One Mom’s Review
Wreck-It Ralph is tired of being the bad guy in his video game. He doesn’t have any friends because everyone is scared of him. I thought it was a beautiful story about Ralph’s journey to acceptance and friendship. My husband later told me he thought it was about a midlife crisis. So revealing!
We decided to splurge on the 3D movie. Not only for the obvious visual benefits, but because seeing a movie theater filled with people of all sizes wearing identical glasses is worth almost any price to me. As the 3D previews started, I couldn’t help but turn around and look at the audience. I was tempted to take a picture, but I resisted.
There was another temptation nagging me: as the movie began and the lights in the theatre became darker, I could feel myself getting sleepy. Not a good sign. I had to stay awake! “It’s my first movie review for Elizabeth Street,” I kept telling myself. “I should be taking notes!” But nothing helped. During the first thirty minutes I kept falling in and out of sleep. My drowsiness, though, was no reflection of the movie itself, just the result of the utterly draining Hurricane Sandy-filled week. For the first time in days, I could get my mind off of things, and all I wanted to do was take a nap. My soft, comfortable chair didn’t help matters. And it was 3:30pm on a Sunday, the time of the week usually reserved for naps anyway.
My husband jolted me awake as he tried to walk past and whispered, “I have to get some damn popcorn. Oscar won’t shut up about it.” My son, Oscar, had apparently been complaining the whole time about popcorn…I slept through that disaster!
The popcorn helped me to stay awake once my husband came back, just about the time when Sarah Silverman’s spunky character Vanellope von Schweetz appeared. She was the highlight of the movie for me. Vanellope has all the characteristics I admire: optimism, zest, grit, and humor! Every time she was in a scene, I would smile. She’s the kind of character I hope my daughter wants to be for Halloween next year.
Overall, I really liked Wreck-It Ralph. It was a fun escape! —Sharon Beesley
Here’s my score:
(on a scale of 1-4)
Action: 4
Gender Neutral: 4
Parent Friendly: 3
Rentability (And Repeatablity) on a Sick Day: 4
Total: 19, almost perfect! (At lease for the part I was awake to see!)
Bathroom Breaks: Anytime before they enter the land of Sugar Rush. You won’t want to miss the scenes with Sarah Silverman’s character!