Blu-ray Review: Solid Release For Entertaining ‘Wreck-It Ralph’

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CHICAGO – Disney’s hit “Wreck-It Ralph,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD, fits one of the most important criteria for a parent considering picking up a kid’s movie to own — replay value. As anyone with kids can tell you, if you buy something, you best be ready to watch it over and over and over again. And “Ralph” holds up surprisingly well. I’m still a little surprised it received the level of acclaim it did with some even suggesting it should win the Oscar (we all know that should have been “ParaNorman”) but it’s a good movie to throw on if your kids need a distraction with a good message. And the Blu-ray includes the Oscar winner for Best Animated Short, the great “Paperman.”

Rating: 3.5/5.0

What is up with the latest trend of bad guys gone good in animated films? “Megamind,” “Despicable Me,” and now “Wreck-It Ralph” are all similar stories of villains who want to be heroes. Ralph (voiced perfectly by John C. Reilly) is tired of being the heavy in an old-fashioned arcade game and so he breaks his 8-bit binds and travels to other games (including a “Halo”-esque shooter and a “Mario Kart”-esque racer) to find his redemption. The voice cast is strong all around the but the script is missing that Pixar magic that elevates it beyond its concept. It’s clear pretty early where “Wreck-It Ralph” is going and then it goes there. Individual bits are clever but I wouldn’t say the whole movie is. It’s fun, just not as smart as one would hope.

The Blu-ray is strong, especially the inclusion of the beautiful, black-and-white short film that played in front of “Ralph” in theaters and won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. And the film simply plays well at home. It’s cute, the HD transfer looks great, and it replays in smile-inducing ways over and over again, which is sometimes all that matters for a parent.

Wreck-It Ralph was released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 5, 2013
Photo credit: Disney

Synopsis:
Prepare for adventure when “the most original animated film in years” (Bryan Erdy, CBS-TV) that thrilled audiences of all ages drops on Blu-ray! From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes a hilarious, arcade game-hopping journey in Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph.

For decades, Ralph has played the bad guy in his popular video game. In a bold move, he embarks on an action-packed adventure and sets out to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a big heart. As he explores exciting new worlds, he teams up with some unlikely new friends including feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz. Then, when an evil army threatens their world, Ralph realizes he holds the fate of the entire arcade in his massive hands.

Featuring an all-star voice cast and a groundbreaking animated short film, Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph has something for every player. Bring home the ultimate reward on Disney Blu-ray 3D!

Special Features:
o Paperman Theatrical Short: A Young Man In An Office Sees The Girl Of His Dreams In A Skyscraper Window Across The Street. But How Can He Get Her Attention?
o Bit By Bit: Creating The Worlds Of Wreck-It Ralph
o Disney Intermission: The Gamer’s Guide To Wreck-It Ralph
o Deleted & Alternate Scenes
o Video Game Commercials
o Digital Copy Included

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]