Ron's Gone Wrong
Starring Jack Dylan Grazer, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Olivia Colman
Directed by Sarah Smith & Jean-Philippe Vine
Everyone knows by now that technology is pretty much an evil necessity. We've abandoned our privacy in favor of simplicity as we don't mind anymore if our cell phones listen in on our conversations and offer deals akin to what we were talking about, or that cameras catch our every move wherever we go. As long as things are easier, it's all good. As this escalates to the point of Skynet, we keep getting films that point out these eventual evils, but they're more geared for children to serve as a cautionary tale so when they grow up they won't invent a real-life Terminator. Earlier this year "The Mitchells vs. the Machines" proved what happens when technology runs amok and feels that it's higher on the evolutionary chain than humanity, while "Ron's Gone Wrong" is a more intimate look at the dangers of technology for our children, who've abandoned real-life friends in favor of Internet friends and fame. That is, until, a supposed malfunctioning machine shows humanity the true meaning of friendship - so of course it has to be destroyed.
Barney Pudowski (Jack Dylan Grazer) is the only kid in his school who doesn't have a B-Bot, a robot that was designed by the benevolent Marc (Justice Smith) to help children make friends by collecting their Internet information and sending friend requests to kids with similar interests. Barney's former friends - Savannah, Rich, Noah, and Ava - all have B-Bots of their own and have pretty much abandoned Barney in favor of their new robotic friends. Barney's dad Graham (Ed Helms) and grandmother Donka (Olivia Colman) manage to buy a B-Bot for Barney, but it's one that fell out of a truck and is a little malfunctioning. When Barry turns it on, it showcases these malfunctions in its lack of ability to do what all the other B-Bots can do, and Barry at first wants to send it back to the company to get a new one. However, along the way, the B-Bot that he named Ron (Zach Galifianakis) showcases a unique personality that Barney likes, and doesn't want Ron destroyed. He hides Ron away while he tries to train him to be a friend, as they're being hunted down by Marc's money-hungry business partner Andrew (Rob Delaney), and along the way they both learn what it means to be a real friend, and must find a way to bring true friendship back to trending.
Even for someone in their early forties, it's common knowledge that "social" media isn't very social - it's something that alienates us more and keeps us more disconnected than ever, as we admire the highlight reel of other peoples' stories and feel that it makes our lives less important. It's led to a slew of mental illnesses and unfortunate suicides, especially among the younger population, who live and breathe technology. If their viewership goes down, they hit a depression so severe that they feel like their lives are over. When they get bullied online, it sticks with them for decades because nothing online is ever truly erased. While social media was supposed to bring people together, it continually drives a wedge between us and keeps us more and more isolated despite the beautiful lie that it brings us closer together. "Ron's Gone Wrong" showcases this for the tween generation, as we see all the kids seemingly having happy lives living with their B-Bots and their online lives, but foregoing what it means to be a true friend.
We see this alienation with Barney because he's literally the only kid without a B-Bot, and spends recess sitting by himself while the other kids gather in their B-Bot assigned groups but don't really interact with one another. When Barney finally gets Ron, he feels that he'll be more a part of the group, but due to Ron's malfunctions, it only isolates him more. Yet it also teaches him what it means to be a friend, and to have a friend, through Ron's misguided attempts at friendship. We've seen films like this (most notably "E.T."and "Big Hero 6"), but it doesn't make it any less heartwarming and special. We feel the connection between Barney and Ron, and even though Ron is defective, he's more human than pretty much anyone in the film.
Jack Dylan Grazer voices Barney, and he's no stranger to animated tween coming-of-age films, having voiced Alberto in Pixar's "Luca" earlier this year. He has a sweet innocence about his voice, and you really feel connected to the character due to his sincere nature. Likewise, Zach Galifianakis is no stranger to animated tales, and he gives Ron his own unique voice told through straight, matter-of-fact ways (we now know how much force it takes to remove a head from a chicken, for instance) while also somehow providing an emotional depth beyond its programming. These two mismatched beings come together and learn from one another what it really means to be a true friend, and it's heartwarming and downright humorous to see their wild, zany antics as well as their tender, touching moments.
While it doesn't offer anything new to the technology kids' subgenre, "Ron's Gone Wrong" still manages to deliver a heartwarming tale of the importance of true friendship along with gut-busting humor and fun animated action.
The Score: A
Comments
Post a Comment