Insightful Family Film Breaks Internet Culture

Review: Ralph Breaks The Internet

Starring (the voice talents of) John C Reilley, Sarah Silvermann, Gal Gadot

Arriving six years after the release of the original (!), Ralph Breaks The Internet is something of a puzzle at first. Released long after the original’s cache has expired, it would be understandable if the sequel had nothing new to say. This is not the case, however, as the film is one of the most thoughtful family films in years with a fresh message about growing up and dealing with grief and change.

Following on from the events of the first movie (with the time between installments acknowledged) Ralph Breaks The Internet sees Ralph and Vanelope leave the arcade for cyberspace in order to retrieve a part to fix Vanelope’s arcade machine. This necessitates raising enough money to buy the part from eBay,which leads to Ralph trying to raise the money by making viral videos. Along the way, they also encounter a popular but dangerous online driving game that Vanelope falls in love with.

As was the case with the first film, Ralph Breaks the Internet skewers pop culture. Where the first Wreck It Ralph focused largely on video games from yesteryear’s arcade scene, Ralph Wrecks The Internet takes aim at internet culture. The film constantly makes astute points, including the reminder to never check the comments section.

Disney at this point is a company with a licence to print money, and Ralph Breaks The Internet sees the company open the purse strings to licence Street Fighter and Sega characters alongside its own impressive properties (Star Wars and Marvel feature heavily). There’s even a Stan Lee cameo to look for.

From Vanelope’s questioning as to whether there is more to the characters’ existence (“Are we just…zeroes and ones?”) to the way that the film lambastes how vapid internet culture can be, Ralph Breaks The Internet provides plenty of fodder for conversations about faith and the films will no doubt satisfy a broad audience, including children and older gamers who yearn for the heyday of the arcade.

Ralph Breaks The Internet is rated PG and is now on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor