Blu-ray review: 'Wreck-It Ralph'

Sometimes, it does not feel good being bad. In “Wreck-It Ralph,” there is a sequence where classic video game villains like Zangief from “Street Fighter” and Bowser from “Super Mario Bros” attend a support group for bad guys and accept their roles as “villains” in their respective video game worlds.

However, Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reily), the bad guy in a Donkey Kong-like arcade game titled “Fix-It Felix,” is tired of being overshadowed by the "good guy" in his game, Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer). His daily routine is wrecking the high-rise apartment with his massive hands and feet while Felix saves the day with his trusty golden hammer. The game is won when Felix fixes all the damages that have Ralph has done and Ralph is thrown off the roof of the building into a puddle of mud by the building residents, the Nicelanders. He is not even invited to the game’s 30th anniversary party that is being thrown by the Nicelanders. Determined to prove he can channel his inner-hero, Ralph leaves his game world in order to pursue heroic recognition in another game.

Disney pays tribute to both old and new video games by creating a unique and wonderful world where all the game personas know each other and congregate at Game Grand Central from Sonic the Hedgehog to Q*bert. The voice cast for “Wreck-It Ralph” is top-notch as each actor embodies their on-screen characters led by a terrific voice performance by John C. Reily in his first animated film as the angst-ridden, but lovable Ralph. Disney takes the safe route with a predictable and formulaic story laced with messages for their demographic like staying true to who they are and such. It also comes with a third act that is a little predictable as it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that all will be good by the time the end credits roll.

“Wreck It Ralph” comes to Blu-ray with a flawless video presentation, making one of the most pristine and cleanest-looking animated movies available on Blu-ray now. The video quality showcases the film’s dazzling and incredibly detailed animation as you the ability to pause the movie allow you to spot the film’s countless references and sight gags if you turn off the Disney Intermission. The vast colors displayed in the film are short of eye-popping, especially when it comes to the other video games worlds that Ralph visits whether it’s “Hero’s Duty,” a sci-fi first-person shooter that is a cross between “Call of Duty” and “Starship Troopers” or the land of “Sugar Rush,” a racing game that is reminiscent of “Mario Kart.”

Though I wish there were more special features that go more in-depth to the making of the film, the extras on “Wreck-It Ralph” are still a fascinating bunch. “Disney Intermission: The Gamer’s Guide to ‘Wreck-It Ralph’” is a cool little feature that appears whenever you the movie is paused. Hosted by Chris Hardwicke, the host of “The Talking Dead,” he discusses and unravels some of the subtle and hidden video game references featured in the movie. “Bit by Bit: Creating the Worlds of ‘Wreck-It Ralph’” is as close to a behind-the-scenes featurette you can get on this Blu-ray as director Rich Moore discuss how the different world of the film were created. There are four deleted and alternate scenes with each of the scene being introduced by Moore and there is the option to hear Moore via commentary explaining why the scenes were not used. There are some faux and amusing commercials for the video games in the movie like “Sugar Rush” with “Fix-It Felix Jr,” looking something that was recorded on VCR in the 1980s complete with discoloring and static issues. Last but not least, the Blu-ray also features the Oscar-winning animated short, "Paperman," a splendid blend of 2D and CG animation about a young businessman who uses paper planes to get the attention of a girl he only met once on the way to work.

"Wreck-It Ralph” is an enjoyable love letter for video gamers that will also entertain the very young and the young-at-heart old who may not be a fan of video games. Although this could have benefitted from more special features, “Wreck-It Ralph” is must-own for Disney fans especially if they want to see one of the most an amazing and pristine video presentation to be featured on Blu-ray.