Why You Should See ‘Wreck-It Ralph’

"Wreck-It Ralph" is the top-selling DVD in America right now. Not the top rental, the top-selling DVD. That should tell you something. I'm not going to give a lengthy review of the film, but I do want to quickly tell you why I think "Wreck-It Ralph" is a great movie for the whole family.

First off, "Wreck-It Ralph" has a great message. Without spoiling anything, it's a movie about "Wreck-It Ralph," the villain in a retro video game that's a mix of Mario Bros, Rampage, and Donkey Kong. Because Ralph's been programmed as the game's villain, he is considered a bad guy by the other cast members of the game. Because of this, he's alone and ignored, living in a junkyard and attending "Bad Anon" meetings with other bad guys.

The truth is, Ralph is a great guy, but he doesn't realize it because no one else sees it in him. He meets up with Vanellope Von Schweetz, a "glitch" in another video game who also knows what it's like to be different from everyone else. It's Veneloppe's love for Ralph that makes him realize he is a loveable "good guy."

There's humor and great animation, which we've all come to expect from a Disney film. But most importantly, "Wreck-It Ralph" has a message that's desperately needed in these times of bullying epidemics and feelings of low-self worth among children. That message is that everyone is worthy of love not because of what they have or what they do, but because of who they are. Ralph was programmed to be a "bad guy," but he broke that programming by being selfless, giving, and heroic. We can all beat our own "programming," whether it comes from nature or nurturing. We just have to see the good in ourselves and recognize that there other people who love us for who we are.