Felix) pay tribute to video game characters we love while developing without the restraints of fan expectations.

Basically Donkey Kong and Mario/Jumpman…without the baggage of failed expectations!

4. The Cameos

…and yet, the film remains an authentic video game movie by surrounding the original characters with actual video game characters – Sonic, Pac-Man, Q-bert, Tapper, and Frogger just to name a few, not to mention the brilliant Bad Guys Anonymous group featuring some of the greatest game villains of all time, like Bowser, Dr. Eggman/Robotnik, Clyde (the orange ghost from Pac-Man) and M. Bison.

A few serve as supporting characters while most are merely cameos, but that’s exactly why they work – they’re present in the film to legitimize the world our protagonists live in. There’s no reason for the filmmakers to develop these characters and (likely) get them wrong. This shows respect to the gamers, while still delivering a treat to the most ardent fans. 

 

Bowser and Dr. Robotnik/Eggman in the same room would have been mind-blowing in the 1990s. In the 21st century…not as much. Yet, still a fantastic scene that makes us believe that our made-up-for-this-movie villain is in the same ballpark as our beloved villains we grew up with.

3. An original plot

It seems like every film today is a sequel, prequel, or reboot (back in the day, we called them remakes when they weren’t expected to jumpstart an entire cinematic universe). And six years ago, things weren’t much different. So Wreck-It Ralph was a breath of fresh air even in 2012. 

“A popular video game villain is tired of being the bad guy, so abandons his game to try to become a hero in another”? Seriously. Who thinks up this logline? It’s simple yet complex, and you know you’ve never seen it before – so you WANT to know what happens.

Original plots are rare. Good original plots are rare. Good original plots in video game movies are RAREST.

OK I’ll admit…the secret villain trope is popular lately. But this film still pulls it off in an effective, turbotastic way. 

 

2. An Unorthodox Ending We Didn’t Know We Needed

Many movies (especially Disney movies) follow a familiar formula – the protagonist isn’t happy with their life, has dreams of becoming or accomplishing something bigger, everyone doubts them, they go on a journey of self-discovery and trials, and against all odds, they achieve their dream! It’s a great message, but it’s not the only message audiences want to see and relate to – plus we’ve seen it half-a-billion times.

Ralph dreams of being a hero like Fix-It Felix, but he finds that he’s not that good at it, so he goes on a journey to become that hero (cue I Can Go The Distance from Disney’s Hercules). A lesser movie would have had ended with Ralph becoming the hero that he dreamed of. But he doesn’t! He learns that, in the end, he can’t change the programming – and his game NEEDS him to be a villain. He learns to embrace who he already is, and simply look at it from a different yet incredibly refreshing perspective that is rarely seen in current cinematic storytelling.

“I’m bad, and that’s good. I will never be good, and that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be…than me.”

1. It’s a love letter to gamers

Between the cameos, composite characters and familiar vibrant arcade worlds of the past and present they explore, Wreck-It Ralph is truly a love letter to a generational spectrum of gamers. The film does this seamlessly through the many references that don’t need explaining; the filmmakers knew that gamers are the audience, and they didn’t talk down to them or water down the content to make the film more accessible for a wider audience. Why else include the countless, unexplained Easter eggs throughout the movie? The end credits are the best evidence – they take us for a journey through the history of video games in a fun and especially moving tribute.

That’s not to say that Wreck-It Ralph was only for gamers. But if you’re not a gamer, it made you want to be.

Video games need gamers to exist….and so do video game movies. 

Ralph Wrecks The Internet has a lot to live up to. But as long as it remembers its gaming roots while matching the heart and spirit that the original so eloquently and humorously delivered, it will succeed. 

Ralph Breaks the Internet is in theaters now. Keep an eye on Dork Daily for our official review this week! 

 

Chris Pierdomenico is a filmmaker, a teacher of television, video production & journalism as well as the founder of DorkDaily.com.