Ralph Breaks the Internet

This is only the third sequel in the history of feature animation for the Walt Disney Studios and all three probably wouldn't have been the audience's first choice. That's not to say that the sequels were bad. I enjoyed the last sequel, "Fantasia 2000", for instance. All I am saying is that the more popular animated films that Disney released in theaters begat TV series and direct-to-video sequels. "Ralph Breaks the Internet" was the first sequel as part of what I like to call the "Disney Resurgence". This era of animation began in the late 2000's. I consider "The Princess and the Frog" to be the first film to kick off this era of animation. "Wreck-It Ralph" is part of the Disney Resurgence and in my opinion is a little underrated. When I was made aware of a sequel, I was quite happy. I got even more excited when I saw some of the characters that would make cameos in the sequel but that will be discussed later. If I were to use one word to describe this sequel, it would be "congestion". That word regrettably is not a positive one. The story was a very strong aspect of the original film and despite the filmmakers best intentions, the story of the sequel was lost amidst so much that was packed into this one film. What I say coming up may be only important to me and be very analytical but it is still only my opinion. People can come up with their own. I will admit I am being picky and will write too much concerning one movie and maybe the flaws will become less important later on (that happened with me and "Tangled").

We have seen previous Disney films make apparent references to other Disney properties for comedic purposes such as on "Aladdin", "The Lion King" and "Hercules" during the period known as the Disney Renaissance but the references were never to this extent in an animated film. In "Ralph Breaks the Internet", the references, cameos and easter eggs are very intertwined with the story and Disney did the same thing with the live action film "Enchanted". The reason why I like "Enchanted" a lot better is because of the sincerity behind the storytelling. The filmmakers subtly referenced other Disney classics with the ultimate goal of creating something unique and original. Other factors include the timing of the show's release and the fact that "Enchanted" is not a sequel. It is important when you do a second film to take the characters that we know and take them somewhere new. You have to expand the universe within reason and by the end, our characters should come out better and stronger. Just as the first film creatively depicted the inner workings of an arcade, we get to see the same filmmakers' vision of how the Internet works. Unfortunately, that is not as unique as the original premise because we have already seen other movies quite recently that take place online such as "Ready Player One" and "The Emoji Movie". While watching "Ralph Breaks the Internet", I was reminded of a delete scene from the original film. There is nothing wrong with making a sequel by employing a few discarded ideas you had the first time around. Both "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story 3" did this but those making "Ralph Breaks the Internet" seemingly had the major setting of their new movie in a place very reminiscent of their deleted setting from "Wreck-It Ralph". You can already sense the problems that could result because deleted settings have flaws and unless you have a good reason to resurrect a scrapped idea, it should stay scrapped. Whenever I watch a Disney movie, I want to see a focus on the story with great characters and advancements in technology that add to the experience. The original film accomplished this very well. There are some cool moments in the sequel from a technological and creative standpoint such as the human avatars walking about and the giant threat our heroes face in the climax. The animated performance of Shank was very impressive and Slaughter Race feels like an animated version of the "Fast and the Furious" film franchise. There are also allusions to the game "Grand Theft Auto". Unfortunately, I saw some examples of lazy storytelling in the movie despite the filmmakers' best intentions. They tried to have the focus on Ralph and Vanellope's friendship and that is great but film's setting, cameos and plot problems created overshadow. The audience could be made to feel overwhelmed and in turn have trouble becoming emotionally invested. That wasn't what the filmmakers intended but it happened anyway. Speaking of easter eggs though, I spotted Aunt Cass in the Sassy Housewife popup back when it was in the trailer.

Firstly, there was little justification for some of the scenes in the film. It seemed like any setback for our heroes created a convenient excuse to see more of the Internet. They are led to Slaughter Race as one solution to their problem but then that site sends them to BuzzzTube. The more settings we visit, the more overwhelmed we become. By the time we get to the Oh My Disney fansite, we are getting a slight headache only to be pummelled because it is the most congested part of the film. We hardly get any time to appreciate all the cameos and easter eggs. We also didn't get as much time as we were hoping with the Disney Heroines (I call them that because while most of them are princesses, Mulan for example is warrior and Elsa is a queen) This part of the movie was highly publicized & highly anticipated and I myself was geeking out as Vanellope interacts with these beloved characters. I knew and the filmmakers knew however that this wasn't the main focus of the sequel. Because of how many Heroines there are and because the story needs to move on, the pace of the scene is such that you desire to pause the movie so that you can follow and appreciate everything. Even this great scene didn't have a very strong reason to be included in the first place. The Disney Heroines aren't really in a position to help movie the story forward. Even though Vanellope is a princess like most of them, she is in somewhat unchartered Disney territory: a full-length theatrical sequel. Vanelope is dealing with issues that stem past her original problem in "Wreck-It Ralph" where as the Disney Heroines are just avatars on a website and their stories have been resolved. I would think that the four major settings/websites featured in this sequel could have been trimmed down to three, just like the three major arcade games in the first film. Concerning yet another alternative narrative, why not have our characters exploring online games only? That would cut down on the film's congestion and would have been more relative to the premise of the first film. The perfectionist in me also wanted more of Felix and Calhoun. After simplifying the Ralph/Vanellope plotline, a great subplot could have been Felix and Calhoun back in the arcade. I am a big fan of songwriter Alan Menken but he does his best stuff in musicals. During his days in the Disney Renaissance, his songs would feel natural because they move the story forward without us being conscious of that. This franchise is not a musical one and therefore I felt that the song "A Place Called Slaughter Race" was forced upon us. Another reason the song didn't quite work was because the Disney Heroines articulated its purpose beforehand and therefore we aren't listening to it in the same way that we would if this was a musical film.

Some other examples of lazy storytelling can be seen when you compare Ralph's tale in "Wreck-It Ralph" with Vanellope's story in the sequel (this paragraph contains spoilers so skip to the next paragraph if you need to). The main goal of the characters is to buy the stirring wheel for Sugar Rush. That is achieved but it took almost the whole show to get it done and once accomplished, it becomes unimportant when the virus beings to destroy the Internet. This is comparable to Ralph's medal from Hero's Duty being overshadowed by Vanellope's desire to be a racer. The difference is that Ralph can get his medal by helping Vanellope. In the sequel, getting the stirring wheel will not help solve Vanellope's true inner dilemma. Our heroes got us emotionally invested in that stirring wheel only to have it mean relatively nothing by the end of the show. There is nothing wrong with Vanellope having the desire to stay in Slaughter Race because this creates the needed conflict for the story. Ralph wanted to change his life in the last show but why doesn't Vanellope end up in Sugar Rush by the end of this new adventure just like Ralph ends up in his game? Why does Ralph come to terms with being the "bad guy" at the end of the first movie but Vanellope is allowed to escape her responsibilities at the end of the second show? It doesn't appear like she learns the same lesson Ralph learned, which is to take "one game at a time". Maybe she should have attended a Bad-Anon meeting. I almost sense the filmmakers playing favorites. We are given a double standard. The song "A Place Called Slaughter Race" should have been titled: "I'm going Turbo". At the end of the first film, Vanellope invites Ralph to stay in Sugar Rush but he can't because he has a duty, "a big duty". I would call being a princess in Sugar Rush an even bigger duty but why is Vanellope allowed to leave it? The story in the sequel preaches that Venellope's choice to stay on the net could strengthen the bond between her and Ralph but for me, I didn't feel that their bond was strengthened by the end of the movie. The theme of identity was such as strong one in "Wreck-It Ralph". So is the theme of friendship as explored in "Ralph Breaks the Internet" but I ask how strong a long-distant friendship can be when compared to what we saw at the start of the show between these two characters. I think filmmakers were trying to teach a similar message as the Toy Story sequels. Those films taught us that life doesn't stay the same but instead of losing interest in life, we must cherish it and make the most of it in a mature way. Vanellope isn't taking the mature path. How would you feel if "Toy Story 2" had Woody leave Andy and his friends? What if "Toy Story 3" concluded with Woody going off to college and never seeing his friends again? The feelings you have right now are the same as I felt at the end of "Ralph Breaks the Internet". A simple way to fix this flaw would be to have our characters take "night vacations" to the Internet. Also, Vanellope's desire for new challenges could have also been satisfied by the possibility of new arcade games that could come along in the future. Another flaw with the story is that the first movie had a villain but there is no such character in the sequel. If the filmmakers want me to believe that video games have actual bad guys but the Internet doesn't then it's obviously they didn't watch their own movie very well. Furthermore, there were a few too many coincidences and shortcuts in the plot. If the Internet is really as big as we are led to believe, how did Ralph find his medal after it falls? I also ask how he makes it into the KnowsMore site during the virus attack. One of the worst plot devices in today's storytelling is a Deus ex machina in the climax. This is when resolution happens somewhat or completely out of nowhere. We don't just get one such plot device in the climax of "Ralph Breaks the Internet" but two. The first has to do with the defeat of the virus. It is true that KnowsMore gives Ralph and Vanellope their ultimate solution of therapy but it is a Deus ex machina nevertheless because they don't remind the audience that KnowsMore was the source of this solution. All they had to do was say the word "therapy" after defeating the virus and there would have been no problem. The second Deus ex machina happens when Ralph is saved from falling by the Disney Heroines. This really came out of nowhere and felt like an excuse to reprise the most anticipated aspect of this show. With this second Deus ex machina, it feels like the airport battle from "Captain America: Civil War" compressed into 30 seconds. The filmmakers once again gave us no time to appreciate what we were seeing and this second Deus ex machina also feels a little self-glorifying. In contrast, the Deus ex machina instances work in "The Emperor's New Groove" because of the type of comedy featured in that movie and the filmmakers indirectly acknowledging how coincidental the moments are. Every movie has mistakes such as plot holes but if you can tell the story sincerely, the audience won't notice the flaws the first few times they watch. Because of the congestion however, we noticed them in this case.

I would now like to take even more time to address something that is trending not only at the Disney studio but also in all of Hollywood. I use the word "trending" because other trends, such as the negativity of early 1970's Hollywood, didn't last. The current thing to do it seems is to push activism into mainstream movies instead of keeping it in the documentary genre. "Ralph Breaks the Internet" falls victim to this trend and that is indirectly because of the success of "Zootopia". Don't get me wrong because I liked "Zootopia". Its originality allowed me to forgive the fact that it was a little too preachy. The Disney studio was inspired to subtly tackle the negative aspects of the Internet, just as racism was addressed "subtly" in "Zootopia". There is just one problem: the message in "Zootopia" was not subtle but obvious. Thus, when you try to be just as preachy but this time in a sequel, the audience notices even more. "Wreck-It Ralph" wasn't preachy at all so that makes it even worse. The message may have importance but we go to movies to escape the world, not to be reminded of it. Messages must be discovered by audiences for themselves because that is more powerful than an obvious statement on society. Furthermore, those working on "Ralph Breaks the Internet'' didn't even succeed in conveying a clear message about the negatively on the net. Judy solved the racism problem in Zootopia but Ralph encounters trolls and doesn't solve that problem. It is like Disney saying, "Bullying is wrong in real life and can be stopped but on the Internet, there is nothing anyone can do." It is a conflicting message if you ask me. Now let's talk about the "Million-Dollar Question". This is a great example of how Disney is modestly following the activism trend in Hollywood (at least they think they are being modest). In my eyes, to suggest that the Disney Heroines had all their problems solved "because a big strong man showed up" is insulting the intelligence of the fans (before we get to that, I am pretty sure that Pocahontas or Merida in particular couldn't have answered the "Million-Dollar Question" in the affirmative). We have always viewed these females characters that we have known and loved for nearly eight decades (in some cases) as strong. If not, I would dare say that the Disney Empire would not exist. Snow White has always been a strong character in my mind and as evidence, she carried her film and the first animated film from the studio was the success it was. The Disney Renaissance would not have happened either if Ariel were viewed by the majority of the public as completely weak. Ditto for Tiana and the Disney Resurgence. A strong male counterpart may have been part of those preceding Disney masterpieces but they never eclipsed the strong attributes of the Disney Heroines (at least in my eyes). What's more, with Disney toying with its "clichés" in the same scene, the filmmakers must have forgotten that Vanellope was cursed and kidnapped. She had her memory taken from her and King Candy held her in the “fungeon”. It's almost like Disney is trying to make statements on their past characters by using a modern day looking glass so that they can fit in with what the rest of Hollywood is doing. They also conveniently forget stuff if it doesn't fit the narrative. It isn't fair to the original filmmakers, who made their films using looking glasses that were contemporary to the time. By trying to follow the trend, Disney is ironically just like BuzzzTube. They are giving the people more of the same instead of something original with substance. Here is something even more ironic: the filmmakers were also concerned with the backlash on the Internet regarding the specific tone of skin color used for a few of the Disney Heroines. What was it that Yesss said in the movie about the comment sections of the Internet? I thought the focus of the film is supposed to be on the two main characters. Furthermore, the world should be a place where we are not "judged by the color of [our] skin, but by the content of their character." If we focused on the inner beauty of the Disney Heroines, the world would be a better place. I also compared the new female characters in this movie with the new male characters. On the female side, you have Shank (a hot, strong, tough racer) and Yesss (a sassy, fashion-minded supervisor that judges videos). On the male side, new characters include Spamley and Double Dan. I didn't forget about KnowsMore either but the scale still favors the females quite a bit in terms of likability. So much for gender equality. Considering the fact that the filmmakers listened to a few comments on the Internet concerning minor aspects, "Frozen 2" unfortunately is in very real danger of becoming caught up in the Hollywood activism trend. There are other negative messages being taught that must have slipped past the filmmakers during production of "Ralph Breaks the Internet". The Internet can be a tool or a weapon. I think that is one thing the whole world can agree on. That is symbolically depicted in this film but Vanellope ultimate decision may not be a good example for kids. There are strong voices today telling people, especially kids, to spend more time off the net and interact more in person with their friends. Considering the kind of relationship our main characters have at the end of the story, I don't think Disney is interested in preaching that message. At one point, Shank says that they can exploit Ralph's silliness to make money. What kind of message is that for kids also? That further promotes the idea that popularity is the source of wealth and happiness. That is a stark contrast to the message of the original film. Ralph wants the popularity that Felix has but gets something better instead: a new friend and appreciation as opposed to popularity. One could argue that Ralph was only making the videos to keep Vanellope away from Shank but I still feel wary that kids will see this film and spend too much time trying to create viral videos instead of studying, playing or developing more important talents. Popularity is temporary and there is proof of that on the Internet and in this movie. There is one final negative message I saw and then we are done with the sharp criticisms that may become less important the more times I see the show and the more time passes. In "Wreck-It Ralph", Vanellope's glitch is revealed to be a superpower. Her weakness was actually her strength all along and that is a great message. "Dumbo" taught the same thing. Why are the filmmakers in "Ralph Breaks the Internet" resorting back to referring to her power as a "glitch"?

Those working on this film made some mistakes but nobody is perfect. There are plenty of good things to say about them and the characters in the show that they brought to life. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman give some pretty good performances once again. Reilly has a busy end to 2018, appearing in four movies between September and December. As a side note, he insisted on recording with Silverman for this film. Usually in animation to make things easier, the actors are recorded separately. Occasionally, the actors do record together and so that makes the scenes between Ralph and Vanellope more sincere. For the new characters, I asked myself when I saw the movie: "Which came first, the actor or the character?" For example, was Gal Gadot was cast because she is famous as Wonder Woman or was the character created first and it was a perfect fit for Gadot. I am sorry to say that unlike the characters in the first film, these new characters are being created around actors and the same can be said for Yesss as voiced by Taraji P. Henson. As I said in my review for "Wreck-It Ralph": "You must value characters over cast because actors hardly ever play themselves." Another names that I recognize in this movie include Bill Hader and Alfred Molina. Hader was amazing in other animated films such as "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "Inside Out". He did well in this movie too but he deserved a better character. It is one thing to put past Disney characters into one movie but it is another to have all the original voice actors reprising all their roles (this also applies to some characters besides the Heroines). From Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson) and onwards, the women who first brought these female characters to life vocally return to voice them again. I was under the impression that Paige O'Hara had retired from voicing Belle but she is back too. The studio didn't have to go far to bring some of the actresses back. Ming-Na Wen (Mulan) is staring in "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." on TV, Mandy Moore continues to voice Rapunzel also on television for Disney and Kristen Bell (Anna) & Idina Menzel (Elsa) probably recorded for "Frozen 2" at the same time as "Ralph Breaks the Internet". With the inclusion of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Merida (Kelly Macdonald), this is probably the first time that a Disney animated film references Pixar directly. Part of me wishes that Kida and Giselle were referenced in this show but I understand the reasons for why they weren't or couldn't be included. The first Walt Disney Animation Studios film that Alan Tudyk voiced a character for was "Wreck-It Ralph" and so of course he would be in the sequel & continue the tradition. He voices KnowsMore and he seems to be imitating Disney voice actor Bill Thompson. Rich Moore shares the director's chair this time with Phil Johnston (who co-wrote the first film). By the way, in my review of "Wreck-It Ralph", I made reference to a "Futurama" episode that Moore helped to direct concerning video games. He also helped to direct another episode where the internet is visited ("A Bicyclops Built for Two"). Jennifer Lee co-wrote the screenplay for "Wreck-It Ralph" and since then has worked on many other Disney films (winning an Oscar for her work on "Frozen"). She is an executive producer on this sequel. The original members of the story team are back for the sequel and joined by a few others. Also returning are composer Henry Jackman and Sound Designer Gary Rydstrom. Disney animator Mark Henn from the Renaissance apparently did some 2D animation for the "Oh My Disney" sequence but I failed to catch it also because of the overload of cameos and references.

I don't like to sound all doomsday-like but this sequel could mark the end of the Disney Resurgence. Nothing lasts forever, just as the Disney Renaissance (which began in 1989 and started to fade around the start of the 2000's). Every time a new successful era begins at the Disney studio, it was a result of the filmmakers getting back to basics; the simplicity of good storytelling. Please look at "Cinderella", "The Little Mermaid" and "The Princess and the Frog" in the context of when they were released and you will get a sense of what I mean. I have said way too much about "Ralph Breaks the Internet" but that is because I am a huge Disney fan and this film was generated for die-hard fans. The filmmakers tried to repeat previous successes but I felt they came up short because so many other aspects overshadowed a moderate story. Am I mad or upset however? No because the original film is still on my shelf alongside other past Disney masterpieces. A new film cannot ruin its predecessor, especially if you don't repeatedly watch the sequel. Speaking of that, this is the first Disney film in five movies released within six years that I don't feel like buying (despite it being nominated at the Oscars for Best Animated Feature). We have seen movies set in the Internet recently and that added to the slight letdown of this sequel. To finish, there is a very funny end credit scene and worth staying for.

3.5 Stars out of 5