After the deplorable Halloween season that visits every year and brings with it some of the worst movies to ever grace a screen, movies have started picking up steam for the fall and winter season.

Instead of playing “guess the cult,” many of the newer films such as “Argo,” “Skyfall,” and my personal favorite, “Wreck-It Ralph,” can all provide a welcome distraction over the break before the storm approaches and everyone begins to stock up on canned goods for the coming finals.

Of all of the amazing new movies that are out though, “Wreck-It Ralph” holds a special place in my heart because it illustrates the fact that the older you get, the better kid’s movies become.

“Wreck-It Ralph,” simplified, is a movie made for gamers. It’s full of gamer fan service that’ll bring back the days that many kids spent wasting their allowance in an arcade to play games that ran on stone-age technology, compared to the beloved modern shooters like “Call of Duty” or “Halo.”

Like most good Disney movies, though, it lends itself to the special kind of originality that reaches out to both kids and adults alike. Beyond merely invoking nostalgia, it creates a story that can appeal to the best in all of us.

A good children’s movie is not the kind of movie that is so overtly moralistic that it becomes disgusting and off putting. “Wreck-It Ralph” explores the desire that most people have at some point in their life to escape from their day-to-day schedule and become a larger-than-life hero worthy of praise and fame. In Ralph’s villain crisis he learns to discover what it means to be a hero even if part of that is as simple as protecting those around him and making them happy.

Through exploring the many game machines whether it be something as timeless as Pacman or classic racing games, Disney once again manages to do what they do best and take a child’s environment and bring in adult themes in the interesting and unexplored world of arcade games.

The movie itself does have some downfalls — arguably the greatest being Sarah Silverman’s voicing of the young child racer Venellope. She does a wonderful job capturing how simultaneously annoying and endearing a young child can be, but even so by the end you may find yourself wanting to throw her out a window (if you didn’t already want to).

The movie also attempts to make some vague political commentary about how violent modern games have become that is completely overshadowed by the more important story of Ralph’s self-realization. The commentary falls flat throughout and while I’m not going to take the time to argue the implications, if you’re going to make a statement, it’s best to make it clear.

As a whole, though, if you’re looking to spend a few bucks to see a good movie with your family this Thanksgiving, go check out “Wreck-It Ralph.” The beautiful graphics and likable characters make for an enjoyable experience that might just bring out the nerd in you.

Brian Fosdick is a junior journalism major. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.