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That something is, of course, Pac-Man.
Hes making a special guest appearance, one brand hopping into another.
As of 2012, such crossovers were a rarity.
When critics praised the first film, they took note of how potent the idea was.
The idea makes so much sense that its becoming increasingly commonplace.
Its not necessarily a cheery thought.
These were all hits of one size or another.
The market is speaking.
Its hard to imagineRalph Breaks the Internetbreaking that streak.
Its a decently written kids movie with a constant stream of amusing gags and comforting character beats.
The voice acting is often delightful.
But these factors, on their own, can only take the flick so far.
There are appearances from game characters, but the real action this time around is in the tech sector.
The brands are not strictly bits of set-dressing, either.
One can imagine an eBay boardroom erupting in delight at an early screening.
There would be nothing for them to complain about.
But crucially, no one has succeeded in their imitation attempts.
Brand-synergy movies offer an alternative thats expensive in dollars but cheap in creative effort.
Its the next level up from mere cinematic adaptation.
This trend doesnt have to be a death knell for creativity in blockbuster cinema.
A turducken can be baked and seasoned well by the right cooks.
Roger Rabbituses these cameos as building blocks for story and world-building, not mere showing-off.
but for the most part, these characters are present to help critique show business.
These things can be done well.
But it seems all too likely that they will be done poorly.
One struggles to imagine brands being okay withRoger Rabbitlevel subversion these days.
Itll all be focus-group-approved portrayals that advance the joint agendas of the creators and the companies, alike.
The temptation to take a dull plot and spice it up with branded guest appearances is simply too strong.
