Disney's "Wreck-It Ralph" Levels Up on Blu-Ray

Tired of being the bad guy, Ralph (John C. Reilly) tells other arcade baddies his concerns.

If you're one of the millions out there logged into XBOX Live or World of Warcraft hours and hours at a time, or perhaps spent your childhood battling side-scrolling adventures with Mario or Link, Disney's latest animated release, Wreck-It Ralph speaks to gamers regardless of age.

Wreck-It Ralph begins in the 8-bit world of Fix-It Felix Jr., reminiscent of a classic 1980s arcade game that borrows heavily on Mario and Donkey Kong. For 30 years, Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) has been programmed to be the bad guy, whose only job is to demolish a solitary penthouse before his cheery hammer-wielding adversary, Felix fixes the wreckage. For once, Ralph just wants to be adored as the good guy and decides to venture off to other games in the arcade to win a medal. After battling bugs in a sci-fi first-person shooter, Ralph lands himself in a candy-coated go-kart game where everything isn't as sweet as it seems.   

Remember the magic Toy Story generated in its world of plastic playthings? Wreck-It Ralph does exactly the same for arcade and video games from all eras. Even with an attractive laundry list of gaming references, Wreck-It Ralph excels most in conveying a heartfelt yarn about heroism and friendship. Ralph's relationship with glitchy racer Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) starts off rather rocky, but when the duo realize they're more alike than originally thought. the blossoming friendship yanks the heartstrings without any skepticism towards its genuine vibes.

      

Wreck-It Ralph is quite the visual treat as its eye-popping hues from Sugar Rush and  mesmerizing HD details from Hero's Duty are carried over in another immersive digital transfer from Disney. The audio is equally as impressive, fined tuned thanks to its English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Track. From the roar of Vanellope's junk food engine to Ralph's routine smashing, the sounds in Wreck-It Ralph are as clear as in theaters.

But for all its technical highlights, the Blu-ray release comes up a bit short in the bonus features department. The charming black-and-white Paperman short is the first feature worth checking out. Though a simple romantic premise, the short's style and execution are its strongest attributes and ultimately brought home the Oscar. "Bit By Bit: Creating the Worlds of Wreck-It Ralph" explores the four completely unique worlds in the film, but offers a limited insight on the production. Strangely missing from the bonus features is Owl City's uplifting end credits song, "When Can I See You Again."     

As Disney's 52nd animated feature, Wreck-It Ralph stands alongside its predecessors as its most unique and timely release for gamers and families seeking out some heartwarming entertainment.

  

MOVIE: A- (9/10)

VIDEO: A (10/10)

AUDIO:  A (10/10)

EXTRAS: C (5/10)

GRADE: B (8/10)