Wreck-It-Ralph a Hit for HD Kids and Their 8-Bit Parents

My girls, ages 11 and 7, have been anxiously awaiting Wreck-It-Ralph to show up in theaters since they saw the trailers for it this summer.

They have been counting the days and when a trailer appears on TV, they stop and watch it yelling, “WE have to see Wreck-It-Ralph! Wreck-It-Ralph!”

Both love their Mario Bros, Kirby and more. When the opportunity to see some of their beloved game characters come to life on the big screen, they were all over it.

Wreck-It-Ralph is the story of Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, who longs to be loved like his game’s resident good guy, Fix-It-Felix, voiced by Jack McBrayer. Their old 8-bit game is celebrating it’s 30-year anniversary in the arcade. After going to a self-help group and crashing a celebration for the hero Felix, Ralph realizes he will never be cherished unless he becomes a hero. On his quest to become a hero, he accidentally releases a deadly enemy that threatens the survival of every game in the arcade. While on his journey, he meets Vanellope von Schweetz, voiced by Sarah Silverman. She’s a glitch from Sugar Rush, a Mario Kart-like game set in a candy-filled world.

The movie just touches on some of the other games in the arcade. The popular game characters only appear occasionally. But that doesn’t derail this movie. If you are a gamer, or enjoy an occasional family night on the Wii or grew up with an Atari and playing 8-bit video games in the arcade, you will love this movie.

Wreck-It-Ralph inserts many jokes and pieces from the history of arcades. My daughter enjoyed the story and the characters, while I had fun noticing the little things, like the 8-bit window frames and the sugar cookie jail bench.

It also does a great job mashing up the new world HD 3-D games with the cutesy games and the relics – all three genres meet up in Sugar Rush.

Ralph has a few scary moments, that could frighten young children. My 7-year-old said the Hero’s Duty and the “creepy bad guy” at the end were a little too much. But this movie is not dangerous, and unlike many Disney films, no parents meet their end at any time.

This is family movie night at its best. Fun, nostalgic at times, exciting and brilliantly illustrated. A must-see.