Wreck-It Ralph (2012, dir. Rich Moore) ***/****

Wreck-It Ralph is an animated tale intended for children but that doesn't mean adults cannot enjoy it.  The video game references that pop up through out the film will delight many men and women who spent some time in arcades in the 80's and 90's.  Ralph is a video game character in a game called "Fix-It Felix, Jr." and he is unhappy with his identification as a bad guy.  The movie portrays his attempt to overcome this label and rise above his surroundings.  The animation of this movie is top-notch.  The retro gaming sequences are great and will make certain older audience members feel nostalgic for a bygone age when graphics in video games were simple but had a certain beauty and allure about them. There are fictionalized video games that are mixed with real-life video games from the past and both are rendered realistically and accurately for the time they were made.  There is a brief short called "Paperman" that is a prelude to the movie and it is also very compelling and beautifully animated.  I recommend this movie for viewers of all ages.