RBR: Wreck-It Ralph

Having now seen both this and Brave, I'm convinced now more than ever that last year there was some kind of Freaky Friday situation going on over at the Disney animation studios. With a beautiful young girl at the forefront and a cheesy 'be careful what you wish for' lesson, Brave felt very much like your standard Disney princess fare. Meanwhile, Wreck-It Ralph is the type of story that features colorful characters and imaginative settings that have set Pixar apart from its competition for over 15 years. This is the story of Ralph, a bad guy character ala Donkey Kong in a classic 80s style arcade game. Tired of his repetitive depressing lifestyle, Ralph seeks a change by finding a way to turn himself into a good guy. To do so, he leaves his game and ventures through a number of other video games including a Halo-esque first person shooter and the pink-tinged, candy-coated racing game, Sugar Rush. What helps elevate Ralph above other more standard animated films is that this is not just Ralph's story with all other characters merely serving as window dressing and/or comedy props. The film features several subplots where we delve into characters' backstory. I also like that the villainous King Candy's motives are not apparently clear. It makes the eventual reveal that much more satisfying. You also have some quality voice work here. John C. Reilly is perfect as doltish Ralph who can come off as equal parts menacing and sweet. Sarah Silverman lays on the sugary sweetness as Venelope, a wannabe racer in Sugar Rush. And Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch also fit perfectly in the roles they are given. It's quite clear that the people behind this movie are big video game fans. There are several homages and in-jokes to the gaming world. They also amassed an impressive collection of real video game characters like Sonic, Bowser, and Q-Bert, who show up in various cameo roles. This is a film that succeeds largely to its wide appeal. It offers plenty for kids to enjoy, but it also maintains an intelligence level that doesn't insult adult audiences. Thus far, this is the best animated film of 2012 and is definitely worth a rental if you missed it when it was in theaters. Rating: **** 1/2

2012 Fall Movie Preview (November)

FLIGHT (November 2)
Plot: "Flight" tells the redemption story of "Whip" (Washington), a commercial airline pilot who pulls off a heroic feat of flying in a damaged plane, saving 98 lives on a flight carrying 106 people. While the world begs to embrace him as a true American Hero, the everyman struggles with this label as he is forced to hold up to the scrutiny of an investigation that brings into question his behavior the night before the doomed flight.

Quick thoughts: There are few people who have as consistent of a track record when it comes to good films as Denzel Washington, so I would expect nothing less here again. As usual he's chosen a film with a storyline that feels both fresh and familiar. As an added bonus, this marks director Robert Zemeckis' first effort behind the camera for a live action movie since 2000's Cast Away - another film that I loved. If it doesn't quite get up to the level of Oscar contender, I have no doubt it'll at leas serve as solid entertainment.


LINCOLN (November 9)
Plot: Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln," a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Quick thoughts: Unlike Flight, this one has all sorts of crazy high expectations when it comes to the awards season. You have Daniel Day Lewis completely transforming himself into the role of Honest Abe. Plus you have Steven Spielberg going back to his sweet spot of the historical genre. I'm sure some will be bored by the subject material, but I can't wait to be riveted.


SKYFALL (November 9)
Plot: Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 in "Skyfall," the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In "Skyfall," Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Quick thoughts: Do I really need to say anything here? It should be pretty obvious at this point, that I'm dying to see this film. These last two months before its release will feel painstakingly long, but I know it will be worth it. Thankfully I've got all the previous 22 films to help me through the wait.


WRECK-IT RALPH (November 2)
Plot: Walt Disney Animation Studios take moviegoers on a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in "Wreck-It Ralph." Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer), the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.

Quick thoughts: Disney cartoons that are not made by Pixar can often be hit or miss. Having said that, they certainly have a unique hook to the story they're trying to tell here by having it set within the world of arcade games. If the film is intelligent and appeal to adults and kids alike, then this could be a major winner at the box office.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST
Anna Karenina (November 16)
Life of Pi (November 21)
Rise of the Guardians (November 21)
Silver Linings Playbook (November 21)

Wreck in effect

A big week of trailers continues with the first look at Disney's latest animated effort, the video game themed Wreck-it Ralph. Check it out below.

2012 Movie Preview (#30 - 25)

Hard to believe we're at the end of another year. While there were plenty of things to celebrate in 2011, I feel that it was a rather lackluster year at the cineplex. Granted I haven't seen a number of potentially good movies yet, but overall I just wasn't as enamored with most of Hollywood's offerings this past year. But hope springs eternal, so as we turn the calendar over to 2012 we look ahead and I think things are looking much brighter. In the next few days, I'll be previewing the 30 films set to come out next year that I'm most looking forward to. Keep checking in throughout this week and see if you agree that 2012 is shaping up to be a great year at the movies.

30. Wreck-It Ralph (November 2nd)

Plot: Wreck-It Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game's perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer). Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes... so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch), Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. He sneaks into the game with a simple plan-win a medal-but soon wrecks everything, and accidently unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. Ralph's only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman), a young troublemaking "glitch" from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy. But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it's "Game Over" for the entire arcade?

Personal opinion: As will be the theme for most of these early movies on this list, it's a little too early to tell how this one will turn out. It has a terrific voice cast and it's being produced by Disney (although this is not a Pixar animated film) so it has the credentials, but I'm a little unsure of the film's story. It feels like well-tred territory. We recently had both Despicable Me and Megamind do the whole 'bad guy gone good' plot and there also seems to be some similarities to this film and the 90s cartoon Reboot. If the film can feel fresh, this should be very successful.


29. Man on a Ledge (January 27th)

Plot: An ex-cop and now wanted fugitive (Sam Worthington) stands on the ledge of a high-rise building while a hard-living New York Police Department hostage negotiator (Elizabeth Banks) tries to talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge, the more she realizes that he might have an ulterior objective.

Personal opinion: If you didn't see it originally, I had posted the trailer for this film a few weeks ago. I doubt this movie will set the world on fire, but given that January is usually a dumping ground for lousy movies, this looks like it has a chance at being half-way decent. There are a lot of solid character actors here who will no doubt raise the film's quality. And based on the trailer, there looks like there could be several twists and turns in the story. As long as they don't get too cute with the storytelling this could be worthy of making a trip out to the theater during the dead of winter.


28. Gravity (November 21st)

Plot: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone--tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth...and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left. But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

Personal opinion: On the surface, this sounds like it could be the plot to a hokey B-movie. However, with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock leading the cast this will be anything but. The film is also being directed by visionary director Alfonso Cuaron (who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which was in my opinion the most stylish film in the franchise). Given that this film will be done in 3D, this could be one of the few films that actually uses the technology effectively. I'm not sure this is the most conventional Thanksgiving film, but I'm still anxious to check it out.


27. Ted (July 13th)

Plot: "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of "Ted." In the live action/CG-animated comedy, he tells the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), a grown man who must deal with the cherished teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish... and has refused to leave his side ever since.

Personal opinion: As anyone who has ever watched Family Guy knows, Seth McFarland can be a very funny guy. The big question though is whether that humor can translate onto the big screen. Considering that the quality of most of his animated shows has waned in the past year or so, I'm hoping it's because he's putting his best efforts into this project. McFarland has certainly improved his chances by bringing along several of his talented voice actors like Mila Kunis and Patrick Warburton to be a part of the cast. I've never been big on the whole live action/CG-animated hybrid genre, so that's a strike against the film. For this film to work, it's going to have to be something more than just a raunchier version of Alvin and the Chipmunks.


26. Wanderlust (February 24th)

Plot: Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in "Wanderlust," a raucous comedy from director David Wain ("Role Models") and producer Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up") about a couple who leaves the pressures of the big city and joins a freewheeling community where the only rule is to be yourself.

Personal opinion: This fills up the requiste role of movie that was featured on last year's preview and then got bumped. I don't feel the need to say too much more about this movie now. David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models) has proven that he can make some very provocative, yet funny films. He's got his usual cast of actors back with him along with Jennifer Aniston, which sounds like a winning combination to me. With all that said, however, it'll probably be a tough sell getting people to come out and watch a movie about a nudist colony.


25. Chronicle (February 3rd)

Plot: Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to them developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities, and use them to their advantage, their lives start to spin out of control, and their darker sides begin to take over.

Personal opinion: As I pointed out when I posted the trailer for this film, most people are probably tired of superheroes after this past year. But based on what I've seen I really think this is a creative approach to the genre. Taking a realistic approach combined with the documentary style of filmmaking really appeals to me. The key to this film will be in its execution. Will this unique idea be able to cause the genre to soar to new heights or will a failure to follow through cause it to crash and burn? Only time will tell.