“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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The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact are pleased to announce the addition of Golden Globe-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt to the cast of the West Coast premiere reading of the play ”8.”

The reading is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

AFER and Broadway Impact are also pleased to announce that the performance will be streamed live on YouTube, beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST.  A pre-show will begin on YouTube at 7:30 p.m. PST. Rob Reiner, director of Saturday’s performance, recorded a video explaining the reading of the play and inviting people to watch the live stream.  The live stream of the West Coast premiere reading of ”8″ and Rob Reiner’s video can both be viewed at www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights.

“At long last each and every American will be able to see for themselves what happens when prejudice and fear are put on trial in a court of law,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. ”For over two years, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 have fought tooth and nail to hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people.

But on Saturday night, thanks to YouTube and our incredible cast, people across the nation, from Los Angeles to Little Rock to Baltimore, will get to watch as our Constitution’s promise of liberty and equality for all is protected.”

Written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black and directed by acclaimed actor and director and AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner , ”8″ will have its West Coast premiere reading on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.  Bryan Singer , acclaimed director of The Usual Suspects and X-Men, is Saturday night’s presenting sponsor.  The benefit event will support the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based ”8″ on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

Brad Pitt will star as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional after presiding over the historic twelve-day public trial.

Pitt joins an all-star cast led by Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nomineeGeorge Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the renowned attorneys who notably faced-off in Bush v. Gore.

Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Christine Lahti and Golden Globe Award-winner Jamie Lee Curtis will star as plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, a lesbian couple together for eleven years and the parents of four boys.  Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-nominee Matthew Morrison and acclaimed White Collar television star Matt Bomer will play plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, a gay couple together over ten years.

Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Kevin Bacon will play Charles J. Cooper, the lead attorney for the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8.  Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Jane Lynch will star as prominent opponent of marriage equality Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and former chairman of the National Organization for Marriage.  Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominee John C. Reilly will play David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values.

Additional roles will be played by Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown; Golden Globe Award-winner, SAG and Emmy Award-nominee Chris Colfer ; Emmy Award-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson ; prominent gay rights activist Cleve Jones ; Tony Award-nominee Rory O’Malley; acclaimed Star Trek television and film star George Takei; Emmy Award-winner Yeardley Smith ; and Vanessa Garcia, Jansen Panatierre, James Pickens, Jr. and Bridger Zadina .

The Los Angeles reading of ”8″ comes just weeks after a landmark decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

The story for ”8″ is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides.  Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments from trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black.  ”I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’

The goal of ’8′ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on.  The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light.  We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

“Because this case involves the constitutional rights of millions of people, it is especially important for the public to see what happened during the trial,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “Both sides had an equal opportunity and ample resources to assemble their strongest teams and put forth their absolute best arguments in an impartial setting. Viewed side-by-side there is simply no question that there was only one decision the court could have reached.

The moment we knew the trial would not be publicly broadcast we immediately began planning to find a way to show the world what happened in this historic case. This play and our partnership with YouTube and Broadway Impact allow us to do exactly that.”

“8″ had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere reading on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City.  The benefit brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8″ for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur dialogue, understanding and action.  Most performances will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

“I was lucky enough to watch the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco,” said Broadway Impact co-founder Rory O’Malley (Tony Award-nominee for The Book of Mormon).  ”We knew then and there that audiences needed to see and hear this story live, as we had done.

’8′ builds on a successful tradition of documentary theatre—plays like The Laramie Project and The Vagina Monologues, which inspire us with their combination of art and activism. We are thrilled to partner with AFER to bring this story to a national audience.”

VISIT THE OFFICIAL “8″ WEBSITE HERE: www.8theplay.com

WATCH SATURDAY’S PERFORMANCE LIVE HERE AT 7:45 P.M. PST: www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights

Image Courtesy of   cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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Let’s face selling insurance may be one of the most boring jobs ever. But Cedar Rapids proves that going to an insurance convention in Iowa may be the most fun a person has ever had in their life. Tim Lippe, played by Ed Helms, was born and breed in Brown Valley, Wisconsin. He spends his days selling insurance to all of the people in his town. He is not the star seller but does a pretty darn good job.  Whether star seller does, Lippe must be the one to fill in for him at the annual convention held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Little does he know, that this one trip will change his life for the good, the bad and the necessary.

Ed Helms, known mainly for his role in The Hangover, delivers a very funny performance in this movie. His character has never really been anywhere in his entire life. When he comes to Cedar Rapids he’s surprised at what is out there. Helms did a brilliant job of played that clueless out-of-towner.

Lippe is guided by three regulars to these conventions. The first one he meets is his roommate Ronald Wilkes, portrayed by Isaiah Whitlock, Jr., who is the first African-American he has ever met and the first friend he meets there. Whitlock’s performance was hilarious and very unexpected because most of his roles are supporting and not very-well noticed. Let’s hope we can see him in more roles like this.

Then there is the rival insurance salesman, Dean Ziegler played by John C. Reilly, who Lippe was given specific instructions to stay away from at the convention. Ziegler is nothing but trouble but shows Lippe how to loosen up. Reilly’s portrayal of this foul-mouthed, alcoholic is really nice to see after all of those Will Ferrell movies he had been doing for so long. Reilly’s outgoingness made this movie even more enjoyable.

Finally, there is Joan Ostrowski-Fox, played by Anne Heche. Not one of my favorite people, but her performance was really important because she brought out a new side of Tim Lippe that he never thought could be released. The film also has a great supporting cast including Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Root, Kurtwood Smith and Alia Shawkat. Since, this was an independent-type film the cast fit very well for the type of film that was given to them.

The film’s director Miguel Arteta, who previously did the Michael Cera comedy Youth in Revolt, showed his comedy range with this movie. Doing a teen comedy is funny but doing an adult comedy and making it much funnier than a teen comedy sure does say a lot about a director. He brought a new style to this genre by adding some real awkward scenes. One of which involves male back nudity. Now, while I’m sure it was not necessary this type of nudity is all for comedy and certainly made the scene memorable.

The film in itself is not very long, less than 90 minutes; while very short we are taken on this unbelievable journey. Helms at the beginning, is this sheltered, small-minded insurance salesman and at the end he is this ballsy, intelligent business man. It’s quite amazing to see how a character can develop in such a short amount of time. It’s is form the same studio who brought such comedies at Little Miss Sunshine and Juno, so expect that type of comedy.  It’s that humor that can be a bit awkward at first but heart-warming at the end. That is what happens on this short trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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