User reviews

As a huge fan of the game series I was very excited about this film. Unfortunately it was really average in my opinion. The film at many points captured the spirit of the game well and there are absolutely some great moments in the movie. As a big fan of the games, just seeing those beloved characters in their own movie is really cool. However, my problem is I feel like it should have been better. There are some funny moments in the movie for sure, but it just isn't as funny as the games are. I think the mistake that was made is that the movie was aimed more at kids, most of whom at this point probably have not played the original game (seeing as it came out almost 15 years ago). For that reason I felt like a lot of the humor was much more tame than it is in the games and so therefore a lot of times the jokes just were not funny in the movie. Also I thought the cool weapons from the games were not really showcased enough, not to mention there was hardly any appearances of the famous wrench that Ratchet uses. However, the main issue is that the movie feels more for kids than it is for the fans which is unfortunate. However, if you are a big fan of the games like I am, I still encourage you to see the movie because there definitely are some enjoyable moments and some funny moments. It is not a bad movie at all, it just should have been better.

At first I was sceptical about watching this film as I read the critic reviews from other sites but decided to go to watch it. After watching this film I'm so glad I did. This film is truly a film for the fans but is also a great film for everyone. Even if you have never played the video games, this film will still be easy to watch. Don't listen to the stupid critic reviewers who don't know how to have fun as this film is certainly fun. Even though there were many jokes, the only main bad side to this film was that it was lacking the innuendos which made it so famous in its original trilogy. Apart from that though, well written film.

The trend of turning computer-based video games into movies (and vice versa) started in the 1980s and became a popular trend in the 90s, but Sony Entertainment figured out a new dynamic for the 2016 release of the computer-animated sci-fi action-adventure "Ratchet & Clank" (PG, 1:34). Pong, the first commercially successful video game, came out in 1972 and became the inspiration for "Tron", the 1982 film in which a human being gets trapped inside a game (although one much more complex than Pong). The Tron movie spawned several video games, other entertainment products and a 2010 sequel. In the meantime, video games which became feature films (some live-action, some animated and some a combination of both) included "Super Mario Brothers" (1993), the "Mortal Combat" movies ('95 and '97), the "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" films (2001 and 2003), the "Resident Evil" series (2002-2017) and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (2010). More recent examples include the nostalgia-fueled films "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012) and "Pixels" (2015), not to mention 2016's animated fantasy epic "Warcraft".

With a "Lara Croft" reboot planned (starring Alicia Vikander), the cross-pollination between game consoles and movie theaters doesn't look to end any time soon, especially when you consider the new "Ratchet & Clank" template. Croft's video game franchise got a reboot in 2013, followed by the reboot of her film franchise, both of which serve as prequels to the earlier versions of the game and the Angelina Jolie movies. Likewise, 2016's "Ratchet & Clank" film is an origin story for the characters (whose first video game appeared in 2002), but this film was actually developed in conjunction with the video game reboot, which is based partially on the film, which had its original 2015 release date delayed, leading to a matching (coordinated) postponement in the release of the new game. Of course, all that is just background to a movie which, as a feature film, needs to stand on its own and entertain audiences whether they're gamers or think that "Ratchet & Clank" is just a bad name for an auto repair shop.

Ratchet (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) is a Lombax, a cat-like creature with especially large ears and thick eyebrows. He's an earnest mechanic who works for Grimroth Razz (John Goodman) repairing and maintaining spaceships. Ratchet's a relatively small creature, but he has big dreams. He wants to join his heroes, the Galactic Rangers, fellow anthropomorphic animals who travel around the Solona Galaxy battling evildoers (kind of like an animated "Guardians of the Galaxy"). The Rangers' leader is Captain Qwark (Jim Ward) a large attention-seeking humanoid with a larger-than-life personality (think Buzz Lightyear on steroids) and ego to match. Ratchet is crushed when he responds to a Galaxy Rangers open try-out, only for his hero to tell him face-to-face that he doesn't have what it takes to be one of them.

Ratchet gets the opportunity to prove himself when he meets up with an undersized but sentient factory-rejected robot whom he calls Clank (David Kaye). Clank carries information about the evil Chairman Drek (Paul Giamatti), the leader of the Blarg, and his involvement in the recent destruction of several uninhabited planets. Working together, Ratchet and Clank are able to throw Drek's plans off track and prove themselves worthy of joining the Galactic Rangers. The adorable title characters work with Qwark, Cora (Bella Thorne), Brax (Vincent Tong), Elaris (Rosario Dawson) and others to keep Drek from meeting his increasingly dangerous goals. Meanwhile, Drek works with his robot henchman, Victor Von Ion (Sylvester Stallone), and his head scientist, Doctor Nefarious (Armin Shimerman) to infiltrate the Galactic Rangers and move forward with his plans, but Drek's not this story's only villain with a plan.

"Ratchet & Clank" is an entertaining and smart blending of various elements and characters from the video game series with a new origin story. Screenwriters T.J. Fixman, Gerry Swallow and Kevin Munroe (who also directs, along with Jericca Cleland) give us plenty of action and some good life lessons which parents will appreciate and will (hopefully) inspire kids, but the script is a short on laughs (including mature humor that pops up in the games). The voice work of the stars in the cast is predictably reliable, but can't outshine the relative unknowns (some of whom voiced the video game characters), proving that it's not necessary to stock every animated movie with big-name voice talent to create an entertaining product. This film's biggest strength is its creative and state-of-the-art animation. Even without viewing the film in 3D, we see remarkable detail and depth in its characters and backgrounds, giving the audience the impression that they already know what the objects and textures would feel like. This is one of those rare video game adaptations that's not only visually stunning, but entertaining AND family friendly. "B+"

Well animated, good cast, but misses the charm of the games.

I've played the game on the PS4 and sadly this is just the same storyline with extra bits. It would of been better to have an original story, sadly they didn't go down this path and although I watched this film, which seems well executed, nothing new was offered and the flavour didn't seem to work.

Based on a video game, I was interested in watching this film because I remembered playing it as a kid. I didn't really know that there was a story behind the game, but it felt a bit nostalgic to watch. However, I don't remember much of the game, and so thought the story itself to be very average and not that interesting. A typical narrative of boy admires hero, who then doesn't turn out to be what he expects.

The characters aren't that well developed either. We only get a bit of background into Ratchet and Dr. Nefarious' characters, but other than them, we know nothing of the others. We know how Clank came to be, but it isn't explained why a malfunctioned robot would act the way he does. As well, Ratchet always seem to be a little unmotivated and the reasoning for this isn't clear.

The animation is cute though, and the weird creatures do provide some comedic relief. There are quite a few funny scenes as well, but not enough to keep you fully engaged in the narrative. In addition, action scenes are brief, and could have been longer to create more suspense.

On the whole, I think the film speaks more towards the fans of the video game. As I can't remember much of the game, I found this film fun for little kids perhaps, but not for me. It isn't such a bore to watch, but I would not recommend others watch this unless they have small children or are fans of the game.

Cute flick with potential but managed to get boring. I guess it was too busy and seemed not to have a point.

If there were ever a pitch to be greeted by a nearly universal pleasantly bemused "...oh! Why...?", it's Ratchet & Clank: The Movie. Let's be real. The Playstation games by Insomniac are stupendous, gleefully destructive fun, but already cinematic enough between gameplay and cut-scenes. Plus, it's roughly a decade too late for the series' peak cultural relevance anyway. Could it be that Sony is further suckling on the Marvel teat, and endeavouring to start their own interconnected PlayStation movie universe (please no)? We do get nods to Sly Cooper and Jak and Daxter here. And if you remember them since you've been knee-high to a sand-mouse (as I evidently do), you're probably in the fairly limited demographic who will genuinely enjoy Ratchet & Clank above the age of 10.

Yes, 10 - no 'Rated T for Teen' here. The big screen debut of everyone's favourite Lombax/diminutive robot tag-team skews much younger than the firearms-heavy games, likely to entice a new generation of audience/gamers. Unfortunately, the film suffers heavily for it. In lieu of the games' creatively and cathartically destructive combat and cheeky humour, we're confronted with a slew of sanitized space laser tag, with only some inventive nostalgia punching it up. Even worse: the screenwriters resort to barfing, aliens texting, or repeated use of the word "really ?" as a punchline. There's the occasional sturdy gag that steps it up ("Wilhelm!!" and hat tips to Conan the Barbarian and Ferris Bueller) that speak to the games' wacky irreverence, but even these are generally chortle-worthy at best. Qwarktastic this ain't.

Sure, Ratchet's joys never lay in plot. Still, they've certainly (clumsily) punched up the Star Wars similarities in adapting the first game here, while trimming its sociopolitical critique of corporatism and pollution in Chairman Drek's planetary bricolage (no smarmy PSAs, for one). The pace may be zippy and the animation colourful, but the execution is drearily lazy. Just when the action starts to kindle embers of fun, it's quickly snuffed whenever the film stops to meditate on an overlong double-cross sequence, or 'the true meaning of heroism' (yawn). More irritatingly, while the PS4 calibre animation still looks great on the big screen, the universe itself feels distressingly claustrophobic. For a game series initially applauded for its Pixar level of commitment to surreal, inventive imagery, the action is largely crammed into Ratchet's planet, Veldin (including one canyon jaunt that uncomfortably recalls The Phantom Menace's podracing of all things... yikes) and Drek's ship, leaving out the series' flair for world-hopping wonder.

So: is there redemption to be had, or just death by Blargian Snagglebeast? Not so fast, cadets. The movie still retains a huge amount of the games' amiable charm, which hits the nostalgia buttons hard for fans (Yoo-hoo, Mr. Zurkon!), and skirts by as just endearing enough for kids and drowsy parents alike. The action sequences are still tons of fun, even finding a credible basis for the games' weapon switching, which allows for cameos from a gaggle of classic gameplay arsenal (highlights include the Sheepinator, and - yes, it had to be said - the Pyrocitor). This, along with Ratchet's swingshot 'web-slinging', keep the combat inventive and exuberant. It all gets a bit unfocused by the end, with the final space battle drifting into a clanging CGI blur, but the proceedings retain enough discerning silliness to keep the vibe pleasant rather than discordant.

For a film that clearly invested serious money into saddling a stupendous A-list supporting cast into thankless stock supporting roles (you can just make out John Goodman and Sylvester Stallone grunting in the background as 'mentor' and 'thug' respectively), the primary joy still lies in hearing the original voice cast enthusiastically reprise their defining characters. James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye are still delightfully droll as the titular duo, and their camaraderie, comedic timing and banter are still enough to sell even the most tired gags. Jim Ward's posturing buffoon Captain Quark may flit clumsily from plot point to plot point, but he's still bombastically hilarious enough to remain as lovable a doofus as ever, while Armin Shimerman's Dr. Nefarious infuses the film with the energy that only an exquisitely hammy pantomime villain can. The other star inclusions don't fare as well: Paul Giamatti's preening as Chairman Drek is instantly forgettable, while Rosario Dawson mugs desperately for laughs that just aren't there, teetering between 'Generic Strong Female Background Character 101' and 'high-strung nerd'. The film's insertion of too many instantly forgettable 'Galactic Rangers' side characters also feels imbalanced, and steals too much focus from the infinitely more entertaining leads.

"It's about as thrilling as watching someone else play a video game" is normally a movie epitaph. Here, though Ratchet & Clank is lively and charming enough to keep seasoned fans and younger kids entertained, newcomers might start to prefer peeking over the shoulder of a gaming roommate instead. The final irony: the most recent Ratchet & Clank PS4 video game based on the movie based on the video game is apparently fantastic. Play that instead.

-6/10

I might have heard the name, but seems nothing familiar. So it is very much like my first encounter with these game characters. And this is really a good first film, I enjoyed, but did not like, because I'm not the target audience. I know, many grown-ups liked it, but they had reasons like they have known this for some time. One thing that fascinated me was the production quality. I can't believe, it was not those silly B class animation, it was very much comparable to Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks films. The only thing that did not favour it was the story. If they have got that part right, it would have been one of the best animations of the years.

So the truth is I tempted to rate it higher for the quality of animation alone. The directors, and all artists must be praised for that. If I were a kid, it would have been my favourite. So what I'm saying it, this film will be loved by children. There's not child film critic, otherwise this film would have been appreciated better. The problem is the critics did not like it, and so the adults, but families with kids might have chance to enjoy it.

Some of the big names in the voice-over artist list, but that did not help the film to see its success. There's no innovation in it, everything you see in the film was already exploited in other films. All those the space warriors thing, the chosen one, villain, mad scientist, betrayal, you have seen them from 'Star wars' to 'Guardian of the Galaxy'. That is another reason for not having a good time with it. It is still very much a watchable film.

5/10

Ratchet & Clank is a 2016 American-Canadian 3D computer-animated science fiction action comedy film based on the first game of the platforming video game series of the same name. The film stars the voices of Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye and Sylvester Stallone.

Series creators Insomniac Games helped with the film's production, screenplay, character development, and animation. The film was directed by Jericca Cleland and Kevin Munroe, featuring an original story written by Munroe and former Insomniac Games Senior Writer T.J. Fixman, who started writing for the series with the Future saga. Several cast members from the games reprised their respective voice roles, and assets from the video games were utilized in the film.

The film is an origin story that retells the events of the original Ratchet & Clank, depicting how Ratchet and Clank met each other as they attempt to save the Solana Galaxy from being destroyed by Chairman Drek and the Blarg. However, the film expands on various plot points in greater detail, and incorporates some elements from later series entries, such as the introduction of Doctor Nefarious and the Galactic Rangers.

The animation quality etc is pretty good but the story is as good as a weekly cartoon. For some jokes, most of the things in the story have been abandoned. The main problem is that the message of the story is very boring and obvious. Another problem is that the breaking points in the story are handled too little. It does not count the continuous assembly. Some of your jokes are really outdated. I think play the game of the movie.

I just watched the movie, it was disappointing. Very little variety in background species, animation that seems like the guy who worked on Jimmy Neutron the TV series had a hand in this and the story that seems to be more interested at trying to be funny rather than being invested in a coherent and fluent plot. Also the music...whoever worked on the audio didn't know what the hell they were doing and didn't know how the music of the games complimented the themes.

I do not blame the characters, they are great and I know all about their games, the way this movie was presented pales in comparison to the presentation of A Crack in Time. I could have forgiven a lot, like the low quality animation, background characters with low variety, bad music and everything, if the director wasn't so bad.

The guy was too busy making the movie describe the weapons, try to make pop culture jokes about texting, texting! and try to make stupid scenes where characters screaming and getting their heads bonked look funny.

I get it, Ratchet and Clank is loved for the weapons, comedy and etc. but that is not what the characters are about. The story should have been invested in itself, not stupidity! The movie could have been professional and still be funny if it wasn't for the bad director.

Video games have had a dubious track record when adapted for film, a vast majority of them being mediocre to terrible. This reviewer and her siblings much enjoyed the 'Ratchet & Clank' video games when we were younger, they were funny and diverting with memorable characters, great voice acting and thrilling gameplay.

When hearing that there was to be a film based on the 'Ratchet & Clank' games, I wasn't sure what to think. There was the worry as to whether the games would adapt well to film, one couldn't help feeling sceptical due to how badly most video game film adaptations have fared and the trailer looked pretty dreadful. However, being a lifelong fan of animation and having fond memories of the games (plus films like 'Galaxy Quest', 'Lilo and Stitch', 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Tangled', for examples, were very badly marketed, but were very good to great films, so one shouldn't judge a film by its trailer or marketing), it deserved a fair chance.

'Ratchet & Clank', as far as video game adaptations go, fares better than most. Despite having too many flaws still to recommend, it is one of the better video game adaptations out there. As an adaptation, it seems to have divided fans, some liked that it was faithful compared to most video game adaptations while others found it bland compared to the games. As a film on its own merits, it is not that bad but the criticisms from the critics are understandable and valid and it could have been better.

On a side note, there is some serious growing up to be done by those who liked the film (and actually in general on this site, critic bashing here had rapidly grown worse over the past two years especially). It is fine if you liked the film and it is agreed that there is a good deal to like but please show some respect for those who didn't like it. The critic bashing comes across as immature and condescending and makes one think that it is illegal to like a well-regarded film or dislike a panned one. Can't count the number of reviews that somehow were approved by IMDb, but should never have been approved in the first place (a lot of them coming dangerously close to violating the terms and conditions of IMDb, some of the negative reviews for the new 'Star Wars' film, panned Adam Sandler films, Marvel films and 'Gone Girl' for examples in fact do so) let alone have so many useful votes while the reviews of the general consensus are heavily marked down.

Starting with the positives, 'Ratchet & Clank' excels in the voice acting, which with the exception of one disappointment is very good, mixing some of the original voice actors with A-list talent. The original voice actors don't disappoint and the new voice actors match them in enthusiasm, are worthy replacements mostly and there is much pleasure in recognising them. James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, John Goodman and Armin Shimermann are particularly strong.

There are some witty lines and fun gags here and there, there are some well-done references that are fun to spot and the characters' original personalities are maintained and they're likable. 'Ratchet & Clank' does better than most video game adaptations in trying to be faithful in spirit to the original source material. The soundtrack has some catchy and energetic moments though not all of it fits and there is a tendency for it to be over-scored.

For all these good things, 'Ratchet & Clank' doesn't come over entirely successfully. The animation is not awful, there are some lovely bright colours and there is some nice visual invention but there is too much of a video game look often, the character designs are stiff especially Qwark and there is a general lack of finesse and nuance. While the voice cast do a great job on the most part, Paul Giamatti doesn't really fit Derek's character. The original voice actor, Kevin Michael Richardson would have been a much better choice. Giamatti is a fine actor as evident in 'Sideways' and 'Barney's Version' but sounds bored and fails to convey much menace.

Despite some fun moments in the script and gags, 'Ratchet & Clank' is another case of the humour's execution not coming across consistently, the effectiveness too sporadic, a serious problem when the film is so full of humour (and in a way somewhat over-crowded with it that it comes at the expense of emotional attachment and depth). Too many of the gags are rushed through or limp, some of the one-liners are groan-worthy and the satire and sarcastic humour lacks bite, sharpness and depth while also not being delivered with that much subtlety. It is nice that the film is fast-paced, but too often the pacing is erratic, sometimes too hectic and other places could have gotten a move on. The story does try to be faithful to the spirit of the games, which is admirable, but there is a sense that it's somewhat too faithful that it comes at the expense of having its own style and of originality. The lack of originality may have been forgivable if the film's story didn't feel like it was recycled and despite trying to be faithful it lacks some of the ingredients (like the sharpness of the humour and emotional attachment) that made the games such a joy which makes it feel rather bland. Characters are in character and are quite likable, but misses an opportunity to expand on their personalities, instead they feel a little stock and depth-less. Never found myself disliking any of them, just wished there was more to them.

In conclusion, not that bad, especially considering the dubious track record of video game adaptations, but it could have been better. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I was looking forward to watching this movie as a fan of the original series. Unfortunately, when the credits started rolling I felt drained by boredom. I really wanted to like this movie but I can't look past its faults mostly in its pacing and narrative.

To the movie's credit: The animation is nice. Character expressions and designs are well done but I can't say the same for some backgrounds. I couldn't help it but notice how empty some scenes are while others had a lack of field depth that made characters and objects stick out more than usual.

The plot is just all over the place. There isn't a single memorable character or intriguing antagonists. It tries to spice things up by the end but ultimately gives up in favour of comedy and plot. I would not recommend watching unless you're a diehard fan or watching with family.

This film's not for me but I can at the very least appreciate what the studio tried here.

Honestly, I already liked movies that were obliterated by critics and I decided to give it a go.

I spent 90 minutes with a straight face. None of the jokes made me laugh. The action scenes are lame and the plot is weak and the animation is bland. It looks like they took several cutscenes from the game and put them together to make this movie. So I think it's more fun to play the game than to watch it.

For those of you who are large fans of the Ratchet & Clank games than you will be in love with this fan perfect movie. it takes the game premise and lays it down near perfect on the silver screen.

Ratchet is a wreck loose mechanic who wants to be a hero like the Galaxy Rangers, but is too small for the heart inside him. He teams up with a defective product of the enemy's robot army to save the galaxy from Derk industries evil plan.

Not filled with all the side missions that make up the game, Ratchet and Clank focus on this main story. Watching all the trivial scenes of parts in the game were cool (look for a small cameo from the main character of that other game franchise that looks just like Ratchet and Clank), and the animation design smartly resembles the game.

However, as a movie fan, the story is not that strong. The humor that litters the game is mimicked in the film but it only makes it feel like they are trying too hard for the laugh. The film had a few chuckles, but not enough to keep my interest going.

It's funny how the movie is called Ratchet and Clank, yet the two do not spend a lot of screen time together to justify the title. A lot of the humor should have come from these two trying to connect on the level of friendship they develop suggested in the film, but I did not feel that. Is that too much to ask for in an animated movie? No, cause, that's face it, Disney does this all the time (Timon and Pumba in the Lion King comes to mind).

The voice acting was not all that good. They had some good voice talent. John Goodman voices Grimorth in a small but very memorable role, while the rest of the cast were too interchangeable for me to connect with. I think they were trying to keep it too video game here when they should have been thinking narrative movie.

One exception was Captain Quirk, who did get a few chuckles out of me.

So overall, as a fan of the game this was a perfect adaption, but as a movie fan, it may have been too perfect to fully appeal to anyone who has never herd of the game.

Ratchet & Clank is yet another movie based on a video game. Retelling the story of the first Ratchet & Clank game, Ratchet, a Lombrax, is rejected from joining the Galactic Rangers due to being dangerous, but would soon be thrust into adventure when he meets a robot he names Clank, a rejected robot looking for the Rangers to warn them that Drek is destroying planets to make a new one due to him polluting his own planet to the point where it's uninhabitable. However, Drek's ally, Dr. Nefarious, has other plans.

Yeah, this is a movie that is a loose retelling of the first game's story, as it has characters who would debut in later games (especially Dr. Nefarious, who debut in the third game, Up Your Arsenal, and has since become the Ratchet and Clank series' recurring villain) and changes some events and plot twists. James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye are brought in to reprise their roles as the title duo, with Jay Ward voicing Captain Quark, and Armin Shimerman voicing Dr. Nefarious. Drek was sadly recast, and some new character were created for the film (like Grimroth, voiced by John Goodman, who serves as Ratchet's adopted father).

The animation style keeps the characters like they were in the games, and that also leads to a downside, as the way it's done, it feels like we are watching a movie made up of FMVs that would be in between gameplay, and some of the humor is hit or miss. It's an okay movie, but this could have been better than what we got.

I see a lot of critics reviews bashing the movie saying its too kiddy and unfunny. Well let me give my 2 cents- I'm 36 years old and went with two of my friends. We all grew up with R&C and all of us enjoyed the movie very much. We all played the games as kids and the new movie pretty much follows the 1st one. I enjoyed just about everything- the story, jokes, pacing were all done really well. Yes a few of the jokes were tired but overall the writing was spot on and all the voice actors did just a good of a job as the games. I also liked the movie teaches a lesson about betrayal- something that a lot of animated movies nowadays don't really do but instead resort to silly comedy with no real meaning. Overall definitely worth seeing in the theater. I didn't watch it in 3D but i imagine the effect would look stunning since its a CGI movie. 8/10.

Rotten Tomatoes really shoved their head up theirs for this movie. It's not perfect. There are some cringe-worthy jokes and the movie, in general, is very childish. But for a childish VIDEO GAME based movie, it offers good voice-acting, movie cliché references, video game references, great action scenes, and a good message for kids. If you like Ratchet and Clank's cheesy writing from the game, I recommend this movie for you guys. Easily the best video game based movie I have ever seen. If you are still not sure, go on Netflix and take a look at it yourself. I also recommend watching the movie with surround sound as it really was an adventure for me personally when I was watching at the theater. I'll easily give it a 7/10

Ratchet and Clank is based on a PlayStation video game of the same name. According to my kids, some of the characters and weapons appear in the movie. To sum the movie up, it's a 90 minute trailer for the game.

The story is fairly tight. It introduces the characters quickly. It was wonderful to see John Goodman (the father from the Rosanne TV show). Most of the characters behave logically, although they are highly stereotyped.

Ultimately, the story is fairly superficial. It has a few superb gags (eg. Wilhelm falls off the bridge and screams. This is a reference to the famous Wilhelm Scream). However, other than the occasional witty gag, the story was very average, not bad, just average.

Unlike Star Trek, I didn't need to bite my fist to dull the pain with this movie. It was pleasant. The kids were kept entertained. The animation was good.

For those that are interested, there are two reasonable female characters. One plays the quiet but intelligent type, the other a gun-toting Clint Eastwood type. Both of the characters added some character to the story. Unfortunately, like all other characters in the movie, none of them contributed to moving the plot forward. That's because nothing moved the plot forward.

Best character: Clank (David Kaye). The character's personality was most probably modelled on Big Hero 6's Baymax (Scott Adsit)

Based on the popular video game series of the same name, revolving around a 'somewhat fox like creature' and his partnership with a robot. Ratchet and Clank is brought to the big screen by Rainmaker Entertainment, responsible for a lot of the straight to DVD/on demand Barbie films of the last decade. Having made the jump to cinematic releases in 2013's Escape to Planet Earth, with reasonable financial success, their follow up is an attempt to adapt one of gaming's most successful pairings of the 21st Century.

Ratchet (James Arnold Taylor), a Lombax, is a mechanic with dreams of achieving big things by joining the Galactic Rangers, led by his hero Captain Qwark (Jim Ward). However Chairmen Drek (Paul Giamatti), the leader of the Blarg, is destroying planets whilst building an unstoppable robot army led by his henchman Victor Von Ion (Slyvester Stallone), but due to a system error one of the robots created is Clank (David Kaye) a diminutive being who wishes to seek out and warn the Galactic Rangers of what is about to happen.

Immediately it becomes apparent that, despite some great efforts on the part of the design team, the budget impacts on the overall quality of the films aesthetic. Rather than feeling like a big screen adaptation of a video game it feels like a high cost cut- scene, impressive on an XBOX one but not in a cinema. The film's eponymous pair are likable with the enthusiastic Ratchet contrasting charmingly with the robotic Clank, but they feel less like individualistic characters and come across as poor imitations of what we have seen before. As "cute" as Clank is he is not as funny or well designed as Baymax, or as emotive and endearing as Wall-e and he holds nothing like the depth and complexity of a character like The Iron Giant. With some marquee names in the cast, combined with veteran voice actors from the video game series, the performances are large, enthusiastic and energetic, doing the maximum amount possible with the limited quality of the script and story. Co-written by Kevin Munroe, T.J Fixman and Gerry Swallow they attempt to draw humour through breaking the fourth wall but Sadly despite a few admittedly well written gags, the best of which younger children won't enjoy anyway, Ratchet and Clank is a rather drab replay of better films.

In the age of animated brilliance we currently find ourselves within you can't simply turn up with a few decent gags and an unoriginal plot and expect to get a return. The excuse of being "Just for Kids" doesn't apply anymore when you consider how successful animation has been at appealing to all ages, something it should always aim to do. As proof the fantastic Zootropolis is currently the highest grossing film of 2016, sitting just shy of $1,000,000,000 worldwide gross. Should we expect an inexperienced studio, with a limited budget, to match the work of Disney? No, But is it wrong to want Ratchet and Clank to not take the easy options with its storytelling, to try and reach a little higher? The movie doesn't completely lack humour; it's got a colourful design, an inoffensive tone and charming lead characters to make it a passable experience. But in a world of Disney, Laika, Pixar, Dreamworks, Ghibli, Aardman, Illumination and countless other talented animation studios passable just isn't enough.

Review by Alexander Halsall. Find more of my film reviews at thebeestheysting.wordpress.com/reviews