I am a big fan of the original Wreck-it-Ralph, and while I do think it wrapped up its story very nicely, I was still excited about the sequel. Having a movie centered around video games gives you almost endless possibilities when it comes to expanding the world the characters traverse. Unfortunately though, this movie takes advantage of none of that. The internet isn't presented in an interesting way, it's just a blue wasteland with a lot of product placement for big corporations, as well as brands Disney own. The movie does have some good element, namely the animation and the princess scenes, which unlike everything else actually gave me joy. This isn't enough to save the movie though. The thing that bothered me the most was definietly the complete destruction of the characters. Ralph went from a likable everyman who was tired of not getting any recognition, to a slobbering baby who does all kinds of stupid stuff just because Vanillope isn't doing exactly what he wants. Meanwhile Vanillope goes from an energetic little girl to an egoistic brat who doesn't consider other peoples needs when she acts. And Felix and Calhoun, who were greatly entertaining in the first movie, are practically non-existent in this movie despite there being set up a great subplot where they adopt the Sugar Rush racers. This subplot happens entirely off-screen, which was a big dissapointment to me. I also think that the movie does not deliver its main message very smoothly, and the climax feels a little unearned. There are also a few REALLY bad plot-holes here and there. And on top of that, the humor isn't even good. Overall, I didn't really find this movie very good, and it's only a few really good scenes that keeps it from being a complete disaster. Still, it's not a movie I recommend to people who likes animation as an artform.
Review of Ralph Breaks the Internet
