Ralph Breaks the Internet

Six years ago, Wreck-It Ralph left his mark on the big screen. Now, Ralph and his video game companions return for more box office quarters in Ralph Breaks the Internet. It was worth the sequel gap.

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope Von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) enjoy life as arcade characters and best pals. But Vanellope's bored of doing the same thing for the last six years. Ralph's attempt to spice up Vanellope's game, Sugar Rush, gets it broken and unplugged. The game's characters are now homeless because of a broken steering wheel. They have hope, though. Their arcade just got wi-fi. A replacement steering wheel is up on Ebay. Ralph and Vanellope set out for the World Wide Web to save the day.

They win the auction but have no way to pay. So they try some stuff. They try a Death Metal racing game, Slaughter Race, and meet its star racer, Shank (Gal Gadot). Ralph tries his hand at becoming a viral video star. That helps them get the money. But Vanellope decides that Slaughter Race is the game for her. Ralph doesn't want his best pal to go away. Unfortunately, his attempts to get her back involve a computer virus. A World Wide Wipeout is imminent.

There's plenty of logistical questions in the story. How would a fictional character get real world money? But it's just a movie, so let's relax. There's a good story by directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston and their co-writers. Its greatest strength is its seemingly simple conflict. There's a looming deadline before Sugar Rush is taken away, but what else? There's no Big Bad except for Ralph's insecurities. They wreck Ralph and Vanellope's relationship as much as the internet. Ralph getting over them firewalls the virus.

The returning characters are a great bunch. Ralph and Vanellope are a likable pair of best friends. Their conflict is understandable; they're like two friends with one moving away. It was nice to see them make a long distance friendship work in the end. Shank is an awesome new character and her motley crew is a cool wild bunch. Even Disney's Princesses come in the story when Vanellope finds a Disney site. Their best moment is when they all pitch in to save Ralph from falling to his doom.

The visual spectacle is as great now as it was then. Sugar Rush looks as tasty as ever. The sprawling Internet world is pleasing to behold. Even the dark and grim Slaughter Race is appealing. The user avatars remind me of Nintendo Miis, which is fun to see. On the audio side, there's a great score by Henry Jackman to set the scenes. Alan Menken even contributes a Disney song parody for Vanellope. It's pretty funny to see the Slaughter Race cast participate in the song.

Ralph Breaks the Internet goes nicely for 112 minutes. It's somewhat too long, but seeing Ralph and Vanellope in their new surroundings was fun. It helps that the Internet Jokes, while bountiful, fail to drown the story. It's as good as the first film was. Stay during the credits to see a few more gags. Keep your eye out during the movie for the one and only Stan Lee in avatar form.

Nuff said.