The animated gem Ron’s Gone Wrong is currently airing on Disney+, as well as being available on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download formats. It’s an adorable, timely, film that will please both parent and child. After sharing it with my eight-year-old, we teamed up to pen a review for the digital release where we caught it—including a bevy of belly laughs—to highly recommend the latest animated venture from Twentieth Century Studios.
It’s the near future (or is it?) and every kid has a B*Bot that was designed to help them make friends, but like so many of our so-called “smart” devices, it has in fact achieved the opposite. We’re connected but in solitary. This is the creation of Bubble CEO Marc Weidell (Justice Smith, Pokémon Detective Pikachu) who honestly believes that his invention will bring the world together, not tear it apart. His business partner Andrew Morris (Rob Delaney) has other ideas for the tech device that each child possesses and uploads data on the spending and life habits of every single owner.
That is, all except Barney (Jack Dylan Grazer), who is literally the only kid in his middle school that doesn’t own one. That changes when his grandmother and widowed father buy a shadily sold (and damaged) one that isn’t quite up to specs for his birthday. Hilarity ensues immediately as these gadgets which have been shown to be AI supremacy incarnate, are far from what Ron (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) is—he doesn’t even have an intact operating system. B*Bots’ whole existence is based on knowing its subject better than they know themselves. That is not Ron, but Barney is determined to teach him.
Ron’s Gone Wrong is a thoroughly enjoyable animated experience. The lessons learned are perfect for kids of all ages, including their parents. The humor slices through generations and hits home, regardless of where one is in life. It is a rare animated film that can truly be enjoyed by every single member of the family.
The acting is top-notch, particularly Grazer and Galifianakis, who form a formidable duo who have to navigate some rough waters in order to find both friendship and most importantly, kinship. The chemistry between these two makes the film what it is and ensures its specialness for everyone who witnesses its joy. It is the perfect holiday film to pop on while the entire clan is in town, and it will be an entertainment experience where each individual will leave the endeavor with an enormous smile and a warmed heart.
Also solid is Ed Helms as Barney’s father, who tries his absolute best to provide for his son, despite not being the best at his makeshift career.
When it comes to the view of an eight-year-old, they always put it best.
“I didn’t like it, I loved it,” she said. “The robot was really silly.”
The humor throughout tickled her funny bone continually, but especially one part—shocker! “it pooped me,” a character says at one point. “That was a very funny scene.” She was given the name, after the video of the incident went viral, #poopgirl. Our child felt bad for her, although admitted it was rather hilarious. In fact, we’re still laughing about it today.
The robot struck a chord in its characterization. “The boy that has the robot tells the robot that you have to know everything about me. But then he leaves (for school), and B*Bot is all alone. “When he comes back that his underwear is burnt—which is really, really funny, and his room is all messed, inside-out.”
Our not-so-small moviegoer enjoyed the familial aspect of the story, particularly Barney’s grandma Donka (Oscar winner Olivia Coleman). “His grandma was really funny. But I liked the poop girl, who is actually called Savanah.”
When asked if one would want a bot like in Ron’s Gone wrong, the answer came quickly. “Of course,” she said. “Because I’ve always wanted a robot, but they are way too expensive. I wouldn’t want it to destroy my room though because they’re some very important stuff in there.”
The animation was top-notch and for this eight-year-old, one part shined through. “I liked how they drew the forestry scene. I liked the B*Bot store and how it was drawn.”
More than anything else, our target audience was on the edge of her seat and the film kept her guessing. “I didn’t know what was going to happen,” they added. Whenever the B*Bot would go and do something, that too raised the temperature. “When Barney went to school, Ron got a guy who was dancing on the park bench… and there was a baby,” she said and laughed. “And there was a parrot and a policeman.”
So, there you have it, folks. Parents happy, kids happy, a movie well done!
Daddy’s Grade: B+
Youngster’s Grade: A+