Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2013

This wicked smart little film does for GenXers and their ’80s 8-bit arcade games what Toy Story did for boomers and their ’50s toy boxes. After 30 years of playing an arcade-game heavy, the title character (voice by John C. Reilly) dares to hope for something better. When the arcade closes for the night and the characters come to life (everyone knows this happens), Ralph heads off for neighboring games to seek a break in his hard life and encounters a fellow misfit named Vanellope (brilliantly voiced by Sarah Silverman). Lots of video-game cameos. Silly yet touching, this may be a bit too cloyingly candy-colored for non-GenXers.