I picked up the four-disc Ultimate Collector's Edition. I have yet to get a 3D-enhanced television to enjoy the 3D Bluray version of the movie, but I enjoyed the movie enough that I want to be prepared when I finally get one. It's currently available on Amazon for $27.99
The ultimate edition of Wreck-It Ralph comes in a slipcase with a 3D lenticular print of the theatrical poster on it. Under the slipcover is the same non-3D image (which is different from all other releases of the film) and four discs inside. The 3D Blu-Ray disc is the only one to recieve any decent art printed on it, with the other discs being a flat grey (DVD), blue (Blu-Ray) and gold (digital copy). I don't understand why none of the other discs can get love here. I suppose it's cheaper to print a single color, but you're selling to collector nerds when you get this big of a package. Well, I nitpick.
The two ends of the spectrum are bare bones in terms of bonus content: the digital copy is what's been available on the internet for a few weeks now: simply the movie, downloadable to iTunes or Windows Media. Now that the physical release is out, you can digitally rent the movie as well for $3.99 at Amazon. The 3D version has the film and the Paperman short in 3D. The big content question comes from the middle.
The DVD release is pretty bare bones as well, with the only notable feature being the Paperman short. The Blu-Ray contains this awesome short film as well, which is truly a technical marvel, being rendered entirely in 3D computer animation yet looking like classic hand-drawn artwork. The minimal color styles really allow the filmmakers a chance to tell a deep story without a single word being spoken. Most of the special features, while not requiring the hi-def, are saved for the Blu-Ray. I feel these features could have been on the DVD as well, but they chose not to print them there.
Wreck-It Ralph has a load of deleted scenes that primarily focus around some alternative takes. Many alternate scenes came from a version of the film wherein Felix and Ralph spend a lot more of the movie together. There's also a world that was never used in the final cut: Extreme Easy Livin' 2, which was a bit of a mashup between Grand Theft Auto and The Sims. These are what you would expect from a CGI deleted scene, mostly sketchwork, however original voices or decent soundalikes voice the stills, allowing you to really see the original ideas. You'll also find the Litwak's Arcade television advertisements for Fix-It Felix, Sugar Rush, and Hero's Duty. A lot of detail went into them, from the VHS skipping and poor sound quality on the "VHS tape" that Fix-It Felix's commercial was on through the economic changes that Litwak's Arcade faced through the years as shown by the "free gifts" given to you on your birthday. A very interesting feature called Bit by Bit: Creating the Worlds of Wreck-It Ralph shows the length the developers went through to give each world a definitive feel.
The final major bonus feature of the disc is the one closest to what I envisioned, but you could easily miss it: something being called the "Disney Intermission." I hope this is not the direction Disney is taking for it's future releases, because I'm not too sure I like it. Buried in the option menu (as opposed to the bonus feature section) is the Disney Intermission: The Gamer's Guide to Wreck-it Ralph. It defaults to "on", but is only accessed when you pause the movie. So in order to see this feature, you have to know of it's existance, and start the movie then pause simply to watch it. The guide is there to help point out the little nods to video games of the past. Thing is, it is broken up into five or six little featurettes that run about two minutes tops. These auto play in a loop until you return to the film. So if you're interested in them, you're probably just going to pause the film and watch it once. I really don't see people planning to pause the film six times during a viewing (all the while NOT leaving the TV, the whole essence of why you would pause) to catch these tidbits. Add onto that we see more of the "Disney Cheese": a corny announcer making jokes, than we do factoids. They are also pointed out wonderfully vaguely. For example, they show two seconds of non-zoomed in graffitti on the wall, and the announcer says "I bet long-time Street Fighter fans will catch this one," then it's off to the next one. Meanwhile, I'm seeing factoids they are skipping over playing in the background. If you scroll to the bottom of this article I've embedded the intro to these so you can get a feel for what you're getting. I feel this movie would lend itself so much better to a "pop up video" bonus feature content, in which case either text was overlaid on the screen pointing out all the extras, or at least mix these intermissions in with timed button presses (if you ever saw the "take the red pill" or "follow the white rabbit" features on the Matrix you know what I mean) instead of just something that truly feels pointless using it as intended. The short bits are worth watching, but simply feel tacked on. Disney: I would re-buy the film, no questions asked, if you would add in a pop-up video style version to view.
This article was primarily to inform you of what bonuses you get, but if you still don't know, Wreck-It Ralph is an amazing movie. Animated beautifully (and translated well onto the home release copy), it's a powerful tale of learning that you can do your best to succeed, but always remember to be proud of who you are, no matter what. While full of fun cameos, the meat and potatoes of the story revolve around the created worlds that are homages to the classics. If you want a little bit more of my opinions on this film, click through here to see how I would review Wreck-It Ralph, Sugar Rush, and Hero's Duty if they were real games. I laughed, I cried, I watched it again. Now, this time, I'm going to turn off the Disney Intermission and steady my hand on the pause and zoom buttons, and get ready to catch all the references I can. Click through below to rent or buy this awesome flick!
