RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2018)

There was a time when we loved Disney animated films for their musical sequences. When Aurora, Rapunzel and Tiana sang about their dreams and aspirations, we wished that like the princesses, life had happy endings in store for us too.

We are guessing that Vanellope von Schweetz (aka Wreck It Ralph’s best friend) had long dreamed about being a Disney princess. That explains why she gets to croon this album’s best track “A Place Called Slaughter Race”. Performed by the character’s voice actress Sarah Silverman and a certain Gal Gadot, the tune pokes fun at the ridiculously positive princess songs we are familiar with. Things get meta when you realise that the lyrics are penned by Alan Menken, who is known for his works on classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

There is also a pop version of the song performed by Julia Michaels titled “In This Place”. Like how Owl City contributed the single “When Can I See You Again?” for the first movie, Imagine Dragon performs “Zero” here to exemplify the themes explored in this sequel.

The majority of the soundtrack contains score material composed by Henry Jackman, who has done an excellent job with the first movie. A familiar melody kicks off “Best Friends” as we are introduced to the familiar world of the sequel movie. Then we are brought into the digital world with compositions like “The Internet” and “Buzzztube”.

If you have seen the film, you may remember two particularly fantastic moments.  When Vanellope meets the Storm Troopers, Star Wars fans will notice the musical themes from the space saga’s “The Imperial March” - you will hear that in “Vanellope’s March”. Another fun moment happens when the Disney princesses come together to save Ralph, and in “A Big Strong Man in Need of Rescuing,” you will hear bits of music from the movies they starred in.

The album clocks a generous 75 minutes runtime, and it is a fun soundtrack to listen to.

ALBUM RATING: 

Recommended Track: (2) A Place Called Slaughter Race - Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot & Cast

Review by John Li