What Did You Think About “Ralph Breaks the Internet”?

Even after enjoying the first Wreck-It Ralph movie, I had tepid expectations going into the sequel. I think I may have a little bit of fatigue from movies like this and the Lego series where they mix a ton of pop-culture references on the screen.

Yet, even more surprisingly, that’s exactly one of the things I enjoyed most in Ralph Breaks the Internet, a movie that had me smiling throughout.

(minor spoilers below)

While the first movie is focused on an old arcade, in the sequel, Ralph and Vanellope venture into the internet. They encounter an amazing game called Slaughter Race (which features a song that goes on my shortlist of “musical numbers in movies I genuinely enjoy”), and at a certain point Vanellope ventures into the Disney portion of the internet.

It’s here that she encounters a big group of Disney princesses. THEY. ARE. AMAZING. Especially after Vanellope introduces them to normal human clothes. There’s a scene where they all just hang out and chat, with almost every line referencing the princess’s story in relation to reality. They’re also part of an action set piece later where they each get to use their unique skills and powers.

I think what really stood out about these scenes is that we’re used to each of these princesses having the spotlight. Here, they’re one of many young women, but their personalities, backgrounds, and experiences are still present (partially due to how much we already know about them).

It was basically a glimpse of an Avengers-style ensemble movie with a dozen Disney princesses being awesome and funny and clever and cute. I’d watch that in a second. Do you think it could actually happen?

The other thing I really liked about Ralph Breaks the Internet is that there’s no traditional antagonist. Rather, the core conflict in the movie is about friendship and insecurity. That was a bold move for the writers to break from the typical Disney mold (heck, the typical movie mold), and I thought they pulled it off spectacularly.

This has jumped near the top of my favorite movies I’ve seen so far this year–I highly recommend it. What did you think about Ralph Breaks the Internet?

©Disney. All Rights Reserved.

2 thoughts on “What Did You Think About “Ralph Breaks the Internet”?”

  1. As soon as my daughter saw the preview attached to The Incredibles 2, she just HAD to see it for all the princesses, good reviews or not.

    Turned out to be a great surprise. As you mentioned, the princesses’ segment was actually really well done and not just a throw away scene just to put a bunch of princesses together for little girls like my daughter.

    I obviously enjoyed all the subtle and not-so-subtle references to the Internet and I found the take away message about friendships quite mature and emotional, something I would expect from Pixar. Definitely worth checking out!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Discover more from jameystegmaier.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue Reading