“Wreck-It Ralph” is a heartwarming movie for all ages. With the vocal talents of John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, Jack McBrayer as Felix, Jane Lynch as Calhoun, and Alan Tudyk as King Candy, this movie proves itself to be funny for both kids and adults. “Wreck-It Ralph” teaches kids valuable life lessons about challenging labels like “good” and “bad” while showing that each person is their own biggest judge.

“Wreck-It Ralph” was a beautifully animated movie that creatively portrayed how life might be in an arcade after the kids have gone home. Once the arcade is closed, the characters can game jump and visit one another by going through their cable chords into Grand Central Station (the power strip). In Grand Central Station, they even have security as Surge Protectors to prevent items from one game going into another, which is comically shown when Ralph tries to take the cherries from Packman back into his game. There is a Bad Guys Anonymous meeting in Packman led by Clyde, the blue ghost of Packman, where the “bad guys” get support from each other since everyone else hates them. The games themselves range from the older classics like Sonic to the newer games like the HD Hero’s Duty, which creates a very diverse gaming spectrum.

“Wreck-It Ralph” follows “bad guy” Ralph through his journey of trying to be a hero. Ralph is unappreciated and unloved within his own game, Fix-It Felix Jr., so he decides to show everyone he is a hero by winning a medal like Felix does all the time. Ralph game jumps into a first-person shooter game called Hero’s Duty to win a hero medal, but he accidentally unleashes a bug (a literal virus) into a candy-coated car racing game called Sugar Rush. In Sugar Rush, he meets Vanellope, a troublemaking “glitch,” who steals his medal so she can finally race in Sugar Rush. While grudgingly becoming friends with Vanellope, Fix-It Felix has teamed up with Calhoun from Hero’s Duty to track down Ralph before their Fix-It Felix Jr. game gets turned off and the bug/virus multiplies in Sugar Rush. The movie has some surprising twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

“Wreck-It Ralph” has talented comedians as the main characters, brilliant graphics, creativity using the arcade as the setting, and relatable insecurities that the characters go through. However, the time line of the movie was a big drawback, in my opinion, because it all took place within one day. Ralph went on many adventures in that one day, which I feel made the storyline implausible; if the movie took place over a longer period of time would have been much more realistic.

The way the characters met and interacted also struck me as unrealistic; what are the chances that the first person Ralph meets in Sugar Rush ends up being his best friend?  And what are the chances that the first woman Fix-It Felix meets outside of his game he falls in love with?  However, these minor drawbacks do not detract completely from the brilliance of the overall message the movie shows. While challenging preconceptions of “good” and “bad,” the movie also clearly showcases the importance of true friends and appreciating those around you, which makes this a real treat for everyone.

Rating: 4/5

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“Hotel Transylvania” is a hilarious must-see movie from start to finish. With an all star cast consisting of Adam Sandler as Dracula, Andy Samberg as Jonathan, Selena Gomez as Mavis, Kevin James as Frankenstein, Steve Buscemi as Wayne the werewolf, David Spade as Griffin the Invisible Man, and CeeLo Green as Murray the mummy, the movie is an absolute treat for all ages.

Mild Spoilers Ahead!

The movie defies “monster” expectations by having humans be the villains and the “monsters” be the victims. The story revolves around Count Dracula building a hotel to be a safe haven for monsters (and his infant daughter, Mavis) in 1895. Dracula’s wife was killed by humans, so he is adamant that nothing will happen to their precious daughter.

The movie jumps forward to the present and is now Mavis’s 118^th birthday. Despite her age, Mavis is, for all intents and purposes, a teenager. As typical teenagers who have overprotective parents, Mavis is eager to explore the outside world, particularly the human world. After Dracula allows her to go to the nearby village, which he has constructed and filled with zombies impersonating humans, Mavis decides that humans are terrible and she never wants to leave the safety of the hotel again. Dracula is now content with the knowledge that humans will never harm Mavis…or at least he is until a human named Jonathan stumbles into the hotel.

Jonathan is the typical young backpacker who wants to see the world while living out of his backpack. He is spontaneous and carefree, which instantly attracts Mavis, who is unaware he is a human. Dracula disguises Jonathan as a monster so his hotel’s reputation will not be harmed by the fact that a human was able to invade their territory. Jonathan takes the monsters on a wild ride to rediscovering the concept of fun and freedom, and ultimately challenges every misconception they have about humans.

Perhaps what makes this movie so great, besides the all-star cast, is the believable and relatable storyline of a father trying to protect his daughter because he loves her so much, while the daughter wants nothing more than to be free. The movie clearly portrays what a parent will do for their child in the name of love, and it shows the sometimes painful side of letting your child make their own mistakes. The movie also challenges against making judgments about others who you do not understand, which is a very important lesson for kids to learn.

“Hotel Transylvania” is a heartwarming, hilarious story that instills important life lessons into kids, which makes this movie an absolute must-see.

Rating: 4.5/5

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His accent and voice have made him a distinct asset in voice-work. He has narrated stories and provided the voice for a number of animated films. The next animated feature will be Brave next year, for Pixar. Two other films, Quartet and Glide, will feature Billy Connolly.

There are times when the mere mention of someone’s name is enough to provoke a smile. It might be a smile of warmth, familiarity or humour, it might be associations with events or stories about or from the person. Billy Connolly is someone who can conjure that smile with all those associations.

Certain people, arguably more conservative, will not smile: they might wince. Mr. Connolly’s style is often crude and coarse. Most must agree that he is talented, whether or not they can suffer his colourful language. The point that bears consideration here is this: for all the use of a few standard vulgarities, his humour is not entirely vulgar.

He is a story-teller, and his stories are very funny indeed. His use of swear-words might be unnecessary, even extravagant, but they make many laugh. But it is not for the sake of shock, nor is it to distinguish: the majority of stand-up comedians use vulgarity: it seems a natural and possibly common-folk way of relating absurdities.

And when delivered in a strong Scottish accent, these words can sound a wee bit funnier. Especially outside Glasgow. Billy Connolly is famous for his long career as a comedian. His stand-up comedy has earned him the respect of his peers and legions of fans. He tops lists of the best comedians of all-time. He is also an esteemed actor and musician.

Mr. Connolly was initially a welder, but became a folk-singer, writing his own songs, and then, a comedian and a writer. He has appeared in scores of TV series, many films, and has done much voice-work. In most cases, his characters are sympathetic, even cuddly, much like the man himself.

Whether a kind relative, in Lemony Skicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) or a sympathetic zombie, in Fido (2006) — in which he did not say a word — and notably, as Queen Victoria’s friend, in his film breakthrough, Mrs. Brown (1997), there is something gentle and amiable in his characters.

In his own character, these traits come across in interviews and appearances where he is presenting more than acting. His travels around Canada’s north, in Billy Connolly: Journey to the Edge of the World (2009) presented him as a humble, friendly, adventurous and compassionate man.

Perhaps, therefore, the most surprising element of his comedy is the paradox that this gentle and friendly man should be so angry. Much of Mr. Connolly’s humour is based on frustration at kinds of people or situations, many of which are familiar to the audience. But, here again, although the swearing might be in frustration, it is not uttered violently, more in bewilderment.

The audience truly feels the same frustrations and confusion, and understands the exasperation in the language. And that accent, along with the twinkle in his eye, makes it all feel like a fire-side chat.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/dpapworth/

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