Walt Disney Records releases the soundtrack for Ralph Breaks the Internet. In the movie, video-game bad guy Ralph and best friend Vanellope von Schweetz leave the comforts of Litwak's arcade in an attempt to save her game, 'Sugar Rush'. Their quest takes them to the vast, uncharted world of the internet where they rely on the citizens of the internet-the Netizens-to help navigate their way. Lending a virtual hand are Yesss, the head algorithm and the heart and soul of the trend-making site "BuzzzTube," and Shank, a tough-as-nails driver from a gritty online auto-racing game called 'Slaughter Race', a place Vanellope wholeheartedly embraces-so much so that Ralph worries he may lose the only friend he's ever had...

The soundtrack to Ralph Breaks the Internet features the film's score by Henry Jackman. It also includes original songs 'A Place Called Slaughter Race' performed in the film by Sarah Silverman and Gal Gadot; 'Zero,' written and performed by Imagine Dragons; and 'In This Place,' a pop version of 'A Place Called Slaughter Race,' performed by Julia Michaels.

The soundtrack contains 35 tracks (1 hr, 14 min, 36 sec). The songs were composed by Oscar winning songwriter/composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas and Aladdin), which probably explains why Jackman incorporates a brief instrumental segment of 'Part of Your World' (from The Little Mermaid) in 'A Big Strong Man In Need of Rescuing'. The lyrics were written by Phil Johnston and GRAMMY-winning producer Tom MacDougall (Frozen; Executive Vice President, Music at Disney).

There are plenty of homages dotted about the score including the aforementioned The Little Mermaid reference, and couple of Star Wars based themes in 'Vanellope's March', and short blasts of Alan Silvestri's Back to the Future and The Predator and Christopher Young's Fly II in the track 'Kling Kong'. Incidentally, Jackman recently revisited Silvestri's score for the rebooted The Predator movie.

But, I think, hands down, the most impressive tracks are the melancholic 'The Meaning of Friendship' and 'A Place Called Slaughter Race - Instrumental'.

Jackman's score, while interesting, revisits quite a few themes from the first movie, Wreck-It Ralph and while I purchased that soundtrack, I wasn't overly impressed with it. Likewise, here Jackman delivers the odd spark of genius, but for the most part it's a rather average offering.

If you enjoyed the score from the first movie, then you'll totally love this one too. While on the whole I did like it, it's probably not one I'll play all that often. It's quirky and fun, and is instrumental in adding a whole other level to the onscreen action.

7

Darren Rea