Ralph Breaks the Internet

The greatest threat to humanity these days might be a computer virus, so in that sense, Ralph Breaks the Internet seems to get it right with its primary villain of choice.

Otherwise, however, this hyperactive sequel to the terrific animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph lacks the witty irreverence and nostalgic charm of its predecessor.

The story picks up where the prior installment left off, with anthropomorphic arcade-game villain Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) enjoying life after befriending Vanellope (Sarah Silverman), a heroine from a racing game.

Their routine is disrupted, however, when a girl breaks the steering wheel on Vanellope’s game, prompting the arcade owner (Ed O’Neill) to consider scrapping it since a replacement part costs $200 on eBay. Hearing that, Ralph and Vanellope spring into action, entering a strange new world within the new wifi router that’s been plugged in next to their respective games.

They enter the internet whirlwind with the intention of securing the missing part, but wind up having their loyalty tested by various adventures. Ralph becomes a YouTube sensation while Vanellope prefers to spend time with some cool characters from a high-tech racing game.

As directed by the tandem of Phil Johnston and Rich Moore (Zootopia), the computer animation is crisp and vibrant. When you consider the level of meticulous background detail in many of these shots, it’s quite a technical achievement.

Indeed, the film’s chief asset is the imaginative rendering of the internet’s elaborate inner workings, such as pop-up sign holders or a search-bar kiosk. The downside is the relentless product placement and aggressively self-congratulatory tone, including a worthless subplot involving Disney princesses that’s meant to be self-deprecating yet doesn’t work as intended.

Ralph Breaks the Internet follows the contemporary playbook for animated features, cramming every frame with as much visual mayhem as possible, ostensibly to appeal to children with short attention spans. There are some scattered clever and amusing gags for adults, too, as the film satirizes online shopping, viral videos, online gaming, and more.

Still, despite a mildly ambitious fish-out-of-water concept, the scattershot script for this follow-up is missing the freshness and emotional stakes of the original. Like these classic arcade-game characters, moviegoers would be better advised to log off.

Rated PG, 112 minutes.