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Vlad PiranhaDictator-Elect Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Sector C Test Labs.
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2012 7:56 pm Post subject: Wreck-It Ralph |
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I hyped this movie up in a big way. I was more excited for it than another Bond film, the first one in four years, and that's saying something. After that much anticipation, Wreck-It Ralph couldn't possibly live up to expectations, could it? Actually it did, and then some and it's the most charming and original film I've seen in quite a long time, animated or otherwise.
The trailer gives a pretty accurate synopsis for the movie. Ralph is the villain of a Donkey Kong-inspired arcade game entitled Fix-It Felix Jr. He's spent thirty years wrecking the penthouse building in his game and battling Felix simply because it's his job as the antagonist to do so. He's not at all a terrible person, and is actually a pretty nice guy, but is nevertheless under-appreciated and even shunned by the other characters in his world. He is treated like a pariah simply because of his role as the bad guy. In spite of the moral support of other game villains, who encourage him to embrace his role for the sake of having the show go on, he feels the need to prove that he's a good guy deep down and get the kind of praise and adoration that he feels he deserves. This compels him to leave his game and go seek out glory in the other games in the arcade in hopes of proving his noble spirit and worth. I could go on, but the development of the plot is one of the joys of the film and I'd like to preserve as much of it as possible for the rest of you.
I remember the late 1980s when the Nintendo Entertainment System had a virtual monopoly on video games. Super Mario was bigger than Mickey Mouse as far as kids like me were concerned. Attempts to cash in on this nascent culture could seldom boast of their quality. In retrospect, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show was cheaply made and has not aged well. Captain N: The Game Master introduced many third-party titles to its audience, and still has my respect as a result, but was also horrendously campy. The Sonic the Hedgehog series on Saturdays gave me hope, so long as I could ignore the one that showed on weekdays. I always felt the overwhelming sense that video game culture was being marketed quickly and poorly and if anyone truly cared about what made a bunch of platform hopping cartoon characters popular in the first place, they could really create something special. I've had to wait nearly twenty-five years for that moment to come, but that's what Wreck-It Ralph represents to me. This film was obviously made with the old guard, guys like me, in mind. Homages are paid to the Call of Duty/Halo/Gears of War types of games that dominate media attention now, but the core of this movie is the culture of the 8 and 16-bit days. It's evident that the people who wrote this grew up the way I did and have a true, genuine affection for the subject matter. Don't expect a 10 year old to enjoy this movie on the same level as you. The best joke in this movie, and you'll know the one, will be over the heads of many viewers under the age of eighteen.
The entire film is loaded with Easter Eggs and references to real classic games, the first act especially. I won't take the fun out of the movie by pointing any out, but I will say that seeing Cammy from the Street Fighter series was a thrill. Expect your eyes to be bouncing around scanning every frame looking for interesting stuff. It's all over the place. A second viewing of this movie will no doubt reveal even more goodies. Having a good reason to see a cartoon again immediately after the first showing is a rare event. Ralph earns bonus points in my book for this level of thoughtfulness. Everything in this film just glows from its sheer quality. The varying styles of animation from character to character are strong evidence of how much effort was put into making every aspect of this movie unique. That extra effort makes it easy to view the different game worlds in the arcade as such. There is less geek culture in the second act to make room for the main story to settle in, so Disney moments do take precedence at that point. This is all plot driven, however, so I can't really nitpick at necessities. As a final note, the 3D quality is excellent and worth the price of admission, so that's a feature to take advantage of this time, if possible near you. In a film landscape dominated by superheroes, this is the brightest star of my movie going year and will probably be my top pick for 2012.
Final Grade: A
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tru.pairadocsBackstabbing Turd-nugget Spymaster Joined: 12 Oct 2011 Location: Michigan
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:25 am Post subject: |
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Couldn't agree more, I had high hopes going into this movie and they were not only met, but exceeded. Like you mentioned the attention to detail and little jokes/references/etc made it a very enjoyable movie from start to finish. I also found the plot to be better then what I would expect from a typical Disney movie. Normally I don't go and see movies twice in theaters purely because it costs too much, but I do plan to go see this movie again. Well worth the money
The only thing I'd say you missed Vlad would be a + to go on the grade, cause I would give this movie an A+ _________________
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Vlad PiranhaDictator-Elect Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Sector C Test Labs.
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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tru.pairadocs wrote: | The only thing I'd say you missed Vlad would be a + to go on the grade, cause I would give this movie an A+ |
I debated it the entire time I was writing my review and a half-hour of deliberation didn't help me much. I'll only ever add that plus if I can honestly say that it's an A movie for pretty much anyone and not just fun for me. I loved the living hell out of this film and it was an A+ for me.
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Stealth▲RAWR TRIANGLE RAWR▲ Joined: 13 Mar 2005
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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I saw this mofo on opening night. Freaking amazing.
I'd have to say that normally, I'm good about figuring out plots within the first 20 mins. But this movie really gave me left turns all over the board. By the end of the movie, I was still rather surprised about the events that transpired.
I want this to come out on DVD/Blu ray so I can comb the movie and find all the references I can. _________________ Motherfucking Triangles! Being all three sided n' shit, who do they think they are?!
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Vlad PiranhaDictator-Elect Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Location: Sector C Test Labs.
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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Here's some food for thought. I've been wondering if Disney got such prominent usage of the Street Fighter characters due to its working relationship with Capcom back in the late 80s and early 90s. Think about the sheer number of Disney games Capcom made back then, Duck Tales among them. Is it a coincidence?
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BarytaQCommodore Joined: 20 Oct 2011
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Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2012 2:23 am Post subject: |
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Recently saw this with Owen, giving it the Bary Seal of Approval.
Seriously, this has to be one of my favorite movies I've seen all year.
Some real curveballs, I was looking for em and didn't see em coming.
A+ From me and I'll definitely be getting the DVD when it comes out. _________________ http://tf2b.com/profiles/76561197988317087
My pitiful backpack...
I'll still blow your ass up.
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