It's quite apt that Ralph Breaks The Internet is releasing at the same time as the House of The Mouse is celebrating 90 years of Walt Disney-fying the world. The movie pays tribute to, while also spoofing, most things Disney, while also carving out a funny, warm family entertainer we normally associate the Studios with. The sequel to the 2012 film Wreck-it Ralph, itself a critical and commercial hit, Ralph Breaks The Internet brings back the protagonists of the first film, voiced by John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman. The movie is directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston. Ralph Breaks the Internet  Wreck-It Ralph 2 Trailer: Full Of Enjoyable Disney Princess Cameos That Throw Shade At Their Own Movies.

Six years after what happened in Wreck-it Ralph, Ralph (John C Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) continue to be great friends, as they hang out in the hub room after the gaming arcade, Litwak's, is closed for the day. Vanellope is now the top star of her game, Sugar Rush, though she feels that there is nothing more to explore in her game. One day, a mishap happens with Vanellope's game, thanks to Ralph's eagerness to help her out, resulting in the steering wheel getting broken. With only one replacement available on eBay, that too for a high price, the owner (Ed O'Neill) unplugs the game, rendering its inhabitants homeless.

To make amends for his mistake, Ralph decides to go to the internet and buy the steering from eBay, with Vanellope accompanying him. There, they discover a vast world with limitless possibilities and venues. Ralph and Vanellope locate eBay but accidentally end up hiking the price of the steering wheel. With no money in hand, the duo is given 24 hours to pay the amount or lose the bid. A desperate Ralph ends up being a star of his own BuzzTube videos. Vanellope, meanwhile, gets fascinated by a dark and dangerous racing game on the internet, called Slaughter Race, and its badass champ racer, Shank (Gal Gadot), leaving Ralph jealous. The rest of the movie is all about how Ralph lives upto the title of the film.

On the face of it, Ralph Breaks The Internet feels like a shameless pandering of Disney's own legacy. At times, I also feared that it may tread the same path as that cringey The Emoji Movie (that felt less of a movie, and more of a humiliating exercise to sell apps). Ralph Breaks The Internet is guilty of both the crimes, and yet, it manages to script a wholesome story that manipulates you into loving the film. Jason Momoa's Aquaman, Johnny Depp's Fantastic Beasts 2 - 8 Upcoming Hollywood Films of 2018 Bollywood Should Be Really Wary of.

Yes, there are quite a lot of internet applications thrown around in the film, from Google, eBay to Knowsmore (an always welcome Alan Tudyk voicing it, after having voiced King Candy in the previous film) and Wikipedia, and even the Darknet. As you had seen in the promos, there are also enough Disney characters brought in as cameos, ranging from the Disney Princesses to some surprise character appearances from Star Wars, Big Hero 6, Toy Story, Winnie The Pooh and even Marvel Cinematic Universe (I saw Batman Theme being credited in the end-credits. Not sure if I missed out on the Dark Knight). Why, even the great Stan Lee has a cameo, may his soul rest in peace!

What makes Ralph Breaks The Internet NOT Another Emoji Movie is some very smart writing in the way the movie depicts internet icons. It makes sense that among arcade game characters, it is only Sonic the Hedgehog who identifies what a Wi-Fi is, considering he is a gaming character that saw some serious upgrade from arcade to online gaming. In this world, pop-up ads are shady salesman trying to eke a deal out of you, while search engines are librarians who dole out information while craving for a grateful acknowledgement. Ralph Breaks The Internet also pokes fun at internet obsession with anything silly that trends (though aren't cat videos passe by now?).

Also when it comes to visiting the World of Disney, we have fallen in love with much of their characters shown here that I disregarded the studio's self-appeasement trick. Thankfully, Disney also pokes fun at itself especially with its Princesses movies, resulting in a very meta contextual change in how these characters finally end up changing their own legacy. And while they are it, the makers also sneak in a princess song for Vanellope in one of the movie's best scenes.

However, what really works for the movie is the adorable friendship between the protagonists that manages to stretch beyond some of the flaws in the narrative. We can easily relate to Ralph's possessiveness of Vanellope and the insecurities that arise out of it, nearly obliterating their friendship. Coming to think of it, like the first film, it is Ralph's self-doubts that make up the real threat, in this case, a King-Kong inspired climax. And like before, John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman do a fabulous job of making both Ralph and Vanellope such charming characters.

The animation is just too good. Watch out for that first chase scene in the Slaughter Race. Or even that simple scene where Ralph dribbles a baseball towards the screen.

Any niggles? Two of the lovable characters from the first movie, Fix-it Felix Jr (Jack McBrayer) and Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun (Jane Lynch) are sidelined this time, though there is an excellent parenting gag towards the end of their subplot. The movie introduces Shank, this badass racer, who isn't given much to do for us to feel fascinated with her as Vanellope does. Which also makes her newly-found enchantment with Slaughter Race a little difficult to empathise with. Also sometimes, the movie delves into making so many jokes about the internet that it takes time to get into the main conflict. The climax, compared to its predecessor's twists and turns, feel very underwhelming.

Watch the trailer of Ralph Breaks The Internet here -

Yay!

- The protagonists' endearing main story

- John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman's excellent voice-acting

- Terrific animation

- Some really funny internet jokes, Easter Eggs, and smart writing

Nay!

- A couple of favourite characters from the first films get a short shrift

- The Shank subplot isn't that cool

- Some scenes and twists have to be taken with a pinch of salt

- Climax is underwhelming

Final Thoughts

Ralph Breaks The Internet is a sweet, delightful followup that manages to win you over with its friendship goals and some really funny Disney easter eggs and jokes. This one will definitely 'Break' the box office for sure!

P.S. - There are two post-credit scenes that you should not miss out on! One of which being a hilarious 'Frozen 2' sneak-peek!

Rating:3.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 21, 2018 11:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).