Movie Review: Wreck-It-Ralph ***

Stars: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBray, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk.
Director: Rich Moore.
Rated: PG
Runtime: 108 minutes
Animation, comedy, family

The characters in Wreck-It-Ralph all have day jobs: they just happen to be characters in video games, re-enacting the same roles in the same universe over and over again, like stock players in a theatrical company.

Some, like Mario and Pac-Man and Sonic are heroes; others, like the hulking but kind-hearted Ralph (John C. Reilly), are bad guys, relegated to smashing and destroying buildings and public property of a popular vintage arcade machine until the player runs out of quarters.

But at night, when the arcade closes, these pixilated creatures don’t switch off and disappear. They lead lives outside of their respective games. The good guys throw parties and romp and celebrate. The villains attend BaD-Anon meetings, which are like AA sessions to help them deal with the strain of having to be bad all the time.

The movie doesn’t resonate the way the best Pixar and Disney movies do, and the humour is broad and pitched to young viewers. But the visuals are never less than eye-popping, and the video game theme will hold the attention of older viewers even when the story doesn’t.