Citation: Smith, S., Vine, J.-P. & Rodriguez, O. E. (Directors). (2021, October 22). Ron’s gone wrong [Video]. 20th Century Animation. DisneyPlus. https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/rons-gone-wrong/6YEcF0iATBg0
Everyone at school has a Bubble Buddy except for Barney. When his birthday rolls around, he receives a broken one and must grapple with Ron’s faulty programming. Together, they revolutionize friendship in the modern age.
The criticism of the big money conglomerate ruining the lives of children with money-making and privacy-infringing robots also rings hollow since it’s paired with a different figure who is in the same position but is “innocent”. It’s not nuance, it’s placating to funders and capitalists.
In theory, Ron could be a useful metaphor for those who struggle with social connection in general, but his ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Bubble Buddy anarchy muddies that allegory.
Ron’s Gone Wrong is passable, but it values entertainment over theme, so any attempt at meaning is foiled for a joke.
Check out our other review of Ron's Gone Wrong here.