The concept ofWreck-It Ralph originated in the late 1980s under the working titleHigh Score and evolved through various iterations. Moore sought to capture an authentic video-game world by including real video game characters likeBowser,Clyde, andDoctor Eggman, while focusing on creating new characters. For animation, Disney introduced new reflectance functions and a real-time virtual camera system. The team researched candy factories andfood photography to inspire the design of theSugar Rush game world.Henry Jackman composed the score, and the soundtrack featured songs byOwl City,AKB48, andSkrillex, among others.
When Litwak'sArcade closes for the day, thevideo game characters leave their in-game roles and socialize via apower strip called Game Central Station. Wreck-It Ralph, the villain of theplatform gameFix-It Felix, Jr., is frustrated with his assigned role. After being ostracized at his game's 30th-anniversary party, Ralph decides to win a medal, convinced that it will earn him respect. Upon learning that thefirst-person shooterHero's Duty awards medals, Ralph sneaks intoHero's Duty and obtains a medal after getting past insectoid monsters known as Cy-Bugs.
Ralph accidentally launches himself in anescape shuttle with a Cy-Bug inside and crash-lands inSugar Rush, a confectionery-themedkart racing game. With Ralph gone, his game is labeled "out of order", putting it at risk of being unplugged. Fix-It Felix, Jr. himself leaves the game to find Ralph, allying with Sergeant Calhoun, the heroine ofHero's Duty. Calhoun tracks the Cy-Bug, as Cy-Bugs behave as avirus once outside their game. Felix worries Ralph will meet the same fate as Turbo, the protagonist of the racing gameTurboTime, who grew envious of a newRoadBlasters cabinet's success and invaded it, resulting in both games being unplugged.
InSugar Rush, racer Vanellope von Schweetz steals Ralph's medal and uses it to buy her way into the nightly race that determines which characters will beplayable the next day. King Candy, the ruler ofSugar Rush's world, forbids her to race, as she is aglitch. Vanellope promises to get the medal back if Ralph helps her win; he helps her build a new kart and teaches her to drive insideDiet Cola Mountain. Meanwhile, Calhoun and Felix arrive inSugar Rush, where they fall into "Nesquik-sand", work together to escape, and begin to fall in love.
King Candyhacks intoSugar Rush'scode and retrieves the medal, giving it back to Ralph. He claims that if Vanellope becomes a playable character, her glitching will lead toSugar Rush being labeled out of order and unplugged, and Vanellope, unable to leave the game due to being a glitch, will die. Ralph decides he cannot allow Vanellope to race and destroys her kart. Meanwhile, Calhoun abandons Felix when he unintentionally reminds her of her late fiancé, who was eaten by a Cy-Bug on their wedding day. Felix is imprisoned by King Candy's assistant, Sour Bill, while Calhoun discovers that the Cy-Bug has multiplied exponentially.
Upon returning toFix-It Felix, Jr., which has been evacuated, Ralph notices a picture of Vanellope on theSugar Rush cabinet. He returns toSugar Rush and interrogates Sour Bill, who reveals that King Candy stole Vanellope's code. King Candy's edits to the code also have ensured no one but himself knows Vanellope's true role. However, if Vanellope completes a race, the game will reset itself, deleting all of King Candy'schanges. Ralph frees Vanellope and Felix from the dungeon. Felix fixes the kart, and Vanellope belatedly enters the race, but the Cy-Bugs emerge and start destroying the game. Calhoun, Felix, and Ralph help evacuate the characters.
Unaware of the Cy-Bugs, King Candy attempts to ram Vanellope off the track, causing them both to glitch. The glitching unmasks King Candy as Turbo, who secretly took overSugar Rush after surviving the unplugging ofTurboTime. Vanellope flees as Turbo is devoured by a Cy-Bug, which fuses with him into an insectoid monster. Remembering fromHero's Duty that a beacon will draw and destroy the Cy-Bugs, Ralph battles Turbo and collapses theMentos roof of Diet Cola Mountain, creating a glowingeruption that lures and destroys Turbo and the Cy-Bugs. Vanellope rescues Ralph and crosses the finish line. The game resets, revealing her as the true ruler ofSugar Rush, though she keeps her glitching ability, considering it an advantage.
Ralph returns to his game, content with his role as a bad guy and finally respected by his fellow characters. Felix and Calhoun marry, and Ralph watches Vanellope becomeSugar Rush's favorite character.
Jane Lynch as Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun, the lead character ofHero's Duty.[10]
Alan Tudyk as King Candy, the competitive and stubborn ruler ofSugar Rush. He is later revealed to be Turbo, an infamous racer fromTurboTime who invaded and crashedRoadBlasters out of jealousy. King Candy's vocal stylings are based on comedianEd Wynn, and his physical mannerisms are modeled from Wynn'sMad Hatter character inAlice in Wonderland.[11]
Mindy Kaling as Taffyta Muttonfudge, a racer inSugar Rush who thinks that Vanellope is a threat.[12]
Rich Moore as Sour Bill, a green sour ball and King Candy's assistant.[13][14]
The cast also includes theFix-It Felix, Jr. Nicelanders,Edie McClurg as Mary,[12]Raymond S. Persi as Mayor Gene,[15]Jess Harnell as Don,Rachael Harris as Deanna,[12] andSkylar Astin as Roy;Katie Lowes as Candlehead,Jamie Elman as Rancis Fluggerbutter, Josie Trinidad as Jubileena Bing-Bing, and Cymbre Walk as Crumbelina DiCaramello, racers inSugar Rush;Phil Johnston asSurge Protector, Game Central Station security;[16]Stefanie Scott as Moppet Girl, a young arcade-game player;[12]John DiMaggio asBeard Papa, the security guard at theSugar Rush candy-kart factory; Raymond Persi as a Zombie,Brian Kesinger as a Cyborg (based onKano fromMortal Kombat) andMartin Jarvis as Saitine, a devil-like villain, who attends the Bad-Anon support group; Tucker Gilmore as theSugar Rush Announcer;Brandon Scott as Kohut, a soldier inHero's Duty; and Tim Mertens as Dr. Brad Scott, a scientist who is Sgt. Calhoun's deceased fiancé inHero's Duty (voiced byNick Grimshaw in the UK version but not in the UK home release).
A character modeled afterdubstep musicianSkrillex makes an appearance in the fictionalFix-It Felix, Jr. as the DJ at the anniversary party of the game.[20]
Additional references are based onsight gags. The residents of Niceland and the bartender fromTapper are animated using a jerky motion that spoofs the limited animation cycles of the sprites of many 8- and 16-bit arcade games.[30] King Candy uses theKonami Code on anNES controller to access the programming ofSugar Rush.[31] Throughout Game Central Station is graffiti that includes "Aerith lives" (referencing the character ofAerith Gainsborough fromFinal Fantasy VII),[26][32] "All your base are belong to us" (anEngrish phrase popularized from the gameZero Wing), "Sheng Long Was Here" (referencing an April Fool's joke around a made-up characterSheng Long fromStreet Fighter), and "Jenkins" (a nod to the popularLeeroy Jenkins meme fromWorld of Warcraft).[33] There is also a reference to theMetal Gear series when Ralph is searching for a medal in Tapper'sLost and found, finding first aSuper Mushroom from theMario franchise,[34] and thenMetal Gear Solid's "Exclamation point" (with the corresponding sound effect from the game).[30] Mr. Litwak wears a black and white striped referee's shirt, a nod to the outfit ofTwin Galaxies founderWalter Day.[30] One of the songs in the credits is an original work fromBuckner and Garcia, previously famous for writing video game-themed songs in the 1980s.[30] The Walt Disney Animation Studios opening logo is animated in an 8-bit pixelated fashion,[35] whereas theWalt Disney Pictures closingproduction logo appears in a glitched state, a reference to thekill screen from many early arcade games such asPac-Man.[33] The high score on the main screen ofFix-It Felix, Jr., 120501, refers to the birthdate ofWalt Disney, December 5, 1901.[36]
The concept ofWreck-It Ralph was first developed at Disney, in the late 1980s, under the working titleHigh Score. Since then, it was redeveloped and reconsidered several times: In the late 1990s, it took on the working titleJoe Jump, then in the mid-2000s asReboot Ralph.[37][38]
John Lasseter, the head of Walt Disney Animation Studios and executive producer of the film, describesWreck-It Ralph as "an 8-bit video-game bad guy who travels the length of the arcade to prove that he's a good guy."[23] In a manner similar toWho Framed Roger Rabbit and theToy Story films,Wreck-It Ralph featured cameo appearances by a number of licensed video-game characters.[23] For example, one scene from the film shows Ralph attending a support group for the arcade's various villain characters, including Clyde fromPac-Man,Doctor Eggman fromSonic the Hedgehog, andBowser fromSuper Mario Bros.[23] Rich Moore, the film's director, had determined that for a film about a video-game world to feel authentic, "it had to have real characters from real games in it."[39] Moore aimed to add licensed characters in a similar manner as cultural references inLooney Tunes shorts, but considered "having the right balance so a portion of the audience didn't feel they were being neglected or talked down to."[40] However, Moore avoided creating the movie around existing characters, feeling that "there's so much mythology and baggage attached to pre-existing titles that I feel someone would be disappointed," and considered this to be a reason why movies based on video game franchises typically fail.[40] Instead, forWreck-It Ralph, the development of new characters representative of the 8-bit video game was "almost like virgin snow," giving them the freedom to take these characters in new directions.[40]
Before production, the existing characters were added to the story either in places they would make sense to appear or as cameos from a list of characters suggested by the film's creative team, without consideration if they would legally be able to use the characters.[39] The company then sought out the copyright holders' permissions to use the characters, as well as working with these companies to assure their characters were being represented authentically.[39] In the case of Nintendo, the writers had early on envisioned the Bad-anon meeting withBowser as a major character within the scene; according to Moore, Nintendo was very positive towards this use, stating in Moore's own words, "If there is a group that is dedicated to helping the bad guy characters in video games then Bowser must be in that group!"[26] Nintendo provided feedback that Bowser's teacup should be held a certain way.[41] Nintendo also asked that the producers try to devise a scene that would be similarly appropriate forMario's inclusion in the film. Despite knowing they would be able to use the character, the producers could not find an appropriate scene that would let Mario be a significant character without taking away the spotlight from the main story and opted to not include the character.[26][42] Moore debunked a rumor that Mario and his brother characterLuigi were not included due to Nintendo requesting too high a licensing fee, stating that the rumor grew out of a joke John C. Reilly made at Comic-Con.[29]Dr. Wily fromMega Man was going to appear but was cut from the final version of the film.[43] Overall, there are about 188 individual character models in the movie as a result of these cameo inclusions.[39] An earlier draft of the screenplay had Ralph and Vanellope spending time going around the game world to collect the pieces for her kart forSugar Rush, and at times included Felix traveling with the pair. During these scenes, Ralph would have lied to Felix regarding his budding relationship with Calhoun, leading eventually to Ralph becoming depressed and abandoning his quest to get his medal back. At this point, a fourth game world,Extreme Easy Living 2, would have been introduced and was considered a "hedonistic place" between the social nature ofThe Sims and the open-world objective-less aspects ofGrand Theft Auto, according to Moore.[44] Ralph would go there too, wallowing in his depression, and would find happiness by gaining "Like It" buttons for doing acceptable actions in the party-like nature of the place. Moore stated that while it was difficult to consider dropping this new game world, they found that its introduction in the second half of the film would be too difficult a concept for the viewer to grasp.[44] They further had trouble working out how a social game would be part of an arcade, and though they considered having the game be running on Litwak's laptop, they ultimately decided that justifying the concept would be too convoluted. Line art sketches and voice-over readings of the scene were included on the home media release of the film.[44]
The film introduced Disney's newbidirectional reflectance distribution functions, with more realistic reflections on surfaces, and new virtual cinematography Camera Capture system, which makes it possible to go through scenes in real time.[45] To research theSugar Rush segment of the film, the visual development group traveled to trade fair ISM Cologne, aSee's Candy factory, and other manufacturing facilities. The group also brought in food photographers, to demonstrate techniques to make food appear appealing. Special effects, including from "smoke or dust," looks distinct in each of the segments.[46]
Disney promoted the film at the 2012E3 convention using a mockarcade cabinet.
A teaser trailer forWreck-It Ralph was released on June 6, 2012, debuting withMadagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted andRock of Ages.[51][52] This also coincided with the2012Electronic Entertainment Expo, for which Disney constructed a mock agedarcade cabinet for the fictionalFix-It Felix, Jr. game on display on the show floor.[53] Disney also released a browser-basedFlash-based version of theFix-It Felix, Jr. game as well as iOS, Android, and Windows Phone versions, with onlineUnity-based versions ofSugar Rush andHero's Duty.[54] A second trailer for the film was released on September 12, 2012, coinciding with and attached toFinding Nemo 3D andFrankenweenie, along with its final updated movie poster.[55][56]
To promote the home media release ofWreck-It Ralph, director Rich Moore produced a short film titledGarlan Hulse: Where Potential Lives. Set within the movie's universe, themockumentary film was designed as a parody ofThe King of Kong.[57]
The film was originally scheduled for a release on March 22, 2013, but it was later changed to November 2, 2012, due to it being ahead of schedule.[58][59] The theatrical release was accompanied by Disney's animated short film,Paperman.[60][61]
Wreck-It Ralph was released onBlu-ray Disc (2D and 3D) andDVD in North America on March 5, 2013, fromWalt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. The film was made available for digital download in selected regions on February 12, 2013.[62]Wreck-It Ralph debuted at No. 1 in Blu-ray and DVD sales in the United States.[63] With 2,923,270 units sold ($55,095,767),Wreck It Ralph was the 4th best-selling DVD of 2013 in the United States.[64]
Wreck-It Ralph grossed $189.4 million in North America and $281.8 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $496.5 million.[4][5]
In North America, the film debuted with $13.5 million, an above-average opening-day gross for an animated film released in November.[65] During its opening weekend, the film topped the box office with $49 million, making it the largest opening for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film at the time.[66][67] The film fell 33% to $33 million in its second weekend, finishing second behind newcomerSkyfall.[68]
The review-aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes reports that 87% of critics have given the film a positive review, based on 194 reviews with an average score of 7.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Equally entertaining for both kids and parents old enough to catch the references,Wreck-It Ralph is a clever, colorful adventure built on familiar themes and joyful nostalgia."[69] OnMetacritic the film has aweighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[70] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[71]
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and wrote, "More than in most animated films, the art design and color palette ofWreck-It Ralph permit unlimited sets, costumes, and rules, giving the movie tireless originality and different behavior in every different cyber world."[72]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times wrote, "The movie invites a measure ofcynicism—which it proceeds to obliterate with a 93-minute blast of color, noise, ingenuity and fun."[73] Peter Debruge ofVariety stated, "With plenty to appeal to boys and girls, old and young, Walt Disney Animation Studios has a high-scoring hit on its hands in this brilliantly conceived, gorgeously executed toon, earning bonus points for backing nostalgia with genuine emotion."[3] Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times said, "The movie's subversive sensibility and old-school/new-school feel are a total kick,"[74] while Justin Lowe ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "With a mix of retro eye-candy for grown-ups and a thrilling, approachable storyline for the tykes, the film casts a wide and beguiling net."[75] Conversely,Christopher Orr ofThe Atlantic found it "overplotted and underdeveloped."[76]
Ralph Breaks the Internet is the sequel toWreck-It Ralph. The film follows Ralph and Vanellope as they travel to the Internet to get a replacement part forSugar Rush and prevent Mr. Litwak from disposing of the game. The film was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios with Moore and Johnston directing. The film was released November 21, 2018 byWalt Disney Pictures.[87][88]
In addition to theFlash version of theFix-It Felix, Jr. game, Disney released a tie-in side-scrollingplatform game calledWreck-It Ralph for theWii,Nintendo 3DS, andNintendo DS, to mostly negative reviews.[89] The arcade style side-scrolling game was developed byPipeworks Software and published byActivision and serves as a "story extension" to the film; it is the first Disney video game sinceDisney's Extreme Skate Adventure to be published by Activision. Taking place following the events of the film, players may play as Wreck-It Ralph or Fix-It Felix, causing or repairing damage, respectively, following another Cy-Bug incident. Game levels are based on the locations in the film like theFix-It Felix, Jr.,Hero's Duty, andSugar Rush games as well as Game Central Station. It was released in conjunction with the film's release, in November 2012.[90] In October 2012, Disney released fully playable browser-based versions of theHero's Duty andSugar Rush games on the new official film site.[91] A mobile game titledWreck-it Ralph was released in November 2012 foriOS andAndroid systems,[92] with aWindows Phone 8 version following almost a year later.[93] Initially, the game consisted of three mini-games,Fix-it Felix, Jr.,Hero's Duty andSweet Climber, which were later joined byTurboTime andHero's Duty: Flight Command.[94][95] The game was retired on August 29, 2014.[96]
Ralph also appears inSega'sSonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed as a playable guest character.[97] Ralph and Vanellope appear as playable characters inDisney Infinity as well (voiced byBrian T. Delaney and Sarah Silverman, respectively); the Disney Store released their individual figures on January 7, 2014.[98][99][100] A combo "toy box pack" of the two figures with Sugar Rush customization discs was released April 1, 2014, from the Disney Store.[101]Wreck-It Ralph is a playable world on themobile gameDisneyCrossy Road.[102] Ralph made his debut appearance in theKingdom Hearts video game series inKingdom Hearts III, serving as a Link summon.[103] A world based onWreck-It Ralph was added to the mobile gameKingdom Hearts Union χ as part of an update in April 2019. In the game, the story of the world loosely follows the plot of the film, culminating with a boss battle against Turbo.[104] Ralph, Vanellope, Calhoun, and Felix appear in the mobile gameDisney Heroes: Battle Mode as characters. Ralph and Vanellope are the first unlocked characters.[citation needed] Ralph, Vanellope, Calhoun, and Felix appear as playable characters to unlock for a limited time inDisney Magic Kingdoms, as well as Niceland as an attraction.[105]
^Cerabona, Ron (April 29, 2013)."Giving voice to an old-timer".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. RetrievedNovember 19, 2014.
^abc"Wreck-It Ralph Trailer #2". Walt Disney Animation Studios via YouTube. September 12, 2012.Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. RetrievedSeptember 12, 2012.
^"Spread the word: The first trailer..." Disney Animation via official Twitter page. May 25, 2012.Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. RetrievedMay 25, 2012.Spread the word: The first trailer for Wreck-It Ralph will debut June 6.
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