Ralph Breaks the Internet was an unexpectedly refreshing sequel with a brilliant viral ad campaign. But audiences were surprised to find that it tells a story not often featured in family films, animated or otherwise. Now you can bring it home with Blu-Ray, 4K, and digital releases.
Vanellope has grown tired of the three tracks in her Sugar Rush game, but when Ralph tries to build a new track, the game accidentally breaks. When the arcade is connected to wi-fi, Ralph and Vanellope decide to venture into the Internet to find eBay and get the broken part. But once there, they find a world with so many options that they may discover things about themselves that will change their friendship forever.
One of the most hilarious moments for Disney fans comes from a sequence where Ralph and Vanellope visit OhMyDisney.com. In addition to having fun with all of Disney’s brands, Vanellope comes face to face with some of her fellow Disney Princesses. Best of all, what seems like a short joke ends up paying off when Vanellope finds herself having her version of a Disney Princess story arch.
Another fun surprise is a new musical number by Alan Menken, giving Vanellope her own twist on a Disney Princess “I Want” song. There are plenty of other jokes, including bringing the world of TRON into Ralph’s arcade, but it’s a surprisingly heartwarming film, just like Wreck-It Ralph. It also takes a closer look at Internet culture and how much value is placed on empty likes.
This review covers the Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital HD Multi-Screen Edition. Fans can also pick it up in 4K, which includes all of the bonus features in this review plus an ultra-high-def experience. A word of advice: Stay through the credits.
Bonus Features
- Surfing for Easter Eggs (3:38) – There are a ton of easter eggs in the film and this bonus feature points out a few that you might have missed.
- The Music of Ralph Breaks the Internet (10:18) – The Henry Jackman score and Alan Menken songs are explored in this behind-the-scenes look at the music from the film, including the pop songs by Imagine Dragons and Julia Michaels.
- BuzzzTube Cats (1:48) – A series of animation tests involving recreations of cat videos is presented in a short reel.
- How We Broke The Internet (32:00) – The creative team explains how they created their version of the Internet and the characters within it through 10 featurettes.
- Introduction (1:40)
- Netizens, Net Users (3:01)
- KnowsMore (2:30)
- eBay (1:10)
- Older Net (1:26)
- Slaughter Race (4:47)
- BuzzzTube (3:48)
- ohmydisney.com (3:15)
- Ralphzilla (4:10)
- The Goodbye (2:58)
- Deleted Scenes – Five deleted scenes are offered in a mix of storyboards and animation, with introductions from Directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston.
- Into the Internet (4:56) – In an earlier version of the story, Ralph was hesitant to go to the Internet while Vanellope was excited.
- Opposites (3:19) – Ralph and Vanellope become memes that keep them apart.
- Domestic Hell (2:46) – Felix and Calhoun have a hard time raising the Sugar Rush racers.
- Bubble of One (5:57) – From a previous version of the story, Ralph becomes absorbed with his fame and begins to miss Vanellope.
- Recruiting Grandma (2:09) – A grandma accidentally gets caught up playing in the world of Slaughter Race.
- Music Videos
- “Zero” by Imagines Dragons (3:51) – The band plays games in an arcade and sings the song with changing head sizes.
- “In This Place” by Julia Michaels (3:24) – The world of Slaughter Race is brought to life in this racing inspired music video.
Digital Exclusives
- Baby Drivers – Slaughter Racing School (2:14) – Eleven Disney artists get behind the wheel of a race car to learn how to animate realistic racers like Shank.
- Character Gallery – An art gallery of character poses.
- Trivia Challenge – A 22-question trivia quiz with short video clips.
Video
The Blu-Ray presentation looks spectacular. Bright colors and dark moments are handled well, with no visible glitches or pixelation (other than the intended ones relevant to the plot). There are so many details in the film and you can see them all rendered with care on this disc.
Audio
The 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix immerses you in the center of the action. A great demo sequence is Ralph’s arrival at OhMyDisney where ships from Star Wars fly from the rear of the theater to the front while other iconic sound effects from Disney brands can be heard from their respective corners. Other audio options include a 2.0 descriptive audio mix, plush French and Spanish 5.1.
Packaging & Design
Ralph Breaks the Internet is housed in a standard Blu-Ray case. The initial pressing comes with a foil embossed slipcover and inserts include a digital copy/Disney Movie Rewards code and a flier for Disney Movie Club.
The main menu features a computer monitor with the KnowsMore search enginge revealing characters from the film. The disc opens with ads for Toy Story 4, Aladdin, and Dumbo.
Final Thoughts
Ralph Breaks the Internet takes the characters and spirit of Wreck-It Ralph and creates something new and different. It’s funny, but also heartfelt and unique, telling a story that feels fresh and untold in the animated medium. Now you can watch it over and over and hunt for all the hidden easter eggs anytime with the Blu-Ray, 4K, and Digital release.