Ralph Breaks the Internet
for some action and rude humor.
Reviewed by: Alexander Malsan
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Better than Average |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Kids Family |
| Genre: | Animation Adventure Family Comedy 3D Sequel |
| Length: | 1 hr. 52 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2018 |
| USA Release: |
November 21, 2018 (wide—4,017 theaters) DVD: February 26, 2019 |
The importance of good FRIENDSHIPS
How to best manage friendships that have changed
How to deal with friends that have become unkind or adopted bad behavior
How to know when to part ways
Best ways to deal with the confusion of a world and life that is CONSTANTLY CHANGING
The appeal and dangers of the Internet and video games / How to use the Internet WISELY
Dealing with HOSTILITY and cyberbullying on the Internet
Wisely avoiding spending excessive time on the Internet and in social networking / Is the Internet taking over your life?
Places where evil is especially prevalent on the Internet
Adventures in the rainforest! Learn about the Creator of the universe by exploring His marvelous creation. Fun for the whole family with games, activities, stories, answers to children’s questions, color pages, and more!
Teens—Have questions? Find answers in our popular TeenQs section. Get answers to your questions about life, dating and much more.
| Featuring |
John C. Reilly … Ralph (voice) Sarah Silverman … Vanellope (voice) Gal Gadot … Shank (voice) Taraji P. Henson … Yesss (voice) Jane Lynch … Calhoun (voice) Alan Tudyk … KnowsMore (voice) Alfred Molina … Double Dan (voice) Kristen Bell … Anna (voice) Mandy Moore … Rapunzel (voice) Vin Diesel … Baby Groot (voice) Tim Allen … Buzz Lightyear (voice) Ming-Na Wen… Mulan (voice) Dianna Agron … News Anchor (voice) Idina Menzel … Elsa (voice) Auli'i Cravalho … Moana (voice) See all » |
| Director |
Phil Johnston Rich Moore |
| Producer |
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Pictures |
| Distributor |
Prequel: “Wreck-It Ralph” (2012)
Wreck it Ralph (or Ralph) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) have been the best of friends for the past 6 years. Ever since they became friends, they’ve been nearly inseparable—well, apart from Vanellope’s many, many “Sugar Rush” races and Ralph’s continued destruction of buildings in the game “Fix It Felix.” Yet, Vanellope has expressed to Ralph that there are times when she just wishes things would change just a little bit, as everything has become too predictable, lately. Well, careful what you wish for Vanellope.
For you see, Vanellope’s wish comes true during a race when Ralph tries to create a new route for her, just to stir things up. Vanellope gives it a shot, which causes the gamers in the real world to become frustrated, and they accidently wreck the steering wheel of the Sugar Rush arcade machine, causing the game to be taken out of commission. Now, all the members of Sugar Rush are left homeless. The arcade owner, Mr. Litwak, has expressed that a new steering wheel is too expensive.
So, what do Ralph and Vanellope do? What any person would do looking for an impossible item? They search the Intenet. Actually, they travel INTO the Internet and bid on one on Ebay… for $27,000! Where are they going to get that kind of money? Join Ralph, Vanellope and a whole new cast of characters as it’s a race against the clock to save the game “Sugar Rush” from complete annihilation.
I honestly can’t believe it’s been six years since the first “Wreck-It Ralph” film. Before heading to the theater today, I read the comment I wrote on Christian Spotlight regarding my thoughts on the first film, in which I praised its substance (the way the film could speak to children AND adults) while maintaining a fairly family-friendly environment. I really hoped, above all else, that with this film, that we would get more of the same.
For the most part, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is family-friendly, just like the first film. But (and perhaps I’m being a bit overly cautious), while this second installment has a LOT more depth and stronger cinematic developments than the first, I couldn’t help but state to my theater companion at the conclusion of the film, “The objectionable content seems to stand out more in this film than in the first one.” To me, that’s a little troubling.
However, while this content is MORE present (a little more language than the first and some darker elements in parts), it is not OVERLY present. And even if the content WERE a major issue, which it probably isn’t, the strong morals that are present in this film probably more than make up for the content ten-fold, especially when these morals are conveyed by such good performances by John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman and Gal Gadot. Lastly, I commend the animators for artististry and beautiful design, including wonderful detail in the characters and settings, especially when Ralph and Vanellope first arrive in the Internet. Every building is defined, and no element is left out.
Objectionable Content
As I said, the content of concern is a little higher this time around.
VIOLENCE: Moderate. A virtual cop gets hit in the face lightly with something. A sign falls and squahes an Internet avatar. An avatar gets pushed. A bug is squashed and killed. Cars explode in a game called “Slaughter Race.” We see a shark eat a cat. Avatars are burned and killed (off screen, nothing graphic, and they reappear later for a second chance at something). There is a short car chase. In another scene Vanellope’s car crashes into a wall (she is ok). Ralph is seen fighting other characters. At different times, various characters are seen in danger.
LANGUAGE: Mild. The language is tame though. Language includes the following: “son of a gun,” “dooty” (2), “heck,” “Holy cow,” “sugar” (a cover up for a swear word), “butt” (3), “dummy” (3), the Lord’s name is taken in vain 3 times (as “Good Lord”), “Gosh dang it,” “Jeez Louise,” “stupid” (4), “Shank you,” “weirdos,” and “Farting is such sweet sorrow.”
SEX/NUDITY: A curvaceous woman wears tight, form-fitting clothing. Another woman has a bare midriff. A muscular, male wrestler wears just small shorts. Vanellope spots a word and points out that it says “Lingerie”. An Internet ad says, “Sassy housewives want to meet you.”
OTHER: A virus that a character releases might be frightful to some younger viewers (it also causes some damage to the Internet). Pop up ads talk about “sassy housewives want to me you,” and there is a topic that states “these child stars went to prison.” Ralph and Vanellope attempt to steal a car. There is a brief scene involving the Dark Web (nothing incredibly dark).
Morals
Ralph and Vanellope have been friends for 6 years. They have been inseparable—sharing the same dreams, up until a certain point. And yet, change is bound to happen. Nothing stays the same forever is what the film attests to. Friendships, like situations, must grow and change, otherwise we never become the people we are meant to become.
Personally, having had a best friend for over 10 years, I can attest that, while we have similarities, we have our differences, as well. Yet, we share the same faith, and it is because of this core our friendship remains. However, over the past 10 years both his and my faith have grown.
As Christians, we are called to change. To never remain stagnant in our faith—in our walk or in our devotion to God.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. —Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” —Proverbs 2:1-2, 4-6
Though we are called to change, we are reassured in knowing that our Lord is unchanging. A constant presence, everlasting, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending. As Jesus once said himself,
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” —Matthew 24:35
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.” —Deuteronomy 7:9
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
Full of strong messages regarding change and friendship, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is a testimony to Disney’s mission in putting “family” back into family-friendly viewing. While the content of “Ralph Breaks the Internet” isn’t as good as I would like it to be, in my opinion, the good outweighs the bad, and makes this film relatively safe for family viewing. Keep up the good work Disney!
- Violence: Moderate
- Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
- Profane language: Mild to Moderate
- Nudity: Minor
- Sex: Minor
- Occult: None
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
With “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” the characters and franchise are upgraded to near-classic status. The story and characters are more emotionally-grounded here. There’s a couple of lightly mature themes here that succeed in hitting their mark, and even almost made me tear up at the end.
The voice cast is great, and there’s a couple of great new characters here that fit very well. The way the internet is brought to life is perhaps even more clever than the original’s video game arcade. The bathroom humor is less than the first film, and even more appreciably, the movie keeps its focus on the characters. It keeps the exploitation of all things Disney (even with the terrific princess scenes) relatively restrained.
There’s even a musical number here sung by Vanellope (it’s meant to be a satire of 90’s Disney songs to an extent, but it’s very fun on its own too). The only issue here for me was that Fix it Felix and Sargent Calhoun (scene-stealers from the original) are left on the sidelines. They are given maybe 5 minutes of screentime altogether.
The main positive message here is the importance of not letting people define your life. Friendships are important, but not to the point where they become the main focus of your life. Insecurity and controlling personalities are shown to be appropriately toxic.
As far as negative content goes, I do think they could have toned down the stylized (mild) violence and similar ideas in “Slaughter Race” a little. There’s a few intense moments there. Besides that, the “Tappers” scene brings to mind bar scenes in movies (even though they are only drinking root beer). There’s some minor name-calling, one interjection of God’s name (Vanellope exclaims “Good Lord” in surprise), and a couple of bathroom jokes. Vanellope spots the word “lingerie” in eBay, and mispronounces it. Thankfully, considering how inappropriate the internet can be, things are held back to a family-friendly level. Overall, I’d say the content concerns are about on par with the original. Maybe the violence is a tad more intense altogether if anything.
In the end, I recommend this for ages 7 or 8 and up. A fun and surprisingly emotional sequel that takes the characters and franchise to the next level.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
But even though it’s a fun little flick for kids and family, there are some things that concern me.
One of those things involves Vanellope and her longing for excitement and new things outside her own video game. While it is fine to have an interest to seek new experiences that don’t go against God’s Word, the scenario and the way Vanelope handles it made me see a rather unsettling aspect.
***(Spoilers, I guess)*** Vanellope becomes infatuated by an online racing and Grand Theft Auto-inspired game called “Slaughter Race.” She then develops a major want to stay in the game and be part of it, and expresses how she would love to do so—in verbal speech and even song form. I was okay with her interest in wanting to race her car within the game and experience something new for once, but then, later on in the movie, she tells Ralph that she seriously wants to abandon her home game to live in “Slaughter Race,” and that she didn’t really care if she did so. I saw this as rather selfish, when we examine what Vanellope could consider if she were to actually leave “Sugar Rush.” Who’s to say that the children in Litwack’s Arcade would not lose interest in playing “Sugar Rush” when they realize that Vanellope—their favorite racer and the only one they seem to be interested in playing as—is gone?
In the first Wreck-It-Ralph movie, we see what happens when an important character in a video game abandons their game—their game gets unplugged and thrown away. Vanellope, in this movie, does not seem to care that her home game could face the possible risk of being unplugged, and that all her fellow racers within that game could lose their homes and have their lives ruined. What seems to matter to her most is being a part of “Slaughter Race.”
Another little risk that Vanellope does not bother to consider (and this is my deep analysis) is being seen by the game developers of “Slaughter Race,” and how those developers would not recognize her as being something that should be a part of the game, and may likely try to delete her from existence. So yeah, Vanellope becomes blinded by her lust for wanting to be part of another game, so much that she becomes careless of what all could be affected by her choice to go chase after a personal want. Being careless enough to risk the well-being of yourself and those around you just to pursue something that you don’t necessarily need, but makes only you happy, is not something kids should think is okay.
Another thing is the pushy, shove-in-your-face, and hypocritical feminist moment with the Disney princesses. The princesses want us to believe that they do not, nor did they ever, need a “big strong man” to help solve their problems. If you’ve actually SEEN the princess movies, you’ll see the obvious hypocrisy at hand. The line that was used was totally unnecessary, and was a blatant attempt at promoting smug, “men-are-useless” feminism.
Also, there are the several adult jokes and references. However, I wouldn’t say they’re too dirty, and most children won’t even get them. But for the adults who do catch the references, the cheekiness can be spotted instantly.
Aside from those issues, the movie as a whole is a fun experience. It is a thrill to watch, and is indeed quite clever. People of all ages will be sure to find themselves having several good laughs.
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
I think many people misinterpret the princess scene, where the princesses ask Vanellope “Do people assume that all your problems got solved because a big strong man showed up?.” I don’t think that was to shame the princes, it was more challenging people who bash the Disney princesses. Many feminists say that Disney princesses are bad role models for girl because they teach them to wait for a big strong man to save the day. This really undermines the princesses. When Snow White found out her stepmother wanted to harm her, she didn’t sit on the ground and sing “Some day my prince will come;” she traveled through the forest to find a safe place to stay.
Cinderella was in an oppressive situation, that she could not get out of on her own. She made the best of her situation, and remained kind. Cinderella never tried to get revenge on her step family. She demonstrates the Christian of idea of loving one’s enemies. In the straight to VHS sequel, “Cinderella II Dreams Come True;” she shows kindness to her stepsister, Anastasia. Anastasia learns from Cinderella’s example and becomes nicer. As she becomes nicer she becomes lovelier.
I think this is a good lesson for girls because it shows how character and behavior makes a person beautiful. I think gentleness and kindness are moral behaviors that many women and girls need to learn today. When I used to work at an amusement park, I noticed most female customers were aggressive, rude, and bullied employees. Many of the Disney princesses are heroes in their respective movies. Moana saves her people. Mulan saved all of China. Tiana was very resourceful and defeated the villain in her movie. Pocahontas saved John Smith and brought peace between her people and the settlers. Ariel saves Prince Eric once. Elsa and Anna save each other. In “Brave,” Queen Elinor defeats Mordu, and the movie focus on Mother/daughter relationships. In Aladdin the animated series, Jasmine was shown to be brave and active.
Another reason the Disney princesses receive criticism is because they reinforce traditional ideals of femininity. It is just as harmful to bash traditional femininity, as it is to force girls to fit traditional ideals of femininity. Some girls and women naturally gravitate to traditional gender roles. Embracing traditional femininity doesn’t mean being weak or being a damsel in distress. A woman can be brave and gentle. A woman can be assertive and nurturing. A woman can be soft spoken and Independent.
Bella Swan from “Twilight” was a tom boy and a damsel in distress. The three classic princesses, Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora in particular get bashed because they cook and clean. Cooking and cleaning are life skills, somebody has to do it. Is it truly the worst thing if a little girl takes an interest in cooking and cleaning after watching “Snow White and the seven dwarfs'? Another common criticism, I often hear from feminists is that the princess stories revolve around love. Almost all Disney characters, male or female have a love interest. Simba had Nala. Milo had Kida. Hercules had Meg. Tarzan had Jane. What do people have against heterosexual love now days?
While I didn’t see the movie as misandrist, I can see why some people feel it is anti-male. It has been a long time since Disney made a movie with a noble male character. I remember growing up with characters like Tarzan, Prince Eric, and Milo Thatch. They had a strong sense of responsibility and protected the people that mattered the most to them. It seems like most male characters in Disney movies now days are either overly goofy or embody negative traits. It would be nice to see Disney make a movie with a strong woman and a traditionally noble male character. Men don’t have to be incompetent for women to be strong. Look at Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, ” a strong man and a strong woman standing together and fighting for the same cause.
Ralph does get infantilized at one point in the movie. When Shank catches him and Vanellope stealing her car, he cries like a toddler lost in a grocery store. I don’t have anything against male characters crying. But it can be done in a way that isn’t infantilizing. Shank proceeds to comfort him the way a mother or day care worker would comfort a frightened child.
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Overall, however, the film is entertaining and better than most current Disney films, and although I agree with much of what everyone else has already mentioned, I thought that this one tidbit above would be worth bringing into discussion.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
I really like this movie. It was the movie I really wanted to see and it didn't disappoint. Only complaint I have is picture of scull on car and giant Ralph was creepy. I would recommend for adults and older kids.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5