Though they don’t seem that similar, both “Flight” and “Wreck-It Ralph” focus on what distinguishes heroes and villains.

In the Disney computer-animated tale, Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is the destructive bad guy of the Donkey Kong-inspired arcade game, “Fix-It Felix Jr.” When the arcade closes each night, however, Ralph is a nice guy (albeit with Hulk-size anger issues) who is shunned by the game’s other residents.

Set out to prove he can be a hero, Ralph leaves his own game in search of redemption, which eventually leads him to a candy-inspired racing game and a motor-mouth computer glitch named Vanellope (Sarah Silverman). While she’s got her own in-game problems, Ralph is pursued by his sincere colleague Felix (Jack McBrayer) and a relentless soldier (Jane Lynch) straight out of a modern first-person shooter game.

“Wreck-It Ralph” opens with some amusing cameos from a variety of classic video game characters, notably those in attendance at a “bad-anon” meeting. These gags help the movie through the necessary exposition, and just when the novelty wears off, “Wreck-It Ralph” redirects its focus to the main characters.

Ralph and Vanellope’s unlikely partnership fuels the second half, and their connection leads to some surprising revelations. “Wreck-It Ralph” steadily builds momentum straight into a propulsive final act filled with monstrous computer viruses, high-speed racing and last-ditch acts of bravery and sacrifice.

In the end, “Wreck-It Ralph” succeeds most when it isn’t trying to provide audiences with clever references to the gaming world. It’s the character relationships that matter more, with the in-jokes and cameos just a bonus for the initiated.

If Ralph is the bad-guy-gone-good, then Denzel Washington in “Flight” is the good-guy-with-really-bad-habits. He plays Captain Whip Whitaker, a commercial airline pilot who frequently indulges in heavy drinking and drug use before strapping into the cockpit.

The film begins on just such an occasion, only the plane he’s piloting suffers a devastating malfunction midflight. Whip miraculously lands the plane, and the media celebrates his heroic actions.

But wait. Six people died in the crash, Whip’s toxicology report reveals the drugs and alcohol, and a flashy attorney (Don Cheadle) arrives to handle damage control.

“Flight” begins as a harrowing thriller, boasting one of the most terrifying crash sequences ever depicted. Really, though, the major focus is Whip’s debilitating alcohol addiction. He lies, he drinks, and he hurts the people closest to him. The central question: Do Whip’s heroics offset his destructive negligence?

Plenty of movies have wrestled with alcohol addiction, and “Flight” doesn’t necessarily add anything to the subject minus Washington’s powerful yet understated work. He avoids needless showboating and commands the screen with quieter acts of personal desperation. An alcoholic doesn’t always shout and punch things, after all.

Complimenting Washington are equally strong performances by Kelly Reilly, as an addict Whip meets at the hospital, and John Goodman in a scene-stealing role as Whip’s dealer.

Director Robert Zemeckis (“Cast Away”) capably returns to live-action after a string of motion-capture animation projects (“The Polar Express,” “Beowulf”), especially in executing the opening crash sequence. But “Flight” never establishes any new momentum after the crash, even in Whip’s looming legal battle. The film remains ever focused on Whip’s boozing, a subject that can’t be dramatized realistically without a great deal of repetition. That said, some thoughtful trimming might have ratcheted some tension without sacrificing the realism.

Denzel brings his A-game though, bringing compassion to a character with a whole lot of flaws. Not a lot of actors could handle this particular high-wire act. Audiences will walk out with differing opinions on where Whip lands on the good-guy, bad-scale. Ralph would probably agree that such labels are not so easily defined.

Grades:
Wreck-It Ralph: B+
Flight: B