Randomness and Wreck-it Ralph

First off, wow!! 180 followers!!  I know a lot of the reason for the huge increase is because of my giveaway, but it's still fun to see. :D  Thanks everyone!

I'm glad there's been so much interest in the Consuelo giveaway, too. :)  Remember, today is the very last day to enter!!  I'll be drawing the name of the winner tomorrow morning (Pacific Time).  :D

I have some more posts in my drafts that I'd like to work on, and I'm also hoping to squeeze a doll photo shoot in sometime in the next week or so. :)  Of course, I have a bit to do besides posting and photo shoots.

For instance, I have the opportunity to speak at a local meeting of doll collectors on Wednesday morning of this coming week, so I'm super excited about that. :D

Just this morning before church, I finished a group of illustrations for the children's story that my pastor's wife wrote for the children of the church.  She's going to print off the story and give it to the children in our church for Christmas. :)

I've also been working on my novel when I can.  I've had some great brainstorms this past week, so that's been wonderful. :)

Other than that, I just have to figure out family pics, Thanksgiving, Christmas cards, and life in general. :}

But goodness, enough of my babbling.  The whole reason I started this post was to talk about the newest Disney animated movie, "Wreck-it Ralph". :}

Yesterday, Hubby and I left the kiddos with my mom (thanks, Mom!) and went to our local theater to see Disney's latest.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this movie (aside from the general plot line, of course).  I think I'm a bit more hesitant to get excited about Disney animated films after seeing "Brave" this summer.  I was sure I was going to LOVE "Brave" and it would be WONDERFUL, SUPERB, and FABULOUS!!  And in some ways, it was...the animation, the music...but the story and dark intensity of the film were not my favorites.

[Side note here:  I was able to see "Brave" a second time about a month ago, and I will say that I was able to enjoy it more at the second screening.  I think part of this was the fact that I knew what to expect going into it.  It's still not my favorite Pixar film, and it's still not one my girls can watch, but I came away with a better opinion of it than I did after the first time.]

Okay, and I still haven't gotten to the whole reason I started this post yet.  Wow, I'm in rare form today! ;)

Anyway, as I said before, I wasn't sure whether I would like "Wreck-it Ralph" or not.  I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. :)  It was one that Hubby and I could both enjoy together.  He enjoyed the story (and its message) and all of the video game references.  I loved the creativity, the characters, and the message of the film.

"Wreck-it Ralph" does for the video game world what "Monsters Inc" did for the monster world, or "A Bug's Life" did for the world of insects.  In fact, it reminded me a lot of a Disney/Pixar film.  Which shouldn't be surprising, since John Lasseter was the executive producer (and is heading up the animation department at Disney now).  If you've ever wondered what happens to your favorite video game characters when the arcade closes at night, this movie is for you. ;)  The story was clever, funny and fascinating, but most importantly, it had substance.  There were great messages about friendship, sacrifice, and what makes a true hero.

And, of course, the animation was breathtaking.  Which is always a huge plus for me. :D

There were a few issues I had with this movie.  Like just about every kid's movie made nowadays, there were several pretty scary parts, especially in the final showdown with the villain.  There were several scenes before this that were creepy or intense, too.  (Don't see this film if you have a problem with giant metallic bugs.  Or characters that randomly change/shapeshift.  Just a warning.)

The film also had some emotionally intense scenes, too.  I understand that having some emotional tension is what makes a great story.  The movie screenwriters just obviously didn't have kiddos like mine in mind when they wrote a couple of the scenes.  My children would be weeping buckets and asking all sorts of questions about why things happened the way they did.

Still, I was nowhere near as emotionally wrung out as I was after watching "Brave", so it's definitely less intense in that respect.

One of the main characters is rather well-endowed and wears a pretty tight outfit.  It's armor-plated, though, and not too plungy in the neckline, so I suppose it could be worse. :}

There are a few cameo appearances by characters that may be offensive to some of my readers, such as a zombie and a red guy with horns whom Ralph calls "Satan" (the character corrects him, saying that his name is actually "Sateen"...as a non-gamer, I have no clue about the significance of this guy, or if he's even based on a specific video game character).

The only other problem I had was that there was a bit of crude humor.  They could have gone a lot further with it, so I'm glad they kept it to a minimum, but I could have done without some of the jokes and rude behavior between characters at the beginning of the movie.

That aside, I would definitely recommend this movie to older kids, teens, and any adults who enjoy Disney animation or stories.  And anyone who enjoys video games will get a kick out of this movie, too.  Hubby has done a lot more gaming than I have, so he caught a lot of inside jokes and recognized a lot of secondary characters that I didn't.  There are a couple of scenes especially where you see a whole room full of video game characters together.  Hubby and I talked about how fun it would be to watch "Wreck-it Ralph" on DVD and be able to pause that part, just to have a chance to see all of the different characters. :)

I would caution parents with younger or sensitive children to preview the movie or read a review before taking your little ones.  Between a few scary scenes, some emotionally intense stuff, and some name-calling and joking that I know I wouldn't want my 4 year old little mimic repeating around the house (or at grandma's), this may be a movie that your littlest kiddos should wait on for a while.  My 3 girls are going to have to sit this one out for a few years.  Hubby and I will definitely be watching it again, though. ;)

I've kept this review very generic to avoid spoilers.  For those of you interested in more detail on the plot and the content, you can check out Plugged In's online review HERE. (Plugged In is a site affiliated with Focus on the Family that shares reviews on movies, TV, and music from a Christian perspective.)

You can also get more info at the movie's official website HERE (you can even play the "Fix-it Felix, Jr." game that is featured in the movie!). ;)

Have you seen "Wreck-it Ralph" yet?  What did you think?

Vanellope and Ralph

P.S.  Favorite random memory from the film:  hearing all of the little boys go "Eewwww!!" every time there was a romantic part (not something that happens in my house full of little girls). ;)  Yes, there is romance in this movie...and it is pretty hilarious. :D  And no, it's not between Vanellope and Ralph. ;)

P.P.S.  I almost forgot...one of my favorite unexpected surprises was the short film that was paired with "Wreck-it Ralph", called "Paperman".  It was an amazing mix of 2D hand drawn animation and CG.  I was just blown away by the beauty and simplicity of the animation. :)

The main characters from "Paperman" :)