I've seen Wreck-It Ralph once before on a plane and remember coming away being surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Perhaps I went in expecting a little much this time around, then, but it didn't feel quite so much of a slam-dunk as I remember. It's certainly not comparable to the likes of Moana or Zootopia.

Still, for a modern gaming-centred version of Toy Story, Wreck-It Ralph is much better than it needed to be (and I'm still amazed they manage to get the okay to use so many cross-brand characters in one movie). Ralph is a solid character and the twist of focusing on a villain trying to be a hero is a nice touch. I found the twist about King Candy AKA Turbo surprising, though I think I forgot it less because it was well done and more because it's just fairly inconsequential. Sure, it gives the constant Turbo references some additional meaning and provides a better justification for Vanellope's situation than mere jealousy, but it still doesn't have a huge amount of impact.

It also doesn't stand up to a huge amount of interrogation when you consider that the humans would probably notice that one version of an arcade machine has a character no one created before. I guess, though, this is a world where arcades are still relevant, so maybe the internet just never took off or didn't get invented here? (I have a feeling the sequel will break that conclusion 😂)

Overall, though, it's a fun movie. Voice acting is all great (who doesn't love Jane Lynch playing a badass marine commando; and I love how much they just made her character look like her 😁), the cameos and gaming jokes are decent (though definitely dry up about halfway through, which is a bit odd), and the overall plot is enjoyable, even if the central moral isn't exactly that clear. It's not a modern classic, but it's certainly a film I'd be happy to watch again – perhaps I just don't need to, after the second viewing.