As the developed world becomes more and more focused on examine our addiction to technology and digital connectivity, more and more entertainment is trying to capitalize on the conversation. Enter Ron’s Gone Wrong, a quirky and misguided movie that eventually gets a few things right.
The basic premise is middle schooler Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer) is the only kid in town without a B-Bot, a cute robot companion that acts like a walking, more advanced Siri from the “Bubble” corporation, a business that looks suspiciously like another real-life computer company.
When Barney finally gets one, he malfunctions with silly and often hilarious results. But Barney and his B-Bot Ron’s (Zach Galifianakis) new friendship soon becomes and inspiration for other kids and the Bubble corporation itself.
Zach Galifianakis’ performance as Ron, by far and away, is the best part. His character is hugely funny, and his comedic skill makes the ho-hum script even better. Any time he’s let loose to be his true, funny, curious robot self are the best scenes.
As a whole, I’m of two minds when describing the movie. At its best moments, the story is very sweet, especially when the characters talk openly with each other, and Barney’s relationship with Ron carries a lot of the extended run time.
But at its worst moments, there’s too much cheap, cynical humour that outlandishly makes middle schoolers look cruel and adults look ferociously insensitive. Add in some grotesque character designs for the humans and a shocking number of poop jokes, and there’s an unpleasant tone whenever we aren’t watching cute robot Ron’s antics.
The problem with its premise is Ron’s Gone Wrong exploits a movie studio’s desires to appeal and connect to social media obsessed children without showcasing the dangers of spending your whole life online. Instead, the plot glamourizes a defence of using technology 24/7 - and that’s a dangerous message for kids.
The moral does become more well-rounded by the end, but it’s a really slow start and exposing the dangers of internet overuse is addressed for barely a few seconds.
How do we balance our new daily dependance on the digital world with keeping the benefits of its connectivity? That’s a story worth telling, but this isn’t it. Sony’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines tackled this subject matter in a more effective and much funnier way - and they did it in a movie that came out six months ago.
Overall, the film is too long for the young kids its targeting and the story gets distracted too often, changing plot directions every ten minutes. There’s a heartfelt, smart idea in the movie somewhere. There are also clearly still some glitches to figure out.
Ron’s Gone Wrong
5 out of 10
2hrs 35mins. Fantasy Sci-Fi Action Epic.
Directed by Jean-Philippe Vine and Sarah Smith.
Starring Jack Dylan Grazer, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Olivia Colman, Kylie Cantrall and Rob Delaney.
Now Playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, Cineplex Winston Churchill and Cineplex Oakville & VIP.
