2012’s Wreck-It Ralph was a delight of a film, introducing bold and vivid characters and locations to viewers worldwide on its way to $471.2 million at the box office. While being far from your regular Disney film, their 52nd animated feature was popular enough to instantly justify a sequel. This year we finally get the sequel and this book, The Art of Ralph Breaks The Internet by Jessica Julius. It’s a fascinating insight into the process of not only following up such a unique film but also how to expand on that first adventure.
To organise the thousands of choices and decisions made to bring Ralph back to the big screen, Julius breaks the book down into four distinct sections. ‘Old Friends’ looks at the characters from the first film, their design and the technical tweaks that have developed since the original sketches almost a decade ago. For example, the clothing in the first film appeared slightly plastic in appearance, but the sequel has seen the outfits remade to appear like cloth. Subtle changes like that – as with the Toy Story films 20 years before – retain the look and style of the original while nudging the quality of the newer film up a step.
‘The Internet’ delves into the dizzying challenge of visualising the internet – which weighs less than a strawberry – into a physical, navigable location the characters of the story can travel through. From the router that hurls them from Litwak’s Arcade onto the internet, every element is actualised, and along the way there are literally thousands of familiar icons, logos and characters to soak in. Ralph 2 is going to be one of the most freeze-frameable films so far, with its lush design and detail. Art Director Matthias Lechner describes the depiction of eBay to feel like ‘organised chaos’, and seeing everyday apps and sites like Google, YouTube and Amazon given form is genuinely fascinating.
‘New Friends’ brings us a closer look at the new characters that Ralph and Vanellope meet, including the Disney Princesses from the first Ralph 2 trailer and characters from ohmydisney.com which is very much like a visualisation of D23 (the Disney Fan Club) with familiar Disney characters including Tinkerbell, Eeyore and the aforementioned Princesses (in a very stylish open-up gatefold showing them in their leisure gear). We know Star Wars and Muppets characters are present in the film, and with the many IPs Disney own the options are virtually limitless. The book ends with ‘Crash Override’ as Ralph breaks the internet on his way to the Dark Web.
If the film is as impressive as this book, we’re in for one heck of a ride.
THE ART OF RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET / AUTHOR: JESSICA JULIUS / PUBLISHER: CHRONICLE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
