“Wreck-It Ralph” combines genuine humor and heart with a nostalgic arcade tour, creating a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all age groups.

The Film opens with Ralph (John C. Reilly), the antagonist of a popular Donkey-Kong inspired arcade game, Fix-it Felix, Jr., at a villains support group. He explains how he’s grown tired of the villain’s role, and how he longs for the acceptance of the people of Niceville. This message of acceptance, from both others and yourself, drives the movie, leaving viewers feeling good. The film- which could have relied on cheap nostalgia tinged references- has genuine heart and warmth.

The film uses video game references sparingly, with most of them as simple background cameos. Sure, there’s the occasional larger reference, such as the infamous Konami “cheating code” being the combination to a secret room, but the writers clearly knew that the story and characters would have to carry the film, and they prioritized successfully.

The story follows Ralph as he tries to prove his heroic nature, jumping from “Heroes Duty,” a parody of the testosterone filled first-person shooters of late, which introduces Sgt. Calhoun (Jane Lynch), who, along with Fix-it Felix, Jr. (Jack McBrayer), the protagonist of Ralph’s game, provides much of the movie’s humor. From there, Ralph Jumps to “Sugar Rush” a candy coated racing game. Here, he meets Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), an adorable (but slightly mean- spirited) “glitch” who wants nothing more than to race.

While initially unpleasant towards each-other, these two soon develop a father-daughter relationship, creating some of the film’s most heartbreaking and heart-warming moments. While you sympathize with Ralph, you also understand why he’s not popular in Niceville, and watching him show actual character development is the most enjoyable part of the movie.

The voice-acting is, for the most part, phenomenal. Reilly nails the frustration of Ralph; he comes off as a gentle giant who’s still working on the gentle part. Lynch rocks the tough Sergeant, delivering snappy one liners with ease. McBrayer is once again type-cast as a naive but good hearted southerner, but it’s a role he plays well, and he fails to disappoint.

Silverman is the only loose end of the cast, with her voice falling on the negative end of the cute-annoying spectrum. She’s never noticeably bad, but her voice grates just a little.
A lot can be said for the film’s character designs and animation. All of them are very well animated. There’s so much cartoony character that it’s hard not to smile even in -between the jokes. The citizens of Niceville move reminiscent of eight-bit characters, jaggedly going from one position to the next, and it never stops being amusing. It occasionally switches over to 8-bit inspired graphics. These sections are visually charming, but lack the expression of the rest of the film, so the fact that they make up a small fraction of the film is definitely a good thing.

The original music for the film is one of its strongest points. The country inspired theme-song for Fix-It Felix Jr. gives Ralph far more backstory in a way that is much more enjoyable than a simple animation dump. And, the J-pop inspired song that accompanies Sugar-Rush is just as sweet and over the top as its sugar-coated citizens.

The whole experience of the movie would not be complete without Paperboy, the short animation that precedes the movie. While the story is simple enough, and the humor is only mild, the animation is absolutely breathtaking. It combines traditional 2D animation with CGI, creating a completely unique look that resembles a moving painting. It’s done entirely in black and white, with the exception of the red lipstick, giving the film a surreal atmosphere. Additionally, the score is a simple but beautiful piano melody. To call it gorgeous is an understatement.

While the trailers might have led you to believe that this was simply a video game reference movie, it is so much more. You’ll laugh, you’ll care for the characters, and you might even get a bit misty-eyed at the film’s conclusion. No matter how many of the background characters you recognize or how many allusions you get, this movie will still have something for everyone. It deserves all the success it gets.