Review: "WRECK-IT RALPH"

Starring the voices of: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Ed O'Neil
Directed by: Rich Moore
Written by: Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee (based on a story by Johnston, Rich Moore, and Jim Reardon)

Despite being unfairly lambasted as brainless or even excessively violent entertainment by some critics (COUGHrogerebertCOUGH), I've always considered video games to be an unsung hero in the world of art and pop culture. Whether it was the simple "crossing the street" of Frogger or the darkly moralistic landscape of BioShock, games from either the arcade or the home console have always had their own unique story to tell, either through its narrative or the countless bits of code strung together to form a visual tale where dialogue isn't even necessary.

After all, some of the best stories-- whether it's literary or cinematic, musical or interactive-- are simple tales of good versus evil, and if anything, video games aren't video games without these essential archetypes. What's Mario without a Bowser? What's Sonic without a Dr. Robotnik? What's Oregon Trail without a... I don't know, dysentery?

But what if those villains stuck in their big shiny boxes get tired of losing and being vilified, game after game? It must get pretty monotonous to get beaten at the final stage and let the hero get all the glory all the time. Why can't they be a hero for once? In director Rich Moore's hugely inspired and wonderfully nostalgic animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph, the final boss gets a chance to aim for the high score.

For the last 30 years, Wreck-It Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has served as the destructive villain in the arcade game Fix-It Felix, Jr., where the eponymous carpenter hero (voice of Jack McBrayer) saves a building from being demolished by Ralph, ultimately throwing Ralph off the building and earning the adulation of the townspeople. But once the arcade closes, the game characters have a life of their own, with all the arcade cabinets connected in their own digital universe by way of a surge protector serving as a "central station" of sorts.

But while Felix enjoys the fruits of a popular hero's life, Ralph spends his nights by himself in a junk pile, friendless and lonely. Tired of always playing the villain and wanting to prove his worth as a hero --and learning that he can earn the love of his game's townspeople if he wins a game's "hero medal"-- Ralph goes AWOL from his game and enters the world of the first-person shooter Hero's Duty, which features the no-nonsense Sgt. Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) leading a platoon of troops against an army of dangerous Cy-Bug monsters.

Hoping to win that game's medal, Ralph infiltrates Hero's Duty-- even though leaving his home game means that he cannot regenerate if he dies-- and does just that, but an encounter with a stray Cy-Bug sends Ralph into the candy-coated world of the racing game Sugar Rush, which is led by racing champion King Candy (voice of Alan Tudyk). There, Ralph meets the diminutive Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman), a hyperactive "glitch" in the game who uses Ralph's medal as a means to enter a big race.

As Ralph deals with trying to regain his medal by reluctantly helping Vanellope win the race, he must contend with the schemes of King Candy, not to mention a possible infestation of Sugar Rush by the Cy-Bugs, all while Felix tries to retrieve Ralph before their own game is shut down for good.

Ever since hearing of Wreck-It Ralph's development, I was extremely excited for the film's release, especially after seeing the clever trailer. I grew up with arcades (back when they were still fashionable and not overshadowed by the uber-expensive "barcades" such as Dave & Buster's) and the classic 2D home consoles such as Nintendo and Sega Genesis, so any film dealing with retro gaming (and I use "retro" in a loving, unironic sense) is an immediate point of interest for me.

Overall, movies that have used classic games or aspects of the medium as part of their plot have more or less hit the mark (whether it was the stupendous documentary The King of Kong or the comic book/video game mashup Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), so when I heard that Disney's latest animated feature would be a loving send-up of the 8-bit classics of my past, my expectations were very high.

After seeing the film, I'd just like to say that whoever gave the go-ahead for the movie is an unparalleled genius. A technical marvel and an emotionally satisfying treat for both kids and old-school gamers, Wreck-It Ralph is a brilliant homage to arcade games on a level that gives the folks at Pixar a run for their money in terms of computer animation, terrific storytelling, and a painstaking eye for detail.

I laughed out loud during the many occasions where I caught reference after reference to video games that would make a gamer junkie squeal, from the video game villain support group that Ralph attends (the pep talk he gets from the ghost from Pac-Man and Zangief from Street Fighter is priceless) to the presence of Q*Bert as a vagrant in the surge protector where all the game characters intersect (another brilliant touch in terms of Toy Story-esque anthropomorphism) are nostalgic gold. I was amazed that the Mouse House managed to get permission to have so many existing game characters show up (much like the case in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), but when you have a screenplay as clever as this, you can only imagine game companies jumping at the chance to represent here.

The cast is terrific across the board, with a winning hero in John C. Reilly's "villain", whose chemistry with Sarah Silverman's bratty racer is pitch-perfect. Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the Page from TV's "30 Rock") injects his usual folksy demeanor as the wholesome Fix-It Felix, and the great Jane Lynch is all tough-talking grit as the heroine from the Halo parody, Hero's Duty.

And as I pointed out earlier, the detail in Ralph is immaculate. There are so many big and little touches that evoke the visual elements of video games from past and present: for example, when Ralph smashes apart a cake, the dessert's splatter is depicted as being "pixelated". When a race begins in Sugar Rush, the camera swivels behind the racers the same way it did in racing games like Mario Kart. It's details like these that give the film its character, and I had a big ol' smile on my face from start to finish.

It's likely that a lot of the video game jokes and references will fly over the heads of young kids or some older adults who never got into games post-Pong, but Wreck-It Ralph still manages to entertain and engage without the need for the audience to be arcade enthusiasts. A hopeful shoo-in for awards season and a reminder that there are still plenty of great, original stories left to tell in Movieland, Wreck-It Ralph is a huge Level-Up for animated storytelling and entertainment.

Letter Grade: "A"

Review: "SKYFALL"

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Albert Finney, Berenice Lim Marlohe, Ola Rapace
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Written by: Neal Purvis, John Logan, and Robert Wade (based on the character created by Ian Fleming)

There's that old and somewhat overused saying about being able to "teach an old dog new tricks", where you can prove that something or someone seemingly beyond their prime can adapt to the times and still show the young'uns how it's done. Of course, there's always a nagging doubt about whether or not they can really catch that second wind, and whether or not it's possible to stay relevant and popular in a constantly-changing world.

This quandary can easily be applied to the venerable and iconic "James Bond" film franchise, which released its first of twenty-three entries-- Dr. No-- fifty years ago. It's astounding to comprehend that novelist Ian Fleming's British MI6 Agent 007 is marking his Golden Jubilee, but after 23 films of varying quality and six different actors playing the now legendary role, it's almost inevitable that there's been a little bit of wear and tear in the franchise.

Granted, Eon Productions tried to shake things up in 2006 by rebooting Mr. Bond into the 21st century with a grittier, more realistic, post-9/11 portrayal with the exhilarating Casino Royale, this time with the steely-eyed Daniel Craig successfully reinvigorating the character, giving him more emotional depth and pathos than previously seen. But when the subpar sequel Quantum of Solace hit theaters two years later, many thought that Bond's critically lauded relaunch was just a fluke, and that the series' better days were behind it. But thanks to a thrilling, nostalgic, and streamlined threequel in the form of director Sam Mendes' Skyfall, it's clear that 007 has a lot more fight in him than previously thought.

British MI6 Agent James Bond-- designated 007-- is believed dead after a covert operation in Turkey has gone awry. Bond and his fellow agent Eve (Naomie Harris) have been chasing mercenary Patrice (Ola Rapace), who had stolen a hard drive containing the true identities of every undercover NATO agent and is planning to sell it to an unknown benefactor. Bond is shot during the fracas and falls into the sea, adding political pressure to his agency superior M (Judi Dench) from Intelligence Chairman Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) to retire in light of the crisis.

Making matters worse is an explosion at MI6 headquarters by a mysterious cyberterrorist, forcing the agency to relocate underground. By this time, Bond returns to London and is approached by M to help find the bomber, but Mallory and others doubt Bond's abilities due to his age and nagging injuries. Nonetheless, Bond is cleared by M to return to field duty, receiving tech and weaponry support by new MI6 quartermaster Q (Ben Whishaw) and joins Eve in tracking Patrice to Shanghai.

Bond's mission eventually leads him to encounter the mastermind behind the various attacks on British Intelligence: Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), an unstable genius who may or may not have a personal connection to M. Bond must do whatever he can to thwart Silva's plot before his revenge-driven schemes succeed.

After the smashing success of Casino Royale, it really was a disappointment for Quantum of Solace to not replicate the qualities that made the Bond reboot such a blast to watch. Sprawling, confusing, and sometimes outright boring, Solace revived fears that 007 finally lost his luster, leaving the franchise's future in doubt, especially regarding the financial difficulties of distributor MGM. But the four-year gap gave Eon the necessary time to recover and rebuild rather than give up.

It seemed to have paid off, thanks to an inspired choice of a director in Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition), who gets Bond back on track with a story that acknowledges the changing times in both the real world and the film's narrative, but also acknowledges how sometimes the old ways can still work best (M's dilemma regarding the Prime Minister possibly dissolving MI6 due to supposedly being obsolete is an obvious analogy to the film series' current situation).

Mendes effortlessly manages to bring Bond back to basics, retaining the post-Royale realism while still injecting a heaping helping of nostalgia and Connery-era energy. Mendes probably also realized that when you release a Bond film on the series' 50th anniversary, you'd better pull out all of the stops to pay respect to its history and please longtime fans. There's the shaken martinis, the Aston-Martin, the thrilling action sequence cold open (this time around it's a chase on top of a speeding train, though I don't think anyone can top the crazy-as-shit footchase from Royale), and even reintroduction of classic Bond characters in the Reboot Era.

The best of the bunch is the new Q (previously played by Peter Burton, Desmond Llewelyn, and John Cleese), and here Bond's weapons and tech guru isn't some kindly old man with exploding pens and laser-armed Polaroid cameras, but a twentysomething computer nerd played with a perfect combination of wit and vigor that pokes loving fun at the cartoonish qualities of Bonds of decades' past.

Once again, Craig proves himself to be the best Bond since Connery, if not better. Taciturn, tough as nails, yet extremely vulnerable, Craig gives 007 even more depth and dimension than folks like Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan et al. ever could. We learn more about Bond's past, his shaky relationship with M, and his struggle with middle age and whether or not he's cut out for the life of a spy when he's so irreparably broken, both physically and emotionally.

The rest of the cast ranges from good to excellent, especially Javier Bardem as yet another sociopathic villain with a peculiar hairstyle (though it fails to top his Oscar-winning turn in No Country for Old Men). Though his Silva is no Auric Goldfinger by any means, it's an interesting spin the usual Bond villain archetype thanks in part to his deeply personal link to M and Bardem's wonderfully unbalanced and flamboyant performance. Dench once again nails her role as M, and it's refreshing to see Ralph Fiennes in a non-villain role for once.

The fight sequences are fantastic, thanks in large part to Roger Deakins' jaw-dropping cinematography, such as a nighttime fight with the combatants' silhouettes placed against the neon backdrop of Shanghai. Deakins captures such varied locations as rural Scotland and metropolitan London with striking vibrance and detail, and it's a brilliant complement to the already brilliant script, direction, and cast.

But, as hinted at earlier, the best part of Skyfall is the consistent vibe of Bond nostalgia, whether it's the one-liners and character quirks or the tricked-out cars and that wonderful surf-rock theme music cue that's been planted in the cultural consciousness for the last five decades. By sticking to its newfound 21st century tone while still respecting and even giving several shoutouts to what made the franchise great in the first place, Skyfall rectifies the missteps of the last entry and assures us all that no matter what era or what actor, James Bond is always here to stay.

Letter Grade: "A"

Review: "ARGO"

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Kerry Bishe, Tate Donovan
Directed by: Ben Affleck
Written by: Chris Terrio (based on the article "The Great Escape" by Joshuah Bearman and the book "The Master of Disguise" by Antonio Mendez)

I like Ben Affleck. Despite the enormous amount of mockery and parodying the man has taken over the years (some of it lighthearted, some of it scathing), I've always found him to be an incredibly talented actor and screenwriter. Of course, when you've been the lead star for craptacular blockbusters such as Pearl Harbor and Armageddon, atrocious bombs such as Gigli and Surviving Christmas, and one half of the unfortunate media frenzy known as "Bennifer", your positive and well-received accomplishments tend to be slightly overshadowed in the process.

And it's a shame, considering the fact that the man is a Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner with his BFF Matt Damon, a skilled comedic and dramatic actor, and a generous humanitarian. Of course, everyone makes mistakes, even movie stars; in this case, it was taking on paycheck roles in horrible movies and dating J. Lo. But even when Affleck was at his lowest, he took his failures in stride and jumpstarted a career resurrection, first with a terrific supporting role as George Reeves in the murder mystery Hollywoodland, and then adding a new role to his resume: Ben Affleck, Director.

Affleck surprised everyone with his solid freshman effort Gone Baby Gone in 2007, and followed it up in 2010 with the superb heist flick The Town. Now Mr. Affleck has pulled off the hat trick in his Eastwood-esque career renaissance with Argo, a tense, terrific docudrama that chronicles a relatively unknown government operation that took place during one of the most calamitous episodes in the history of American foreign relations.

Tehran, 1979. A revolution is in full swing after the U.S.-backed leader of Iran, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, is deposed and exiled by anti-American militants. The American embassy in Tehran is violently seized by the militants, with most of the diplomats and workers taken hostage, except for six who sneak out under the Iranians' noses: Joe and Kathy Stafford (Scoot McNairy and Kerry Bishe), Robert Anders (Tate Donovan), Mark and Cora Lijek (Christopher Denham and Clea DuVall), and Lee Schatz (Rory Cochrane). The six Americans secretly take refuge in the home of Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber), but are otherwise trapped in a country that wants them imprisoned or worse.

Despite the newly formed Islamic Republic of Iran being unaware of the six Americans' escape, the American State Department is frantically thinking of a means to extract them from the country. CIA supervisor Jack O'Donnell (Bryan Cranston) recruits specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to devise a plot to save the embassy workers. After several ideas fizzle out, Mendez watches Battle of the Planet of the Apes on television and is inspired with an idea that's so crazy that it just might work.

Mendez proposes that he poses as a Canadian film producer scouting locations in Iran for a low-budget science fiction film, and he would provide the embassy workers with fake credentials that would give them the identities of his fellow Canadian film crew members. Despite serious skepticism from the higher-ups, Mendez gets the go-ahead. Creating a fake movie studio with legendary producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) and makeup guru John Chambers (John Goodman), Mendez finds a discarded script for a sci-fi film called Argo, and sets out to Iran to save the American refugees.

As Iranian authorities become dangerously close to discovering the identities of the missing embassy workers, Mendez must race against time and ensure that his ruse succeeds in getting his fellow countrymen out of Iran alive.

Based on an actual joint operation between the American and Canadian governments that was declassified by President Clinton in 1997, Argo may seem like your everyday action caper, but is greatly enhanced by a strong script, taut direction by Affleck, and lean editing that's bolstered by a surprising level of humor that complements the dramatic tension.

It's a fascinating story-- albeit one that allegedly takes ample dramatic license with what actually happened, most notably the downplaying of the Canadian government's huge role in the operation's success-- but on its surface as a dramatic thriller, it's fabulous storytelling. Affleck gets better and better with each film he directs, with a specific focus on nailbiting tension and three-dimensional characters whose vulnerabilities balance easily with their strengths.

As Mendez, Affleck does a fine job conveying his character's disaffection with his career and the strain it's placed on his family life. Affleck takes up the bulk of the heavy acting load here, except for the wonderful Bryan Cranston (TV's "Breaking Bad") as Mendez' no-nonsense CIA superior, and the great Alan Arkin and John Goodman show up as Mendez' Hollywood contacts, serving as a welcome main source of Argo's comedy.

The film's aesthetic is late '70s cinema-grit to a "T", with dimly-lit cinematography and era-appropriate editing (and they even throw in the old-school 1970s Warner Brothers logo at the very beginning). The score by Alexandre Desplat is one of the best of the year, and the costuming and set direction are all spot-on.

The only major gripe I had with Argo was its sometimes uncomfortably one-sided depiction of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, with most if not all of the Iranian characters being portrayed as bloodthirsty and hostile. I understand the need for the film to have a "villain" present, and though it's true that a lot of Iranians were obviously a wee bit mercurial during that era, it's hard to find more than one non-Caucasian character in the film, apart from the Canadian ambassador's Iranian housekeeper, who's at least partially well-balanced in the head.

But apart from that and the previously mentioned issue regarding the overglorification of the CIA's role in the operation, Argo is an excellent example of not only a great American thriller, but also a testament to the talent of an actor-director whose comeback from the tabloid graveyard doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit.

Letter Grade: "A-"