Walt Disney's Animated Epic Adventure "Frozen" in Cinemas 2013

Walt Disney Animation Studios presents an epic tale of adventure and comedy in “Frozen,” a computer-animated feature film slated for the big screen on November 27, 2013.

Directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) & Jennifer Lee (screenwriter of “Wreck-It Ralph”) and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”), “Frozen” features the vocal talents of film/TV/stage star Kristen Bell as Anna, a young dreamer about to take the adventure of a lifetime, and Tony Award ®-winning actress Idina Menzel as Elsa the Snow Queen. The movie will feature original songs by Broadway greats Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

In “Frozen,” a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, so Anna (voice of Bell) must team up with Kristoff, a daring mountain man, on the grandest of journeys to find the Snow Queen (voice of Menzel) and put an end to the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like extremes, mystical creatures and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

Bell has starred in a variety of films, including the comedies “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Couples Retreat,” and the upcoming films “Hit & Run,” “Some Girls” and the Farrelly Brothers’ “Movie 43.” On the small screen, Bell is currently starring in the Showtime series “House of Lies” alongside Don Cheadle; she has also starred in “Heroes” and “Veronica Mars.” Broadway credits include “The Crucible” and “Tom Sawyer.”

Menzel, who won a Tony Award® as Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Elphaba in Broadway’s “Wicked” (2004), landed her first role on Broadway in 1995 in the Tony Award-winning musical “Rent.” Film credits include “Enchanted” and the feature film “Rent.” She has appeared in a recurring role on TV’s “Glee” and recently released “Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony,” a live concert with an orchestra led by composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch. Menzel is currently on a North American concert tour.

Robert Lopez is a three-time Tony Award®-winning writer of the Tony and Grammy® Award-winning musical “The Book of Mormon,” which was co-written with Trey Parker and Matt Stone (“South Park”), and the musical “Avenue Q,” which ran for six years on Broadway and four years in London’s West End. Lopez teamed with wife Anderson-Lopez, whose Drama Desk-winning show “In Transit” is Broadway-bound, to write original songs for 2011’s “Winnie the Pooh,” a stage version of “Finding Nemo” and a new musical called “Up Here.”

Lee's screen adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights” is being produced by Troika Pictures. She has an original screenplay in development with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way, and her original script “Lucid Dreams” was optioned by Wolfgang Peterson's Radiant Productions. Lee holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University and a BA in English from the University of New Hampshire.

Buck directed (with Kevin Lima) Disney’s 1999 high-swinging feature “Tarzan,” which won an Oscar® and a Golden Globe® for Best Music/Original Song (Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be in My Heart”). He directed (with Ash Brannon) 2007’s Oscar-nominated “Surf’s Up” for Sony Pictures Animation. His credits within animation also include 1989’s “The Little Mermaid,” “The Rescuers Down Under” (1990) and “Pocahontas” (1995).

Glee's Jane Lynch is Sgt. Calhoun in "Wreck-it Ralph"

Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Jane Lynch (“Glee”) lends her voice to Sergeant Tamora Calhoun, the woman who runs the platoon of soldiers in the popular game Hero’s Duty, in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 3D adventure comedy “Wreck-It Ralph.”

In the sci-fi battle zone of Hero’s Duty, Sergeant Calhoun is more than just a pretty face—she is the tough-as-nails, take-charge leader who fights for humanity’s freedom. When she’s not offering in-game intel, she’s training her troops for the next attack wave. This unrelenting commander is driven by a personal vendetta and will stop at nothing to protect the player and the arcade from a virulent Cy-Bug invasion.

Wreck-it Ralph Movie Review - 8 Bit Glory and Homage

Movie review for Walt Disney's "Wreck-it Ralph" featuring the voices of John C. Reilly as Wreck-it Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, Jane Lynch as Sgt. Calhoun.

Wreck-It Ralph (voice of Reilly) longs to be as beloved as his game's perfect Good Guy, Fix-It Felix (voice of McBrayer). Problem is, nobody loves a Bad Guy. But they do love heroes... so when a modern, first-person shooter game arrives featuring tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Lynch), Ralph sees it as his ticket to heroism and happiness. He sneaks into the game with a simple plan -- win a medal -- but soon wrecks everything, and accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens every game in the arcade. Ralph's only hope? Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Silverman), a young troublemaking "glitch" from a candy-coated cart racing game who might just be the one to teach Ralph what it means to be a Good Guy. But will he realize he is good enough to become a hero before it's "Game Over" for the entire arcade?

So now that you've been formally introduced here's what I think about the game err I mean the movie.

Wreck-it Ralph is to video games what Shrek was to fairy tales and literature. It's filled with all sorts of easter eggs and video game references and pixels and 8 bit goodies that people who know their classic video games would be pleased as punch to see the film. It's the same level as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" for the early 20th Century animation in the sense that it collects everything and places important figures together.

John C. Reilly steps up as the main character which is pretty cool in a way because they're giving the guy a break from all the supporting stuff he's done in the past (most recently in "The Dictator" where he played the torture guy). I liked Reilly's voice for the film and it adds more heart, especially during the crucial times where Ralph goes for a good moment.

Like Reilly, Jane Lynch's voice is very distinct and you'd already attach the voice to the face if this were the first time that you've seen the trailer. Another great thing about this role is that she gets to be a bit girly in some parts which can make for some interesting change in tone of voice.

If anything, I'd say that "Wreck-it Ralph" was Disney's own way of paying respects to the whole video game industry. You may argue why Mario is not present there (which is described in this article HERE). Here's a breakdown of my other gripes and raves for the movie:

Good

• Colorful and lush, gotta catch it in 3D for those additional effects that work well for 3D. Although the flick is enjoyable without 3D, whatever floats your boat. 
• The Sugar Rush/ Third act is extremely cute and very reminiscent of "Mario Kart". 
• The theme of discovering yourself and "being yourself" gets explored in more than one way here in this movie. 
• The retro feel and vibe is very interesting and makes you want to grab the nearest arcade joystick or console game controller. There are lots of great looking games which will definitely stick out of your mind once you see them. 
• Tons of character references and easter eggs including that classic exclamation point in Konami's Metal Gear Solid series...

• AKB48 is part of the soundtrack. The Japanese girl group sings "Sugar Rush" which also happens to the theme song for the Sugar Rush game where Ralph and the Cybug gets thrown in. 
• Some neat flashbacks in this film builds such a nice tone for the character. Sgt. Calhoun's origin for example provides a pretty good story as to why she's so hardcore and intense while Ralph's origin will make you feel sorry for the guy and give you a good reason to understand why Ralph wants to go and live a different life. 
• The opening and the closing bits for Ralph is pretty neat with the titular character accepting who he is and what his role in the general order of things is. 
• Kudos to Disney and Pixar for providing such a surprise villain for this movie. 
• You have to come in early if you want to catch PAPERMAN which is also an exceptional animated short. 
• The commentary in this flick is pretty great. From Ralph exclaiming how violent video games have become (such as those First Person Shooters) to how attractive Sgt. Calhoun looks to Felix due to being render in "high definition". 
• Zangief also stole the show for this one. I never did give much props to Zangief but after seeing Wreck-it Ralph my opinion on the baddie has changed completely. 

• Finally I'm sensing that there's going to be a sequel for this movie. Really hoping that this one materializes. 

BAD

• Sarah Silverman as Vanellope was so-so for me. I mean other actresses could do the same voice so I'm really curious as to why she got picked to be the voice for Ralph's friend. Still it was a pretty cute take on the character. 

• The humor for Wreck-it Ralph was just okay for me. I entered the cinema with no expectations whatsoever. Now that I see the resemblance to Shrek, I can't help but wonder what it would stand when it comes to humor. Ralph isn't as funny but where it lacks in laughs it makes up with a lot of heart.
• I'm not sure if the film was too short but it felt pretty short for me. If we ever do get a sequel I really wish that it gets a boost in the TRT (Total running time). 
• No post credit scene. I actually stuck around till the very end of the movie only to be surprised that they did not have any post-credit scene. Bummer. I remember when I saw Brave and forgot to wait till the very end and missed a pretty good one. 

VERDICT

I think "Wreck-it Ralph" is a pretty good movie. It's got some minor flaws here and there but its definitely a tribute to video games, gamers and to non-gamers. Wreck-it Ralph spells fun and at the same time glorious. 

10/10

JOHN C. REILLY PROVIDES THE VOICE OF “WRECK-IT RALPH”

Academy Award-nominee John C. Reilly (“Chicago”) breathes life to Ralph, a heavy-handed wrecking riot with a heart, in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 3D animated adventure, “Wreck-It Ralph.”

For 30 years—day in, day out—Wreck-It Ralph has been doing his job as “The Bad Guy” in the arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. But it’s getting harder and harder to love his job when no one seems to like him for doing it. Suffering from a classic case of Bad-Guy fatigue and hungry for a little wreck-ognition, Ralph embarks on a wild adventure across an incredible arcade-game universe to prove that just because he’s a Bad Guy, it doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.

BIG REVEAL: LEVELS 2 & 3 CHARACTERS OF “WRECK-IT RALPH”

Continuing Walt Disney Pictures' big revelation of “Wreck-It Ralph's” comprehensive character guide, let's now meet the memorable players that inhabit Levels 2 (“Fix-It Felix Jr.”) and 3 (“Hero's Duty”).

“Wreck-It Ralph” takes moviegoers on a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in which Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly)—tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the “good guy” star of their game—sets off on a quest to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. The film also features the voices of Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman.

LEVEL 2: “FIX-IT FELIX JR.”

Catch Paperman Before Seeing Wreck-It Ralph

If you're planning to see "Wreck-It Ralph" this November 1 get to the theater on time to see this new offering from Walt Disney Studios and Pixar entitled 'Paperman'.

Introducing a groundbreaking hybrid approach that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with “Paperman,” a new short from Walt Disney Animation Studios that debuts this November with the Disney feature “Wreck-It Ralph.”

Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man (George) in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman (Meg) on his morning commute. Convinced that the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him.

Paperman” was produced by Kristina Reed (a key player in production and development at Disney Animation since 2008), and created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios. It pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction, and is a bold experiment in bringing the organic, expressive and artistic qualities of traditional hand-drawn, Disney animation to the cutting-edge look and limitless possibilities of the CG world. Jeff Turley served as the film’s art director. Emmy® Award-winning composer Christophe Beck (“The Hangover,” Disney’s “The Muppets” and “Under the Tuscan Sun”) adds to the film’s uplifting mood and appeal with his soaring score.

Helping to give “Paperman” its unique look and style are the contributions of a department the Studio dubbed Final Line. This small team of traditional 2D animators used a proprietary drawing software tool called Meander to create a layer of expressive hand-drawn lines and paint strokes that “stick” to a foundation layer of carefully prepared CG animation in a completely new way, respecting the flatness of the drawn line and using techniques specifically developed for the project. The result is an extraordinary blend of the two animation mediums that is a perfect match for the story and character needs of “Paperman.”

“‘Paperman’ is definitely an attempt to do something different in animation,” says Reed. “John and I both felt that so many CG films today are striving for photorealism—we believe there is a whole different visual frontier that should be explored. We wanted ‘Paperman’ to put something on the table in that direction, and we’re hoping that Disney and other studios and artists will continue the conversation about how different animation can look. It’s virtually limitless.

“John and I both come from CG backgrounds,” continues Reed. “When we came to Disney, we discovered the power of the line, its expressiveness and what our great 2D line artists can do. It inspired us to think about where could go with this.”

“Paperman” had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France on June 4, where it received a resounding reception from animators and critics from around the world. It went on to further acclaim with its North American premiere two weeks later at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
Watch “Paperman” in Philippine cinemas as it precedes all theatrical screenings of “Wreck-It Ralph” starting Nov. 1.

From Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy®-winning director Rich Moore comes "Wreck-It Ralph," a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.

On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero's Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time?

BIG REVEAL: LEVEL 1 CHARACTERS OF “WRECK-IT RALPH”

Walt Disney Pictures has revealed the comprehensive character guide of its upcoming animated feature “Wreck-It Ralph” showcasing each of the film's four main "levels."

“Wreck-It Ralph” takes moviegoers on a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey in which Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly)—tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the “good guy” star of their game—sets off on a quest to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. The film also features the voices of Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman.

Level 1 is the Game Central Station, populated by the following characters.

When the Game's Over, Adventure Begins in "Wreck-it Ralph"

From Walt Disney Animation Studios and Emmy®-winning director Rich Moore comes "Wreck-It Ralph," a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping adventure. For decades, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) has been overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, Jr. (voice of Jack McBrayer), the good-guy star of their game who always gets to save the day. Tired of playing the role of a bad guy, Ralph takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a journey across the arcade through multiple generations of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero.

On his quest, Ralph meets tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty, and feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart-racing game Sugar Rush, who may just be his first real friend. But everything changes when a deadly enemy is unleashed, threatening the entire arcade and Vanellope herself. Ralph finally gets his chance to save the day—but can he do it in time?

Wreck-It Ralph Trailer Now Streaming

Walt Disney Animation Studios has just launched the new, full trailer of the 3D adventure comedy "Wreck-It Ralph" from Emmy-winning director Rich Moore (TV's "The Simpsons," "Futurama").