Ah, Disney movies. They’re always so cheerful and happy, right? But sometimes they surprise us by hitting us way too hard with the truth—which is exactly what Ralph Breaks the Internet does. A movie that looked to be a collection of internet references and cute scenes turned out to have a villain that really hit home. And let me tell you, it left audiences shocked.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
Ralph Breaks the Internet is about the return of Ralph and Vanellope. They’re still best friends, and they hang out every night. But when complications arise, they travel into the exciting world of the internet! There are lots of fun references to things we know and love, such as Google, Pinterest and something called BuzzzTube (a mix of Buzzfeed and YouTube).
When Vanellope gets to the internet, she realizes it’s all she has ever wanted. She discovers a thrilling racing game called Slaughter Race, which has new surprises around every corner. She’s gotten sick of the routine in her old game and wants something new. She falls in love with the characters, atmosphere and thrill of the chase. But Ralph is not pleased with this. He loves the life they have of doing the same things over and over. There’s even a line where she says “If I’m not a racer, what am I?” and he says “Well, you’re my best friend.” This shows that being her best friend is the most important thing to him, and he wants her to feel the same way.
“If I’m not a racer, what am I?” “Well, you’re my best friend.”
Ralph turns out to be the villain of the story. It was a sad and shocking moment that left the theater in silence. His insecurities become an internet virus which threatens not only Vanellope, but the entire internet. Ralph is so desperate to control her; since he holds the “best friend” title, he thinks that means he should be the most important (and maybe even the only) person in her life. Instead of letting her follow her dreams, he tries to ruin them so she will come running back to him. He doesn’t want anything in his life to change, especially not his closeness with Vanellope. But as Ralph learns, this possessive behavior only ends up hurting the ones you love.
The attitude that Ralph has towards Vanellope is toxic. But it’s something most of us have experienced in our life. If you’ve been the Ralph, you know that it’s difficult to let your friends go. It is unhealthy to think that just because you’re close, they can’t have any other friends or hobbies that don’t involve you. If you’ve been the Vanellope, you’ve probably felt bad that you’re upsetting your friend. But you shouldn’t. Your friend needs to understand that you are free to do whatever makes you happy.
If there’s anything you take away from this movie, it should be this: the best friends are the ones that support your dreams, even if it doesn’t involve them. If your friend has to move to another state for their dream job, there’s always FaceTime. If they’ll be spending more time with other people, the time you do spend with them will be even more special. And if they want to spread their wings and fly, don’t be the one to clip them. If you’re truly their best friend, they will always come back home.