'Wreck-It Ralph' Mockumentary 'Garlan Hulse: Where Potential Lives' Follows A Former 'Fix-It Felix Jr.' Champ's Bid For Glory

Ever wonder what happened to Garlan Hulse? You remember — the twelve-year-old Fix-It Felix champ whose rise to fast fame was cut short when Kent Zborski smashed his record just weeks later? No, of course you don't, because Hulse and Zborski never existed and Fix-It Felix Jr. is a made-up game from Disney's Wreck-It Ralph. But if Hulse had been a real person, what might have happened to him after Zborski' rendered him irrelevant?

In the King of Kong-esque mockumentary Garlan Hulse: Where Potential Lives, director Rich Moore "discovers" that the one-time child star has spiraled steadily downward in 30 years since, and now drifts between odd jobs to support his mother. But there is a glowing ray of hope coming up his path — Hulse has decided to reclaim his position as the Fix-It Felix Jr. record-setter. Watch the short film after the jump.

[via Movies.com]

At 28 minutes, it's a little long for what's really just an extended gag. But at least you can't accuse Moore of half-assing it. This is the kind of irreverent parody that goes viral on YouTube all the time, and I love that Disney decided to just go for it themselves.

Wreck-It Ralph is meant for the entire family, but this promo/short seems squarely aimed at the older members of the household. It's a surprisingly dark film, with characters more closely related to Dawn Wiener than Mickey Mouse. And unlike most Disney heroes, Hulse has the kind of deep-seated problems that don't easily lend themselves to a happily ever after. But it's funny, too, especially when it comes to his off-kilter love interest Deanne Stuber-Zborski. Yup, as in that Zborski.Wreck-It Ralph is available on Blu-ray and DVD as of this week.