Title: Ratchet and Clank
Directed by: Kevin Munroe and Jerrica Cleland
Screenplay by: Kevin Munroe, Gerry Swallow, and TJ Fixman
Year: 2016
I grew up with the Ratchet and Clank games and so I am very familiar with the franchise. The games are very well made and definitely have the potential to be made into great films, especially the Future trilogy. However, video-game films have not had a good track record in terms of film adaptations to say the least. So I walked into this film cautiously optimistic. Is this the start of a new era of video game movies, or is it another failure for the genre?
Chairman Drek is "deplanetizing" several planets in the Solana Galaxy. Meanwhile on Veldin, Ratchet, a skilled mechanic, comes across a defective war bot named Clank. Together, they must work with the Galactic Rangers to bring down Drek and thwart his plans.
One of the best things Ratchet and Clank has going for it is the talented voice cast. Some of the voice actors from the games have been brought in to voice their respective characters. James Arnold Taylor is completely comfortable voicing Ratchet. He knows how to capture the youthful energy of the character and it is impossible to imagine anyone else voicing the character. The same goes for David Kaye as Clank. He has voiced the character since the very first game in 2002 and he owns the role. His ability to voice robotic inflections is impeccable (no, his voice is not enhanced or changed to sound like a robot) and he is able to give this robot a soul and a personality. Jim Ward is incredible as Captain Qwark. Ward's voice brings this goofy and egotistical character to life. On paper, Qwark is an annoying and ignorant person, but Ward is able to make him an enjoyable presence. Alex Shimerman voices Dr. Nefarious and his voice is so distinct. He evokes the mad scientist vibe with ease and he is having a ball playing this character.
The rest of the voice cast does not come from the video games, but they were alright overall. Paul Giamatti is great as Drek, perfectly bringing out the lunacy and villainy of the character. Sylvester Stallone is pretty good as Victor, who is Drek's robot bodyuard. John Goodman is good as Grimrith for the little time he appears in the film. Rosario Dawson does a fine job as Elaris, but by the end of the film, her character feels like an after thought. And Bella Thorne and Vincent Tong fail to leave an impression as Kora and Brax, respectively, but they are not given much material to work with.
While the voice cast is quite good overall, the characters are another matter. Clank and Qwark both feel like they have been ripped right from the games. They are perfectly represented and exhibit all the qualities for which the characters are loved. Ratchet on the other hand is completely out of character. He starts out fine, but once he starts training with the Galactic Rangers he becomes quite the prick, especially to Clank. This is not the Ratchet we know and love, voice casting aside. The rest of the Galactic Rangers fail to leave an impression as they are very one-note and are given nothing to do. Drek is done very well except for one or two moments where he is portrayed as a complete imbecile, which contradicts how he is in the rest of the film. Nefarious is illustrated accurately for the most part, but it is a bit strange to see him before he became the iconic cyborg.
One of the biggest issues with this film is in the title. The film is called Ratchet and Clank, so why do they spend most of the film split-up. Ratchet goes on the physical missions while Clank stays behind to strategize at times, which is not what should be happening. And whenever Clank is on Ratchet's back, the two are never alone. There is always someone else with them, which does not allow their relationship to grow and develop. The film should be focused on how these characters interact with one another but Ratchet and Clank hardly share any screen-time together, which comes as a massive disappointment.
The story is very simple, which should work for this film, and for the most part it does. The thin story allows for the movie to move along at a fast pace and gives room for character development. However, the film does not make use of the time it saves. Rather than expanding the characters so that they are rich and likable, the film just happens. I say that because nothing substantial really occurs in a few chunks of the film. Many times, the picture seems more preoccupied with making jokes than developing the characters. The script also feels like it was a first draft. Nothing feels polished and I was constantly re-writing the film in my head as it played out. Having said all that, there are still a number of fun moments and enjoyment to be had with this film. The action is decent and the animation is appropriate for the fast pace scenes.
Speaking of jokes, the humor in the film is very hit and miss. There are a number of very clever jokes. There are title cards that are self-aware, a Wilhelm scream joke, and some very good slapstick for instance. But there are also very forced and childish jokes. This is one of the lines from the movie:
Brax: Does anybody feel like we should've shot something by now? Because I really feel like I should have shot something by now.
Cora: Thank you!
This joke just does not work and there are many forced jokes like it in the film. I would say there are slightly more hits than misses, but the clever jokes do not overshadow the forced ones, unfortunately.
On a visual level, this film is stunning. The characters are well realized, the environments are lush and varied, and the animation is suitable for the quick slapstick that often occurs. This film is oozing with color and rather distinct based solely on appearances.
The odd thing about this film is that it is simultaneously made for Ratchet and Clank fans and made to enrage fans. There are plenty of in-jokes that can be deeply appreciated. The Plumber, who is a running joke in the games, makes a quick appearance. There is a an entire sequence dedicated to showcasing the various weapons of the universe. The Swingshot is used prominently (as are the hover boots), Qwark's hand drawn plans make a brief appearance, and Daxter and Sly Cooper have cameos. They even found a way to incorporate Ratchet's diverse arsenal in a believable way. There are so many good tie-ins and nods to the games that will bring a smile to any fan's face.
But then there are many things that will have fans in fumes. For example, even though they found out a way to have Ratchet's arsenal implemented in a plausible way, all of the Galactic Rangers have this ability. This diminishes what helps make Ratchet unique. The RYNO V is a complete throwaway in the film, which will certainly anger many fans. The Omniwrench is an afterthought and we never even see Clank's heli-pack. He is always in thruster mode. The propeller look is iconic and I cannot believe it was left out of the film.
Ratchet and Clank is not a bad film, but definitely a disappointment. Do not get me wrong, I had quite a bit of fun with this picture. It is great to see these characters on the big screen, even if a few are not represented all that well, and the visuals are beautiful. There are some fun action sequences and the music is catchy, especially the end credits song. The voice cast is really good and when the jokes hit, they really hit. But the the character development is lacking, there are numerous inconsistencies (i.e. in one scene Ratchet is incapable of using the weapons but within the very next scene he has mastered the hover boots), the jokes can be pretty darn forced, and the film is not all that memorable. The picture is certainly geared much more towards children than adults and it is completely harmless in that respect. But the games were not like that. The games were child-friendly, but not childish. The film fails to grasp that angle, which makes it a more a difficult watch for those of the older persuasion. If I were grading this based on my enjoyment, it would rank a bit higher, but as it stands, it is a flawed film that I can really only recommend to fans of the game franchise. Ratchet and Clank sets up a sequel and I hope it comes to be, just so they can learn from their mistakes and hopefully produce a good movie based on this beloved series.
Grade: C+
One of the biggest issues with this film is in the title. The film is called Ratchet and Clank, so why do they spend most of the film split-up. Ratchet goes on the physical missions while Clank stays behind to strategize at times, which is not what should be happening. And whenever Clank is on Ratchet's back, the two are never alone. There is always someone else with them, which does not allow their relationship to grow and develop. The film should be focused on how these characters interact with one another but Ratchet and Clank hardly share any screen-time together, which comes as a massive disappointment.
The story is very simple, which should work for this film, and for the most part it does. The thin story allows for the movie to move along at a fast pace and gives room for character development. However, the film does not make use of the time it saves. Rather than expanding the characters so that they are rich and likable, the film just happens. I say that because nothing substantial really occurs in a few chunks of the film. Many times, the picture seems more preoccupied with making jokes than developing the characters. The script also feels like it was a first draft. Nothing feels polished and I was constantly re-writing the film in my head as it played out. Having said all that, there are still a number of fun moments and enjoyment to be had with this film. The action is decent and the animation is appropriate for the fast pace scenes.
Speaking of jokes, the humor in the film is very hit and miss. There are a number of very clever jokes. There are title cards that are self-aware, a Wilhelm scream joke, and some very good slapstick for instance. But there are also very forced and childish jokes. This is one of the lines from the movie:
Brax: Does anybody feel like we should've shot something by now? Because I really feel like I should have shot something by now.
Cora: Thank you!
This joke just does not work and there are many forced jokes like it in the film. I would say there are slightly more hits than misses, but the clever jokes do not overshadow the forced ones, unfortunately.
On a visual level, this film is stunning. The characters are well realized, the environments are lush and varied, and the animation is suitable for the quick slapstick that often occurs. This film is oozing with color and rather distinct based solely on appearances.
The odd thing about this film is that it is simultaneously made for Ratchet and Clank fans and made to enrage fans. There are plenty of in-jokes that can be deeply appreciated. The Plumber, who is a running joke in the games, makes a quick appearance. There is a an entire sequence dedicated to showcasing the various weapons of the universe. The Swingshot is used prominently (as are the hover boots), Qwark's hand drawn plans make a brief appearance, and Daxter and Sly Cooper have cameos. They even found a way to incorporate Ratchet's diverse arsenal in a believable way. There are so many good tie-ins and nods to the games that will bring a smile to any fan's face.
But then there are many things that will have fans in fumes. For example, even though they found out a way to have Ratchet's arsenal implemented in a plausible way, all of the Galactic Rangers have this ability. This diminishes what helps make Ratchet unique. The RYNO V is a complete throwaway in the film, which will certainly anger many fans. The Omniwrench is an afterthought and we never even see Clank's heli-pack. He is always in thruster mode. The propeller look is iconic and I cannot believe it was left out of the film.
Ratchet and Clank is not a bad film, but definitely a disappointment. Do not get me wrong, I had quite a bit of fun with this picture. It is great to see these characters on the big screen, even if a few are not represented all that well, and the visuals are beautiful. There are some fun action sequences and the music is catchy, especially the end credits song. The voice cast is really good and when the jokes hit, they really hit. But the the character development is lacking, there are numerous inconsistencies (i.e. in one scene Ratchet is incapable of using the weapons but within the very next scene he has mastered the hover boots), the jokes can be pretty darn forced, and the film is not all that memorable. The picture is certainly geared much more towards children than adults and it is completely harmless in that respect. But the games were not like that. The games were child-friendly, but not childish. The film fails to grasp that angle, which makes it a more a difficult watch for those of the older persuasion. If I were grading this based on my enjoyment, it would rank a bit higher, but as it stands, it is a flawed film that I can really only recommend to fans of the game franchise. Ratchet and Clank sets up a sequel and I hope it comes to be, just so they can learn from their mistakes and hopefully produce a good movie based on this beloved series.
Grade: C+
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