This Week In Home Entertainment: Ralph Breaks The Internet and The Little Mermaid

Wreck it Ralph was a great movie that balanced finely tuned nostalgia elements with a down-to-Earth and heartwarming storyline. Given its success, a sequel was all but a given. Ralph Breaks the Internet picks up with Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) living the simple life of arcade game characters and best friends. Ralph is ecstatic that his life is finally exactly how he’s always wished for it to be but his partner in everything, Vanellope is dissatisfied with the routine. In fact, (Princess) Vanellope’s so bored she’s falling asleep at the wheel during gameplay. Just when monotony really sets in, a new item gets plugged in…WiFi. But the game character power’s that be

This time around, when Ralph steps in to give Vanellope what she wants, disaster strikes. And that’s where things get interesting because they’ll have to break the rules and travel to the internet to save Vanellope’s game from the salvage yard.

The Verdict: This time around watching Ralph and Vanellope on their latest adventure is a kid’s adventure through and through. Ralph Breaks the Internet is a story about coming into your own, moving beyond what you know and refusing to settle for good enough. While the main storyline has all the highs and lows of animated fun moving beyond the world in the arcade meant moving away from the core nostalgia elements that made the first film so ironic and engaging. The product placement heavy internet leans on big picture icon identification. That means fewer moments of deeper connection between the audience and the characters. A few standout moments, like seeing the Disney Princesses in action (the changes away from their canon facial features and look may be distressing more than comforting for some ahem please learn how to draw natural hair for a Black person) displays the tongue-in-cheek nostalgia crucial to the original.

If you missed Ralph Breaks the Internet in the theaters or just want to see where Ralph and Vanellope end up after their dreams for “the perfect life” take them on separate paths, This is a Blu-ray worth a buy. Not to mention all the great extras that show the magic behind the scenes.

Grade: B-

Bonus Features:

• How We Broke the Internet –Go behind the scenes at Walt Disney Animation Studios to get an in-depth look at how the filmmakers brought a world to life that billions of people visit every day but never actually see – the internet. Take a front-row seat as the team reveals the inspirations for the story and what it took to bring it to the screen. Discover all that went into developing the characters of the film including netizens like KnowsMore as well as characters like Double Dan. See the lengths the team took to create the car chase scenes in Slaughter Race and much, much more.
• Surfing for Easter Eggs – Surf the web for the near-countless Easter Eggs, inside jokes and references hidden throughout the movie.
• The Music of Ralph Breaks the Internet – Take a look at the music of Ralph Breaks the Internet with appearances by Imagine Dragons, Julia Michaels, Alan Menken, Sarah Silverman and more.
• Deleted Scenes – Five deleted scenes with intros from directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston. Scenes include Into the Internet, Opposites, Domestic Hell, Bubble of One & Recruiting “Grandma.”
• BuzzzTube Cats – Many videos were created by the animators to fill the screens of the Internet world…and lots of them are of cats! Check out the BuzzzTube to watch this hilarious cat compilation.
• Music Videos – “Zero” by Imagine Dragons and “In This Place” by Julia Michaels.

Digital Exclusive:

• Baby Drivers – Slaughter Racing School – Take a spin behind the wheel with the artists behind Ralph Breaks the Internet as they go to race car driving school.

DVD: Music Videos – “Zero” by Imagine Dragons and “In This Place” by Julia Michaels.

It’s been 30 years since Dinsey first took us under the sea to meet Ariel and her friends. A rewatch will spark nothing but joy and have you singing along to the films’ iconic songs and hoping against hope Ariel is suddenly smart enough to avoid making that deal with Ursala (alright maybe that’s just cynical old me).

The Verdict: The 30th Anniversary Edition of The Little Mermaid is jam-packed full of goodies that make bring it home for your collection and must buy…and not just because I’m a sucker for a happy ending that includes the Disney Princess learning that she’ was always enough.

The Little Mermaid is the seventh film in the Signature series and will just as great in home theaters as it did the first time around on the big screen (for some who went fancy on the home system mayhap even better).

Ariel’s adventure has always been one to capture adults and kids alike and my re-watch was no different this time around. Except now you’ll have brand new bonus materials to add into the mix.

Grade: A

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL

• Sing-Along Mode – Sing along to the movie in this sing-along version of the film.
• Alan Menken & the Leading Ladies Song – From the voice of a mermaid to the tunes of a muse, the music of Alan Menken has scored the soundtrack for some of Disney’s most iconic leading ladies. Join Alan, Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O’Hara (Belle), Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas Singing Voice), Lillias White (Calliope) and Donna Murphy (Mother Gothel)as we celebrate the music of their films in honor of the one that started it all … “The Little Mermaid.”  In this discussion, the ladies will share their memories of musically creating their characters with Alan, discuss what it means to be part of the Disney Princess/leading lady legacy and create new memories as they sing with Alan around a baby grand piano.
• “What I Want From You…Is YOUR VOICE” – Enter the recording studio and get an inside look at the cast of “The Little Mermaid” in their original recording sessions.
• Stories From Walt’s Office – Gadgets & Gizmos – Like Ariel, Walt Disney was a collector of many different things from miniatures to early mechanical characters that inspired the invention of audio-animatronics. We take a look at some of the collections that Walt kept in his office in the third episode of this series.
• #TreasuresUntold – Join Ruby Rose Turner and Olivia Sanabia from the Disney Channel Original Series “Coop and Cami Ask the World” as they take a deep dive to explore some hidden treasures and fun facts about Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”
• DCapella “Part of Your World” Music Video
• Classic Bonus Features – revisit four exciting bonus features from previous releases including:
  • Deleted Character: Harold The Merman
  • Under The Scene: The Art Of Live Action Reference
  • Howard’s Lecture
  • Audio Commentary With Ron Clements, John Musker, and Alan Menken

DIGITAL EXCLUSIVES

• “Part of Your World” – A 30-Year Retrospective – Songwriter Alan Menken and Jodi Benson, the acting and singing voice of Ariel, sing the epitome of Disney “I Want” songs “Part of Your World” and discuss its impact since it was first heard 30 years ago.
• Classic Bonus Features – Over 3 additional hours of previously released classic bonus features including Deleted Scenes, Easter Eggs, Music Videos and more!