Nov 5: Wreck-It Ralph

"A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives."

Directed by: Rich Moore, Rated: PG, 108 minutes

I apologize to all of you readers expecting a review of V for Vendetta today as it is in fact, the Fifth of November. But, luckily, I was able to catch Wreck-It Ralph after a record-breaking weekend, which it completely and utterly deserves. Wreck-It Ralph is a return to form for the House of Mouse and feels more of its own unique masterpiece then it does an actual Disney movie. It's full of color, tons and tons of video game cameos and references, and manages to create a world you'll be dying to live in. My only complaint is that I wanted to see more and more of this world, and it's because of this that I so desperately want a sequel.

Whoever would have imagined the day you'd see a character hand a Pacman cherry to Q-Bert? @!?*

Ralph (John C. Reilly) is a Donkey Kong inspired behemoth who's the villain in an arcade game called Fix it Felix, Jr. an obvious parallel to Super Mario. Unfortunately for Felix (Jack McBrayer) and his game, Ralph is tired of being the villain and wants a way to become the hero and get all the attention and love he sees Felix getting showered with. He wants friends and he wants cake, and he thinks the only way to become a hero is to find his own Hero Medal. In the world of Wreck-It Ralph, all of the games in the arcade are connected, with the power strip being Game Central, where after hours each game's characters can jump from game to game to visit, hang out, or in Ralph's case, seek a medal. Ralph heads to Hero's Duty (clearly inspired by Call of Duty + Halo), a hardcore first person shooter with a lady warrior, Calhoun (Jane Lynch), in command. After finding his medal, Ralph is again on the run and finds himself crash-landing in Sugar Rush, a Mario Kart inspired racing game. In this world, Ralph encounters Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), a young wannabe racer that's also a glitch in the game. As they're both outcasts, the two team up to figure out a way to become something more than forgettable characters and find their place in the video game world.

Candy-haired little girl and a massive brute of a wrecking ball as friends? Check!

Wreck-It Ralph is the greatest video game movie ever made. Not only does the film create a vibrant, deep, and extravagant world of its own, but it references classic worlds any game would recognize and combines it all into one universe you'd die to live in. From Mario to Sonic, from Street Fighter to Pacman, Wreck-It Ralph includes it all. It's one of the biggest surprises and easiest things to love about the film, and as a video game nerd myself, I continually was pointing at the screen in happiness, seeing so-and-so included. But, as I mentioned, it's not all about the "celebrity" cameos as much as it is about the world that's on the screen. Ralph breaks through the arcade screen and into a world so rich with color, energy, and familiarity you can't help but sucked into it immediately. The characters created don't feel like strangers to the classic icons of gaming and Ralph himself (and is game) feel like something you played growing up as a kid. This was my biggest concern going in, that Ralph would not fit in with the rest of the gaming legends, and to my surprise, it all works in a way you could never imagine.

Satan, Zombies, Bowser, Zangief, Ghost, Bison, and... Ralph? Yep, it works. 

A lot of credit has to be given to the voice actors involved in the film as well. Bringing these characters to life was a lot more work than animating and rendering and the cast behind the cartoon faces works wonders. John C. Reilly is the perfect man to play the clumsy, yet lovable Ralph and he brings the sincerity we've come to love to the role and makes it completely his own. Sarah Silverman surprises as Venelope and leaves you kind of shocked that such a vulgar-mouthed comedienne could become such a lovable, yet aggressive, little girl. The two both share plenty of scenes of dialogue that leave you in stitches and the names they come up with for each other leave you floored in the creativity of it all. Who knew that PG-name calling could be so fun? Of course, it's not all about the big guy and the little girl, and Jane Lynch, Jack McBrayer, and Alan Tudyk all play rather large roles in the adventure as well. Lynch is wonderful as the brash, take-charge commander and McBrayer is the innocent, clean-mouthed hero you'd run into on the streets of Pleasantville. Tudyk manages to become absolutely unrecognizable as King Candy, the ruler of Sugar Rush, and has so much fun emulating the stereotypical  Jewish-ish, fast talking, almost Woody Allen-esque character. The entire cast works great together and a large part of that has to be because of the fact they recorded their scenes together, in a studio, as opposed to recording separately, the way animated movies are usually done. Everyone has great chemistry and it's a large part of what drives the movie forward.

I was hesitant on hearing that Silverman was cast as Vanellope but dammit does she do an incredible job. 

Wreck-It Ralph is a hilarious adventure through a nostalgic past that manages to create its own memories along the way. It's a film that packs a lot of heart and brings just as many laughs as it does moments of sweet, goopity love. It's a film that does the seemingly impossible and creates a world that feels so new, yet so familiar, and crafts a story about fitting in and finding your place that everyone can relate to. With colorful settings and an even more colorful cast, Wreck-It Ralph deserves your love and attention. It's easily the greatest animated movie of the year and one of the best in recent memory and if you're a fan of video games, arcades, or even just being a kid, you'll find plenty of 8-bit glory to enjoy.

The Good:

seeing all of your favorite video game characters popping up left and right

The Better:

being introduced to a whole new cast of characters that fit right in with the rest of the gang

The Best:

being reminded of an easier, simpler time but also re-energizing the kid inside and smiling all the way through

The Oscar Chances:

Best Animated Feature

Overall Score: 8.9/10

Discussion Question:

What was your favorite video game growing up?

Trailer:

June 20: Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

"Two guys get a billion dollars to make a movie, only to watch their dream run off course. In order to make the money back, they then attempt to revitalize a failing shopping mall."

Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie is an absolute joke. The joke isn't the "comedy" itself but the fact that something this disgusting actually made it to the big screen. Based off the Adult Swim TV show, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Billion Dollar Movie follows the two stars Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim as they try to earn a billion dollars that they owe some big time movie producers. The duo find themselves in debt after they blow one billion dollars on a three minute movie starring a Johnny Depp look-alike. They then turn to a wolf-infested abandoned mall as their source of paying back their debt. Yes, these two weirdos decide that the best way to earn a billion dollars is to take ownership over a dilapidated mall that is more of a slum than it is a shopping center. 

Naturally, they bathe and shave each other beforehand. 

Now, I have seen their TV show a couple of times and found what I did see to be oddly entertaining. However, I could only watch the f**ked up-ness for five or ten minutes without feeling very dirty and growing increasingly stupid. Thus, I really have no idea why I thought I could handle 93 minutes of them in a single sitting. After viewing Billion Dollar Movie, I can say that I am much less intelligent than I was this morning  and that I have witnessed things one man should be able to go an entire lifetime without seeing. I honestly feel ashamed for actually sitting through the full film and really wish I just turned it off after the first 5 minutes (that's decent, as Tim & Eric are nowhere present and the film is introduced by Jeff Goldblum as Chef Goldblum). 

The Man of the Golden Bloom makes everything better.

I plead to any of you reading to skip Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie. It's utter trash that has no reason to exist, let alone being viewed. It's f**ked up as hell and leaves you not only with a bad taste in your mouth and mind, but the feeling as though your very thoughts and imagination were brutally raped by an orgy of ugly people. I am pissed off that these two shlubs were actually given the ability to make their own movie and pray to God this is the one and only time they are given the chance. Billion Dollar Movie needs to be launched into space, aimed at the sun, never to be witnessed by another human being again. However, the downfall to that aspect would be that if any aliens were to come across it on it's journey to oblivion, one can only assume they would turn their ships towards earth and wipe the planet of our existence simply for the stupidity of these two men. 

The movie does not even deserve a rating as it would mean it can be judged on the same scale as everything else I have watched. 

Trailer (Good God!):

F**k you, Shrim. 

March 20: Carnage

"Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos."

  Carnage is a movie filmed entirely in one apartment and is completely reliant on the performances of its four cast members. It's claustrophobic and frustrating, because these characters, arguing for 80 minutes, can simply just walk out a door to avoid more fighting, but don't. Each "out" that's presented is teased, with coats being put on and hands on the door knob, but no one leaves. Each of their egos gets the best of them, and they have to continually one up the next person. All four characters are played exceptionally well by Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz. And, as Carnage continues, all four become very unlikable as their characters spiral down into a chaotic mess of vomit, tears, cologne, alcohol, and tulips.

Who knew tulips complimented scotch and barf so well?

   Of the four main cast members, John C. Reilly is definitely the most likable and provides the most laughs. He seems to be one of the most grounded of the four, and while his wife (Foster) proves to be an absolute b**ch, you end up rooting for Reilly in the end. Winslet is much more relaxed and crazy than most of her roles and it's refreshing to see her acting in a role that's not her just seemingly trying to win awards. Christoph Waltz is much better then how he's been lately (see The Three Musketeers), and his American accent is actually believable (note: he's crazy German). 

F**k that movie is good. 

   Overall, Carnage is very entertaining for what it is- four people arguing in a room for an hour and a half. The dialogue feels real, smart, and funny; and, although some of what unfolds seems over-the-top, the film works wonders. Carnage is adapted from a French play by Yasmina Reza and, while I am not familiar with the source material, I can only imagine its transfer to film is faithful and successful. I am a sucker for play adaptations (Closer, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sleuth), and I understand dialogue driven films aren't for everyone, but I would highly recommend Carnage. 

The Good:

exceptional acting from four very high caliber actors

The Better:

a smart script that never loses your interest

The Best:

John C. Reilly... people forget he can actually act

Overall: 8.2/10

Best Quote:

1. Penelope : Did you know Ethan had a gang?
2. Michael : No, but I'm thrilled to hear it!

Trailer: