Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Our brawny hero Ralph (John C. Reilly) is back, along with his friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), at Litwak’s Arcade. This time they have to set off on a quest to replace the broken steering wheel on the girl’s Sugar Rush game. This involves them plunging into the Internet and the World Wide Web where they land in a flashy amusement park.

I won’t try to detail their many adventures—there were times when I wasn’t sure what was taking place, but nonetheless I enjoyed the rapid proceedings and the many references to familiar names such as Google, eBay, Facebook, and You Tube. Like the first film, this has lots of laugh out loud moments, the best of which involves eleven Disney princesses, going back to Snow White. Given how the studio has taken heat from critics for the passivity of their early princesses, this is an especially delightful sequence. These gals do not sit around waiting for a man to rescue them, nor does the diminutive friend of Ralph, Vanellope who along with another strong woman, Shank (Gal Gadot), can race her car alongside the best of the men.

Affirming friendship and the assertiveness of women, this is another animated film for adults as well as children. “Wreck It” Ralph has come a long way since the first film.

This review will be in the February issue of VP along with a set of questions for reflection and/or discussion. If you have found reviews on this site helpful, please consider purchasing a subscription or individual issue in The Store.