Film Star Focus: Wreck-It Ralph

Or, why I think Disney's Wreck-It Ralph deserved its Oscar nomination. Let it be known that I have not yet seen the other nominees (including the winner, Pixar's Brave), but I still think what this film was able to accomplish was more than deserving of its nomination, if not the win. Wreck-It Ralph might seem like a blatant cash-in, or a movie that would only appeal to the gaming demographic (and even then, only the younger one), but I'm here to put that theory to rest. The setting and slew of cameos might draw in the gaming community, but the characters and their journeys are what will bring people back for their 2nd, 3rd, and 50th viewings.

And so this brings me to the first of my latest line of features, the Film Star Focus. I may not be well versed in cinematography or film history/techniques, but I can at the very least spot a great character story when I see one. Thus, in this series I will be trying my best to flesh out the great (and not so great) characters and their journeys in their respective films.

Also, before we get too far along, since I'm aiming to tackle the full character arc, the following 'review' will involve spoilers. I will try my best to be tactful, especially for movies which I'm advocating to be seen, but I will touch on character-specific endings here. Plot may get spoiled here and there, but character finales are very much on the table. So with out further ado...

~Wreck-It Ralph~
Walt Disney Animation Studios
2012
On Video March 5th, 2013
Amazon ~ Powell's

For decades, Ralph has played the bad guy in his popular video game. In a bold move, he embarks on an action-packed adventure and sets out to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a big heart.

As he explores exciting new worlds, he teams up with some unlikely new friends including feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz. Then, when an evil enemy threatens their world, Ralph realizes he holds the fate of the entire arcade in his massive hands.

Our "Hero"

In the beginning, Ralph was a simple forest dweller, maybe a backwoods kind of guy, dressed in overalls and living in a tree stump. One day a bulldozer came along and moved his stump (and him) over to a dump in order to build a tall apartment building called Niceland. Ralph, suffering from a very short temper, climbed the building and started wrecking it.

Is it just me, or does this sound like the opening to a Bugs Bunny cartoon gone wrong?

The Nicelanders obviously don't want to be put out of their homes, so they call their building supervisor/carpenter/contractor (who happens to have a magical fixing hammer) by the name of Felix Jr. to fix the building. Once all the damage has been repaired, and Ralph (now deemed Wreck-It Ralph) has been chased to the roof, the Nicelanders award Felix a gold medal and then toss Ralph off the building with only a mud pile to break his fall.

Thus the stage is set for the world Ralph lives in. Felix is the good guy who gets medals, pies, and the gratitude and adoration of all the Nicelanders. Ralph is the bad guy who gets relocated to the dump, wrecks a building, and gets thrown off a building.

Of course, that's only part of Ralph's story.

An Award!

I'm lucky enough to have been awarded the Stylish Blogger Award by Mandy at Literary R&R.  After spending so much time putting the new design together, it really means a lot. Thank you so much, Mandy!

Rules of the award are:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell us 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they have won!

Well, with Part 1 down, here's Part 2:

1. I watch WALL-E nightly to fall asleep. I think it has to do with the lack of dialog, coupled with the simple storyline.

2. My dad just had heart bypass surgery last week. He's doing really great so far, and I'm hopeful for a smooth and speedy recovery.

3. My favorite video game is Pokemon! I'm lousy at anything run-and-jump, so a turn-based RPG is right up my alley! If I had to choose a favorite pokemon...I don't think I could! But Eevee ranks pretty highly ^_^

4. I majored in Creative Writing in college. I know, it'll probably have me living out of a box, but it was a lot of fun while it lasted!

5. My computer still runs Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003. I know, I'm still in the dark ages, but it works and that's all I need right now!

6. I used to play volleyball when I was in elementary and middle school. By high school I'd fully committed to marching band, so my schedule was full. When I started out, I used to serve the ball underhanded, and one time I hit it so high it went through the building's rafters. Let's just say, my serves had a lot of speed built up when they hit the player/court ;D

7. I'm a Hoosier by birth, but my mom had Oregon sand brought into the hospital room, so the first "earth" I touched was from Oregon. Does that make me a 6th generation Oregonian?

Now that that's over, it's time for me to pass things off to 15 others. Well, if I can think of that many! I'll try my best. If you've got time, why not give them a look?

Oktopus Ink
Steampunkery & Book Reviews
Shut Up! I'm Reading.
You're Killing Me
A Life Bound By Books

Honestly, so many others have gone to "Award-Free" blogs, that I'm a bit pressed to find 10 more! 

So, I'll leave it at that. And I'll leave it as optional for them to pass it along. While it's a good idea in theory, so many of these awards have gotten spamish, that I'm tempted to go Award-Free myself.

Well, that's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Blog Award(s)

Woot! My first blog award! Many thanks to Jazz from About Books Blog for giving me this one.
And I also got one from Heather at Buried in Books! Thanks Heather!!

Here's How This Award Works:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.


7 Things About Me

1. I watch WALL-E to fall asleep.

2. I bought my first dress ever a couple weeks ago.

3. I am allergic to Chocolate Mousse (but I don't know how).

4. I attended a college with a student body smaller than my high school's.

5. My room has a full-wall-mural of a castle, which I like to pretend is Hogwarts.

6. I was on a bowling league through middle and high school; my best game was in the 240's.

7. Seven is my favorite number, and its double is my second favorite; hence this website's address.


15 Versatile Bloggers
 On to the 15 bloggers I will award, in no particular order...
1. En Violet
2. The Bodacious Pen
3. DJ's Life in Fiction
4. HKBuena Sketchblog
5. J. Cordelia
6. Something Like That
7. ...with sprinkles!
8. The Story Siren
9. Patricia's Particularity
10. -La Femme Readers-
11. Teens Read And Write
12. All-Consuming Books
13. Badass Bookie
14. Inside of a Dog
15. Reads, Reviews, Recommends

You are all welcome to continue the pass-along, or not. I know it's hard not to get repetitive.