Movies

“I’m Gonna Wreck It!”

 If you recognize this quote, chances are you’ve seen the new Disney movie “Wreck it Ralph.” I finally got to see it last night in theaters, and I have to say: I LOVED IT. Why? Well, here’s a list:

 

·         It was incredibly creative
 

·         It made me happy while I was watching it

·         It was hilarious

·         It had some nice characters and character development

·         It was cute

·         It was family-friendly

·         Great plot

·         It surprised me by the end (I can usually figure out what’s going to happen in movies, but this one left me guessing)

One of the best reasons to like this movie though is from the lessons you can take from it by the end. If you’ve seen the movie, you’re probably thinking I’m talking about the moral to just be yourself, or in the “bad” guys’ words: “There’s no one I’d rather be than me!” Or maybe you're thinking of the moral that is similar to "Megamind:" That we can change who we are and we don't have to be who people tell us we are. Here is a clip from the movie that suggests this theme:

 

 

 

Although liking who you are, and following your own definition of yourself rather than other's beliefs about you is a great moral, there is another lesson. It actually may have been unintentional, but it’s a great thing to learn nonetheless. The lesson is this: It is only when we act and try to change our situation that we change our lives.

(Attention: spoilers coming. Stop reading if you haven’t watched the movie, go watch it, and then you can come back to this.)

This lesson is easy enough to see in the movie if you really think about it. Ralph decides after thirty years of being thrown from the top of the penthouse like a pile of the bricks and trash he sleeps on, to go and earn a medal. If this story were Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, this medal would be his Golden Ticket to happiness. He believes that the medal will win him the hearts of the other characters in his game and that he will be revered a hero just like Fix it Felix. He’s tired of being treated like a nobody. And so, he leaves to go find his medal to change his life for the better.

He did something about his situation. How many of us can say we have done that? Or do we just sit around and pretend to be content with a life we are not happy with? Ralph left with a goal in mind—to get a medal—and granted, he learned by the end that it was not the medal that would change his life, but the people in his life, but still by simply acting and doing something about his situation, he was able to make his life better by the end. And not only did he make his own life happier, but the life of someone else too. Vanellope would never have gotten to race and her game would never have rebooted if Ralph hadn’t done anything.  

If we are to make our lives and the lives of others better and happier, we have to act and do something about it. It will not do to just sit around, hoping some miracle will come along and change our fate for us. Even if you aren’t sure what it is that will bring you happiness, the mere act of just trying to do something will get you somewhere. And, in the process of trying to improve your life, maybe like Ralph you could change someone else’s life too.