I'm Gonna Wreck It!

Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!

Happy Guy Fawkes Day everybody! If you don't know what that is, you are either not a history buff or you haven't watched the movie V for Vendetta (which is an excellent film by the way). Regardless, I hope that this Monday has treated you all well.

Not too much has transpired since my last blog entry to be perfectly honest, but I felt inspired to update it anyway so we'll see where this goes.

Easily the most exciting and important (in terms of a soul uplifting treat) thing that's happened since you last heard from me is that Skye and I went to see the Disney animated production Wreck-It Ralph on opening night last Friday, and it was awesome! A very brief summary for those who are uninformed on what the movie is about: Ralph is the bad guy from the DK Arcade-styled game 'Fix-It Felix Jr.', where he has for thirty years used his massive fists to wreck the apartment complex of the Nicelanders, a group of NPCs (non-playable characters) that always ask Felix Jr. for help. When the player 'wins' the game, Ralph is thrown off the top of the building to land in the mud. When the arcade that houses their cabinet closes up for the day, that's when the movie truly comes to life, as it shows us what our favourite video game characters do behind-the-scenes when they're not on the screen. Turns out that Ralph doesn't get treated very well for his bad guy status and doesn't want to be the villain any more. One of the Nicelanders coyly verbalizes what seems to be an impossibility: perhaps if Ralph could win a gold medal, it would prove that he is more than the sum of his parts, and they would give him the time of day.

Inspired, Ralph starts game-hopping to find a game where he can win a gold medal.

There's obviously a lot more to it than that, but I don't really want to spoil anything and I kind of suck at describing it anyway.

Wreck-It Ralph is a treat to watch, with an explosive voice cast (John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, Jack McBrayer as Felix, and Jane Lynch as Calhoun) and countless video game references and cameos. Sonic the Hedgehog and Bowser are even in there, for heaven's sake! It's the best video game movie ever made, period. It stays true to the material it is inspired from (encompassing the 8-bit era to the present) and you really can't ask for anything more. From the inclusion of the Konami code to this gem with Sergeant Calhoun ("She can't help it; she's programmed to have the most tragic back-story ever."); Wreck-It Ralph is a triumph and I highly recommend it to anyone who had positive experiences with games or even if you haven't, the movie holds up very well on its own merit. I've never seen a movie that has inspired me to want to watch it a second time in theatres, but I've finally discovered one that has.

Calhoun/Lynch demands that you go see the movie. SEE IT NOW!

So much love for that movie. I proudly wore my mushroom/NES controller shirt that night. Best day off ever!

Okay, so maybe Wreck-It Ralph is the only thing that's really happened since I last posted. All of the other days have gone something like this: Sleep, Work, Plop on Bed, Neglect to Move for Rest of Day, Sleep... Rinse and Repeat. I really need to get back in the flow of writing Red Rogues again, but right now my brain feels fried. My brain's computing capacity isn't too significant at the moment. :(

Well, I guess I'll end it off here; no point in delaying the inevitable...

PAPER MARIO: STICKER STAR IN SIX DAYS! 007: SKYFALL IN FOUR!