Tale as old as time, but somehow, not boring or twee at all. That’s what I found myself thinking as the credits rolled. I was happy and smiling, and very pleased with the time I had spent watching Ralph wreck his way through Candyland. And, unlike in that pivotal scene in the Bond movie, when I was too confused to feel any emotion other than wonder at how Javier Bardem had so skillfully ripped off Pee Wee Herman, I teared up a little in the right moments with Ralph.
It is a cartoon, and it is aimed at kids, but it is also definitely geared for the adults who are going to have to watch it with the kids (with plenty of video game Easter Eggs for those of us who remember arcades and Atari), unlike the Ice Age movies. Oh my lord. I have never wanted to destroy my own hearing so much as when I took Thor to an Ice Age movie. This? It was delightful. Thor and I both laughed out loud more than once.
Mom’s of girls will be happy to know that the female characters are strong, independently minded, and make all the difference in saving the day. The entire Sugar Rush racing squad is female. Yes, there is a “princess” who needs rescuing, but she literally only needs a push to rescue herself.
I am exhausted of Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch, and their distinctive voices did drill my brain a little, but John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman were breaths of fresh air. I loved Silverman’s pipsqueak character and would have wanted an entire set of Sugar Rush dolls if I were small. Who am I kidding? I want them now.
I was very disappointed in the lack of racial diversity. There really is no excuse for having an all-white main cast list in this day and age–especially in a movie set in an alternate reality. That is a big bone, but it’s the only one I have to pick with the movie as a whole.
4 out of 5 stars (yes, I took off a whole star for not having any diversity among the main cast. yes, it is that important–especially for a children’s movie.)
The Outside Lane 