With popcorn sitting in my lap, I tucked my phone into the pocket of my charcoal, furry winter jacket—I was preparing to provide my fullest attention to the movie. As the theater lights dimmed, drawing the audience’s attention towards the massive screen ahead, my best friend whispered excited hopes into my ear for the outcome of the movie.

As the classic Disney intro started to play—the zoom in on the iconic Cinderella Castle—I crossed my legs and dug my hands into the popcorn. Smiling, as Wreck-It Ralph’s voice narrated the first scene of the movie, I sat back into my red, velvet seat ready to view the sequel to one of the most memorable movies of my childhood.

Six years succeeding the events of Wreck-It Ralph, Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz have developed a devoted friendship. After work every day, they share a rootbeer in Tapper and divulge in conversation on the roof of the apartment complex in Fix-It Felix Jr.

To accelerate the plot, the movie begins with Vanellope confessing to Ralph that she is disinterested in her own game, Sugar Rush. Vanellope complains of being too familiar with the track and winning; she itches to be exposed to something new.

To satisfy Vanellope’s desire, Ralph decides to construct a new track in Sugar Rush. Vanellope thoroughly enjoys the track; however, she goes against the controls of the player and causes the player to completely rip the wheel from the game.

Mr. Litwak, the owner of the arcade in which Fix-It Felix Jr. and Sugar Rush are located, attempts to reattach the wheel to the game. However, his efforts cause the wheel to completely split in half, and he is forced to unplug the game, which leaves the characters of Sugar Rush homeless.

Through conversation with Fix-It Felix Jr., Ralph decides to venture into the Wifi router—which was advised to not enter—in search for eBay since a Sugar Rush wheel was available to bid on through the website. Taking Vanellope with him, the two embark on a journey into the Internet.

Ralph Breaks the Internet is a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, which was released in 2012. Directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Ralph Breaks the Internet is Walt Disney Animation Studios’s first animated sequel to be created by the original film’s writing/directing team.

However, the process of creating Ralph Breaks the Internet was not brief; the film went through three scripts before the final plot was settled on. Likewise, talks of a sequel began in 2012, but the sequel was not officially confirmed until mid-2016.

Ralph Breaks the Internet has fair reviews: it has an average rating of 7.2/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. Likewise, the site also provides a “critics consensus” which argues that Ralph Breaks the Internet is leveled with its predecessor and is a funny, heartwarming sequel that teaches about themes of relationships.

I couldn’t agree more with the positive opinion of the majority of critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only was Ralph Breaks the Internet an intriguing movie because it incorporated apps and characters that the average teen would be familiar with, but its characters also assisted in portraying an important theme of loving and letting go.

First, most of the voice actors who voiced the hilarious characters in Wreck-It Ralph returned to star in the sequel. Also, the Disney characters whom Ralph and Vanellope encountered were also voiced by their original actors; the Disney princesses made a cameo. Incorporating the authentic voices of each character into the sequel allowed for the movie to seamlessly pick up from where it left off.

Likewise, a majority of comical characters were introduced to viewers in Ralph Breaks the Internet. One of my favorites was KnowsMore, who represented the search engine KnowsMore and had hilarious autofill-like dialogue. The movie was laughable through its ability to incorporate many noticeable parts of the Internet into it. An example of this was when characters representing pop-up ads appeared in Ralph and Vanellope’s path and temporarily prohibited the continuation of their journey.

Overall, the acting was acceptable; the actors voiced their characters passionately and emotionally. Meanwhile, the script was goofy, and an abundance of laugh-out-loud moments were provided for the audience. I found myself with a smile spread across my face during the majority of Ralph and Vanellope’s encounters with the various, unique characters of the Internet. The third time, regarding the script, was definitely the charm.

The animation of the movie was extremely advanced; every animated movie I see seems to obtain higher quality and more-precise detail. The ability of the animators to create the hectic, detailed atmosphere of the Internet and put Ralph and Vanellope actually into the Internet astonishes me. I cannot help but recognize, and honestly be absolutely astonished by, the creativity that was required to complete this movie.

However, the most memorable part of the movie was its theme. Without spoiling too much, Ralph acquired the life lesson of the importance of allowing others to reach their full potential. As someone who has moved a myriad of times, I have related to the challenging experience of letting people go who have literally shaped me into the person that I am.

Likewise, I have also experienced the complications of moving on and picking myself up after a life-changing experience into a new “present.” Therefore, the main theme of Ralph Breaks the Internet touched my heart dearly. I was surprised at myself when tears eventually gathered in my eyes; I was not aware that an animated movie, whose target audience is probably elementary-school-aged kids, could accurately portray such an important message.  

Overall, as usual, Disney did not disappoint. Disney provided a heartfelt, cute movie that showed its audience that change is necessary, and most times, manageable. It reaffirmed the theme—that has already been extremely present in my life—that distance does not define a friendship. Likewise, it showed the importance of following your instinct and putting yourself around the people you believe you should be around.

Finally, Ralph Breaks the Internet displayed the importance of friendship and the extent to which a sole person can completely mold another.