Wreck It Ralph may Ruin Your Kids

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We are always excited when new Disney movie comes out, but you might want to wait just a little longer before seeing Wreck It Ralph because it may ruin your kids.

I should have known something was up when I was surrounded by more twenty-something year old males than I was by young families like ours. And sure enough, the movie did not disappoint if you were a video game fanatic with a special affinity for the classics such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong.

While I’m normally proud of Disney for having a level of wit that not only appeals to kids but also makes parents laugh, this movie was filled with suggestions, innuendos, and inside jokes that were not only over the kids’ heads, but were thrown at us so quickly that they seemed to be inserted there simply for the sake of being there, instead of being thoughtfully integrated into the storyline.

Sure I chuckled when I saw the Oreos guarding the castle singing “O – RE – O…Ohhhhhh-O” (Reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz) or the two donut castle guards aptly named Duncan and Winchell.

But what stood out more for me was the darker themes, the name throwing, and the fact that it took so long to get to the redeeming message at the end.

Even more disturbing was that I could fill my two hands with the number of times my six-year-old son had to lean over to me and say “mommy I don’t like this, I’m scared.” Not a typical experience for a Disney animated film.

Now I’m not saying that every movie has to be filled with sunshine, gumdrops and singing sparrows, but I certainly hold Disney films to a higher standard than this one that they have set with Wreck It Ralph.

While I believe the four main characters who lend their voice talents to the film are fine comedians in their own right, I think they may have placed a little too much of their own humor into the characters and thus taken away from the childlike innocence of what the film should have been about. Maybe Disney intended to go after an older audience with this one, but I wish I had known that before going into the theater.

So if you’re the parent of a child under 12, I would definitely stop and think before seeing Wreck It Ralph in the theater, especially if you don’t want them coming away with a load of catchphrases that you might not find optimal in your family. To be honest, I was much more impressed with the DVD release last month of Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings, then I was at this highly anticipated theatrical release.

If you want a sneak peak, you can check out this clip:

The one redeeming feature for me (other than King Candy, who reminded me of an Ed Wynn parody from Mary Poppins fame) was the short film, “Paperman”, that aired before the film. Disney still has an amazing way of captivating me without ever having to use words. I’m not saying to go see Wreck It Ralph just for this feature, but it did make me smile 😉

What about you, do you still plan on going to see “Wreck It Ralph” with your kids?