'Ralph Breaks the Internet' review: High-tech hilarity

The 2012 hit “Wreck-It Ralph” was a breath of fresh air. Using ’80s arcade game characters, co-writer and director Rich Moore explored the nuances of heroism and villainy through the surprisingly self-aware video game bad guy Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly), exposing the limitations of the good/evil binary. Moore is back to helm the sequel, “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” along with co-director Phil Johnston, who co-wrote the original film, and once again, they bring a razor-sharp scalpel to dissect the zeitgeist.

Although Ralph is happy hanging with his best pal in the arcade, racer Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) is bored, and nothing fixes boredom like a high-speed Wi-Fi connection. After running roughshod over Sugar Rush, Ralph and Vanellope hit the web to snag a new steering wheel for the console from an eBay auction. Along the way, they discover the risks of online shopping, viral fame, pop-up ads, the dark web and a truly addictive adult racing game called Slaughter Race. Headed up by the very cool Shank (Gal Gadot), it’s love at first engine rev for Van, and a cause for concern for Ralph, who doesn’t want to lose his best pal. The whole film is quite a savvy analysis of how the web works, and it’s cleverly rendered visually.

There’s also a big plug for the Oh My Disney website, but writers Johnston, Moore, Pamela Ribon, Jim Reardon and Josie Trinidad are sharp enough to use this as a means to a very necessary takedown of typical Disney princess lore, with all their strong man saviors, dead moms, kidnapping, singing and magic hair. Vanellope realizes her real dream is to stay in Slaughter Race, as it’s what she sings about while staring at “important water,” as the princesses instruct. Ralph, who has become totally co-dependent with Vanellope, panics at the development.

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is a fresh, smart, funny and, most important, comprehensible analysis of internet culture and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Once again, the seemingly dopey video game bad guy Ralph manages to be the sharpest Disney character we’ve seen in a long time.