Films today follow a general writing guide called the three act structure, with the first act setting up the world and main conflict, the second features the trials and tribulations leading to a darkest hour, with the third act featuring the overcoming of weakness, final climax, and resolution of all the plot threads. Some use this convention as a start, others as a crutch, and those that play screenwriting doctor with the guide as a healthy comparison.
Ralph Breaks the Internet features countless jokes and references to internet culture and portrays the relationship between Ralph and Venelope as they discover the internet, bemoan having different dreams, and try to fix the Sugar Rush machine that they broke. But that description already begs the question, what’s the main conflict? The major conflict should begin in act one and not resolve until act three, yet none of the conflict matches that description.
Discovering the internet and the multitude of positive and negative aspects it brings out in everyone doesn’t enter into the story besides one scene. They do accidentally pay too much for the steering wheel and Ralph discovers the comments section but they have an incredibly easy time with even spam and viruses treating them with respect if not courtesy. Discovering the internet happens during act two with a resolution near the end of act two and while the internet leads to the majority of the humor it does not come close to the main conflict.
Venelope and Ralphs’ conflicting dreams and their relationship provides a lot of conflict, as Veneope loves the new open world GTA V rip-off and Ralph just wants the machine repaired so things go back to the way they were; the way he liked it. But that doesn’t begin until act two, either at the funniest scene near the end of act two or if you really stretch it, the moment they exit and she suggests returning, in the middle of act two. Although she suggested earlier wanting something new in act one there’s nothing about her desire that suggests she wants to leave the arcade permanently that brings her and Ralph’s desires into conflict.
The conflict that kicks off the movie, that should bring the plot and characters into conflict, the broken steering wheel, begins in act one but half the conflict gets brushed aside like nothing and the other half resolves before act two finishes. Their money making efforts get the steering wheel with only minor hurdles. But the other half of the conflict, how the hundreds of characters lose their home and it’s Ralph and Venelope’s fault, just never surfaces. The characters have a gag about joining another game’s background or being adopted by Felix and Calhoun, and bear no ill will towards Venelope and Ralph despite the circumstances. They took away and did not return control to the player resulting in the broken steering wheel. The previous movie’s villain specifically caused problems not just from jumping games, but from the crashing and taking away control from the player, resulting in two games getting unplugged. Ralph takes time he should show up in his game to build a new track, and Venelope refuses to let the player steer her to the 1st place victory she loves so much.
While not necessary, having one major conflict as a thread through the whole movie brings drive and consistency. While still entertaining and interesting for juggling multiple conflicts, the film feels somewhat lopsided and confused, either from the lack of a single major conflict, the ignoring of continuity, the dearth of video games on their internet, or the missed opportunity of addressing negativity on the internet, especially within online gaming.
Although it already contains the best after credits sequence ever, may I suggest an alternative;
Venelope: “There’s voice chat? Let’s listen to this 11 year old boy . . .”
Tafata: “Why’d you return to Sugar Rush?”
Venelope: “WHAT?!”
Roz - Twitter: @QLeeches
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