¡SPOILERS AHEAD!
First of all, I would like to mention that I didn’t hate the movie itself. I hated how it made me feel. The movie itself was well done and I enjoyed the storyline for the most part. The fact that they snuck in a Disney princess song and several of the princesses made my whole life. Just like the first movie, the creativity of designing a movie around a concept we can’t picture was flawless. Every little thing they did played perfectly into their picture of how the internet works.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk about what I didn’t like. They started me off feeling connected to Vanellope. I could identify with her desire to get out of the world and be something more. I deeply felt her desire to do something she felt she was made to do. It didn’t even occur to me that maybe the whole time, I was actually Ralph.
We have an issue now. While I love Ralph, I didn’t want to be him in this movie. He has become dependent on Vanellope and he’s the “clingy” friend. He is capable of so much, like all the creative videos he makes to get likes. Yet, he relies heavily on his identity as Vanellope’s friend. At the thought of losing her, he begins to become so insecure that it causes massive issues. His insecurity ruins more than just the internet, it ruins his friendship.
Okay! Now that’s where it got me. I realized I wasn’t Vanellope; I was Ralph. I’m the “clingy” friend who relies on my friends. I’m an insecure mess and when things start to change, I lose my sanity. I felt very “@‘ed” whilst sitting in the theater. Granted, that’s more of a me problem, but whatever. Of course, the movie didn’t end there. Ralph and Vanellope fixed their friendship; however, it didn’t fix the movie for me.
Now, the two of them don’t go back to the arcade together. They separate and Vanellope stays in the internet and Ralph goes back to the arcade… alone. They video chat and agree to meet up when Vanellope’s new game is on break to be fixed. Ralph has worked on his insecurity issues and seems to be content with his life now, as he ends up enjoying the sunrise… alone.
This hit me right in the feels. Yay, everyone is happy and content with themselves and their lives right now. Yeah, well, I’m not. I’m still sitting over here watching the movie and thinking, “This can’t be the end!”
It made me realize that college is almost over. My friends, who I rely on, will all be leaving and I haven’t come to terms with being okay by myself. Ralph was able to enjoy the sunrise and his new state of not having Vanellope. I’m not there yet, but ready or not, my friends are leaving. I need to hurry up and get myself to a place where my insecurities aren’t tearing me down.
So, while the movie was amazing, the feels I had were not and therefore I was an unhappy camper.