Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

I liked Wreck-It Ralph so much that I was almost disappointed to learn of a sequel -- because it might negate my fanfic in the works! Nevertheless, I understood why not everyone thought highly of W-IR. The complaints I've read mostly trace to the same problem: the difficulty of making a family movie about video games. Disney sought to appeal to children, adults, boys, girls, old-school gamers, new-school gamers, and non-gamers. This meant dilution, so some viewers wanted more pandering to their demographic than they got. Thus, I was not surprised that the sequel chose a new titular focus that promised to be more universally relatable, and I was only marginally surprised that both my parents came with me.

Six years after the events of W-IR, Ralph (John C. Reilly), hulking designated villain of early-'80s game Fix-It Felix Jr.; and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), a player character from relatively modern kiddie racing sim Sugar Rush, maintain a sibling-like close friendship, hanging out together when the arcade's closed for the night. (Apparently, her inability to leave her game has been fixed, even if she still glitches.) When Sugar Rush has a hardware malfunction, all its characters must look for new lodgings and vocations. Ralph and Vanellope hope to save the game (NPI) from a permanent shutdown by entering the Internet and buying a replacement part on eBay. Of course, they need to raise money online fast, whether by gaming or making viral videos. Amid this strain, friendship also gets strained. And as the title implies, Ralph's tendency to wreck things whether he wants to or not still causes trouble.

Inside Out (2015)

From an early trailer, as glad as I was to see that Pixar had skipped a year in order to return to creativity, I had my doubts. Main characters based on emotions? I mean, Happy the dwarf wasn't happy at Snow White's funeral, but wouldn't Joy have to be joyful at all times? How can you build a plot around anyone so static and one-dimensional?

Well, they're not exactly like that, but I did surmise one thing correctly: how I would feel about each, um, feeling. Joy (Amy Poehler) makes an easy choice for a favorite, yet Sadness (Phyllis Smith) is about equally cute in a different way. Likable jerk Anger (Lewis Black) is probably the funniest, tho Fear (Bill Hader) might gain more traction with children. In fairness to Mindy Kaling, it's almost impossible to make much to enjoy out of Disgust, but at least she doesn't drag down the movie.