A solid set of sequels: 'Ralph' and 'Creed II'

Given the winking marketing campaign that incorporates many aspects of the Disney brand, “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” the sequel to the 2012 animated hit, “Wreck-It-Ralph,” could easily be mistaken for a shallow studio cash grab.

With a setup too ominously similar to the dreadful “Emoji Movie” from last year (not a Disney property), it’s easy to watch “Ralph 2” and see where lazier filmmakers could have taken a story about offline video game characters who discover the massive universe of the World Wide Web. Luckily, the people using “Ralph” to cross-promote piles and piles of Disney product at least seem to have a sense of humor about their corporate synergy. And, as a bonus, the movie tells an engrossing and heartfelt story of its own.

“Ralph” continues the story of unlikely friends Wreck-It-Ralph, the villain of a retro arcade game who has a heart of gold (voice of John C. Reilly), and Vanellope, the misfit combatant in a colorful, candy-themed racing game (Sarah Silverman).

When a patron accidentally breaks the steering wheel off Vanellope’s game, the pair use the newly connected WiFi in the arcade to fetch a new one on eBay. Since they’re video game characters, they have no idea how actual money works, and soon Ralph and Vanellope must try all sorts of ways to earn the cash. This includes Ralph trying to become a viral sensation (via cat and pratfall videos, mostly), and Vanellope getting pulled into an “extreme” online racing game with explosions, car thefts and like-minded competitors.

The comedic highlight of the film involves a side quest to the online World of Disney, where Vanellope, technically a royal in her world, hangs out with Disney’s deep bench of princesses (with every voice actor still alive reprising their classic roles, including Ariel, Belle, Elsa and more).

It’s good fun, and the movie strikes a perfect note as it playfully takes down the dated gender roles of its past films, and Vanellope even gets her own hilarious princess anthem later in the movie.

Then “Ralph” settles into its central conflict — when Ralph’s only friend begins to discover a world away from him, Ralph reacts in a way that brings potentially devastating consequences. This thoughtful turn comes just as all the Internet and social media jokes start to grow tiresome, and it gives Reilly and Silverman the opportunity to anchor a satisfying dramatic finish.

The other box office behemoth over Thanksgiving break, “Creed II,” could have also skated by on the goodwill of the terrific Ryan Coogler-directed “Creed.” That 2015 film reset the “Rocky” franchise in exciting ways, pushing Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa into the background of a new story focusing on young fighter Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of franchise heavyweight Apollo Creed.

Though Coogler abandoned the director’s chair in favor of “Black Panther,” the principal cast returns for the sequel, including the magnetic Tessa Thompson as Adonis’ musician girlfriend, Bianca. Their relationship takes the forefront of much of “Creed II,” but Adonis also must contend in the ring with Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago who … well “Rocky” fans know and uninitiated moviegoers will get plenty of explanation in the new film.

In fact, if “Creed II” feels flabby in spots, it’s because of how the movie tries to connect itself with the larger franchise, something the original “Creed” actively tried to avoid in many ways. Still, the performances are all dynamite, with Stallone and the returning Dolph Lundgren doing strong work without overshadowing the new stars.

Those stars, Jordan and Thompson, are electric again, and the franchise has more than enough in them to continue the saga (Stallone mentioned recently how “Creed II” is likely the last rodeo for ol’ Rock). The fight scenes, under the direction of Steven Caple Jr. in this outing, continue to thrill, and you get just enough of that rousing “Rocky” music to bring it all together.

Most boxing movies follow a fairly standard outline, and “Creed II” doesn’t do much to break out of that plot-wise, but some sincerity and an A-list cast take the film into the deep rounds.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected]