As previous speculation had me believe, director Rich Moore's biggest obstacle with Wreck-It Ralph will be the subject matter. Of course, that is only the case for those that ignore the story. Disney has managed to do an impossible feat. They have managed to turn video games into an allegorical tale of accepting others as well as a tale of how disabilities shouldn't ruin your life. Sure there is a lot of video game references, but in general, Wreck-It Ralph succeeds in being one of the more heartfelt animated movies to come out in 2012.
It has been quite a year for animated movies. Not only have we seen Pixar bounce back into prominence with Brave, but we have also seen two horror-based films (Paranorman and Frankenweenie) and a brilliant video game fueled Wreck-It Ralph (review coming next week). It may be one of the most diverse years in recent times. However, the race isn't quite over. Opening today is Dreamworks Animation's Rise of the Guardians, which can serve as The Avengers of holiday icons ranging from Santa Claus to Jack Frost and the Tooth Fairy. However, is the film capable of standing a chance against the already strong competition at the Oscars, or is it just another holiday film?
Update: A review for the film has been posted here.
With The Avengers blowing up at the box office, I think it finally time that we admit that nerd culture has become the norm. For the most part this is fact, though at the Oscars, we haven't seen too much traction for comic book or video game property films outside of technical fields. With Friday's release of Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, we see what could possibly be the first advancement in incorporating nerd culture to the awards circuit. In a year when we have two animated features about death (ParaNorman, Frankenweenie), it is a relief to see something different. However, can Wreck-It Ralph do one step better and beat the competition?
