Ralph Breaks the Internet

Disney Animation Studios has taken a road more commonly attributed to Pixar: that of extreme originality. This was due to the take-over of the studio’s reins by John Lasseter. However, after the disgraced mogul was booted from Disney for sexual harassment allegations Ralph Breaks the Internet looks to be the last film with his fingerprints on it. The question now is whether Disney Animation will be able to steer the creativity Lasseter brought without his presence.

Ralph Breaks the Internet is a sequel to 2012’s Wreck it Ralph. We reunite with Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) as the beloved videogame characters of their arcade. However, when Vanellope’s racing game breaks Ralph and Vanellope must go to the internet to search for spare part that would save Vanellope’s racing world.

The fun and glamour that this film oozes comes with the eye candy and references of the internet as our characters transverse through it. We have scenes in Buzztube (clearly YouTube but different name for copyright reasons), online racing games, the dark web, and even Disney’s IP where there is a fun scene of Vanellope meeting all of the Disney princesses. This latter part could have been juiced for more as the princesses addressed their stories with a more modern lens; wanting to do the rescuing themselves and throwing off their dresses for yoga pants and sweaters.

Entering the final act, however, the dazzle of references and fun situations begins to wear off and reveals a story that is more formulaic and predictable than you thought. The internet distractions for near an hour were entertaining enough, but they aren’t enough to consume an entire movie’s runtime, and thus the finale’s culmination, while satisfying by family movie standards, falls a bit flat from the fun the first two thirds had promised.

In the end Ralph Breaks the Internet furthers an original concept enough to keep you hooked. However, as the good humor fades and a dramatic finale is forced to make its appearance, you begin to see the barebones of a generic and predictable children’s flick. Unfortunately, Disney Animation has spoilt us adults to expect a bit more than a catering to young ones. Let’s hope the shake-up at the front offices will set future movies on a better course.

6.4/10