Rons Gone Wrong Review

Have you ever wanted to have a best friend that knew everything about you and liked all of the same things you did? Someone to take your picture and instantly share it to your friends and followers? That's what everyone thought they wanted in Ron's Gone Wrong. But it turns out that too much technology may just be too much of a good thing. Together Ron and Barney break free from bullies, fake online profiles and reinforce what the true meaning of friendship is. I'm sharing my no-spoilers, parent review of Ron's Gone Wrong.

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of Ron's Gone Wrong free for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ron's Gone Wrong Now On Blu-Ray | A No-Spoilers, Parent Review

Things go hilariously awry when Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler, receives a malfunctioning, digitally connected device that’s supposed to be his “best friend out of the box.” In this action-packed animated story set against the backdrop of the social media age, a boy and his robot discover the wonderful messiness of true friendship.

Cast:

• Jack Dylan Grazer as Barney Pudowski
• Zach Galifianakis as Ron
• Olivia Colman as Donka Pudowski
• Ed Helms as Graham Pudowski
• Justice Smith as Marc Wydell
• Rob Delaney as Andrew Morris
• Kylie Cantrall as Savannah Meades
• Marcus Scribner as Alex
• Ricardo Hurtado as Rich
• Thomas Barbusca as Jayden

Bonus Features*

• A Boy and His B*Bot: When Jack Met Zach – Zach Galifianakis and Jack Dylan Grazer, the voices behind Ron and Barney, sit down to chat about a fun assortment of topics. From social media to skateboarding, the two actors from two very different generations tell us all about when Jack met Zach.
• Making Ron Right – Join cast and crew behind the scenes as they reveal the skill, dedication and friendship it took to bring this film to life. From writing the script to the voice-over booth, Locksmith’s artisans detail how they made Ron right.
• “Sunshine” Music Video – Song from the motion picture Ron’s Gone Wrong, performed by Liam Payne.

*bonus features vary by product and retailer

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Ron's Gone Wrong | No-Spoilers, Parent Review

Ron's Gone Wrong illustrates the struggles of fitting in, being popular online and the problem with too much tech. I think these are real issues kids face today and I think Ron's Gone Wrong tackles the "going viral" for all the wrong reasons moment very well. Everyone wants a lot of views but what happens if those views are for something super embarrassing? 

The Plot

There is a lot of plot to digest in Ron's Gone Wrong.

One plot line focuses on longing to fit in (both in the real world and the online world), there's a subplot line that deals with the loss of a parent and how that may shape a child and that child's relationships with their living relatives, there's a plot line that involves asthma and what it means to have it and the dangers one could find themselves in if they aren't careful, and there's a plot line centering around what it means to be a friend - not just having someone who likes all of the same things you do.

PLUS there is the plot line surrounding the creators of "BBOT" that could honestly be an entirely different movie altogether as we certainly didn't get enough of their backstory on how they came to be this Ying and Yang team. Opposites attracted here for sure and I would love to learn more!

Older kids will be able to follow all different plot lines while younger children will think Ron's antics are just hilarious (I know my two did!)

The Language

I always like to keep an ear out for words or phrases in films that are made for children to give parents the heads-up. 

For Ron's Gone Wrong, there isn't bad language in the traditional sense, but I was a bit surprised at the phrases that popped up. I heard the following: "shut up", "I'm gonna destroy you", "You are dead-meat", "You're insane", "Sucks" and "Dumb".

The Peril

This film takes a lot of twists and turns and one of those turns brings Barney's asthma to the forefront. Due to his lack of inhaler, Barney appears to be in pretty big trouble. This scene may be intense for younger children and cause them to worry about Barney.

There is some robot vs. human fighting in this film. Ron has gone wrong, remember? So while he wasn't supposed to be able to hurt anyone, Ron fully takes on some class bullies and since he was trying to learn EVERYTHING he knows the strength it requires to pull the heads off of stuffed animals and...other things.


Related: The Mitchells Vs. The Machines | No-Spoilers, Parent Review

My Overall Thoughts

Ron's Gone Wrong is rated PG for some rude material, thematic elements and language.

I feel this is a fair assessment. There are scenes that reference drinking and some instances of potty humor. My kids still walk around (and laugh about) the line, "it pooped me". 

Overall, this film tries to do a lot and frankly, too much. There are quite a few plot devices and not all of them get fully fleshed out.

With a run time of 1 hour and 47 minutes it isn't terribly long from start to finish and my young children sat through it just fine. 

The concept of technology taking over and running (or ruining) people's lives is not new for a film (Netflix's The Mitchells vs. The Machines came out earlier this year) but I appreciated the contrast between the two business partners behind BBOT; one wanting to actually help people, while the other was more concerned about public perception and the company's bottom line.

Aside from the lessons about technology, Barney and Ron illustrate the true meaning of friendship, specifically that "friendship is a two way street". Younger viewers can certainly understand the importance of being a good friend and being kind to kids in their class.
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Ron's Gone Wrong Age Recommendation: 6+
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To be fair, I watched this film with my children who are younger than 6 but I do not believe they fully grasped the concept of bad tech, social media followers and the dangers (and loneliness) of creating an over-inflated online presence. They, as I said thought "it pooped me" was hilarious and did not fully comprehend how sad it was for the character in the movie.

Ron's Gone Wrong will make for a great family movie night movie that has laughs for the kids as well as some teachable moments that parents can use as conversation starters later.

Ron's Gone Wrong is available on Blu-ray now!


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About Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) manages The Walt Disney Company’s vast content commercialization and distribution ecosystem that delivers the Company’s unparalleled storytelling to audiences worldwide. This entails P&L management and operation of the Company’s portfolio of streaming services including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and the international general entertainment offering, Star; its linear television channels and the ABC-owned stations; theatrical film distribution; content licensing and distribution, including Disney Music Group; global advertising sales; and the technology that powers these groups. Using a wealth of consumer insights from across the Company, DMED makes content investment and distribution decisions to maximize audience engagement and commercial impact across platforms, collaborating with creative leaders in Disney’s Studios, General Entertainment, and Sports organizations.
 
About Locksmith Animation
Locksmith Animation, a premier producer of CG animated movies for global audiences based in London, saw its debut film “Ron’s Gone Wrong” released by the Walt Disney Company on October 22, 2021. LSA is producing the holiday feature film “That Christmas,” based on writer/director Richard Curtis’ (“Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love Actually”) series of Christmas children’s books and is in development on a musical/comedy film at Warner Bros. Pictures. www.locksmithanimation.com