Ratchet & Clank, 2016.
Directed by Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland.
Featuring the voice talents of James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Rosario Dawson, and Sylvester Stallone.
SYNOPSIS:
Ratchet dreams of being a hero, helping save the galaxy as part of the Galactic Rangers. He gets his chance when Chairman Drek, a maniacal alien, threatens to destroy the universe. Ratchet teams up with a pint-sized robot with brains of steel and sets off on an adventure to kick some serious asteroid.
No-one can escape nostalgia’s deathly grasp. It’s the strangling urge that makes us buy Pokémon cards, even though we know we’ll never use them. It’s the unconscious desire that makes us ask for a Stretch Armstrong for Christmas, even though we’re 22. It’s the very reason I was excited for a feature length Ratchet & Clank adventure. Born out of the PS2 era, the adventures of a cat-mouse mechanic and a malfunctioning machine have continued for almost fifteen years, much longer than most of their PlayStation peers. Whilst similar action duo Jak and Daxter fell by the wayside, Ratchet & Clank produced a cornucopia of games, both on console and mobile, culminating with this year’s PS4 outing. This film is an attempt to push the boat out to sea, in hopes of finding a new world of gamers and cinemagoers. Nostalgia is Lionsgate’s safety net, knowing players like I will happily pick up a copy for a cloudy Sunday morning in bed, but our heroes will be hoping to find a new audience for the next fifteen.
To find this new audience, Ratchet and Clank have gone back to the beginning. We meet Ratchet when he’s working in a garage, upgrading cars and generally causing mischief. His dream of becoming a Galactic Ranger is little more than twinkle in his eye, but circumstances soon change , and he and Clank are thrust together to save the universe. This accidental hero pairing has been successful before and it offers very little wiggle room to deviate from the formula.
Instead of pushing the narrative bounds, references fill the screen, and the runtime. We are treated to appearances from Sly Cooper and Ratchet and Clank’s other PlayStation brethren, whilst the sci-fi genre is rinsed for inspiration. Star Trek is most obviously drawn from with Quark, the supremely-arrogant, ultimately-useless Space Captain. Clank’s deadpan rhetoric is also loudly reminiscent of Mr Spock. These are little more than instantaneous diversions from the lightweight storyline, which lacks invention of any kind. Big name actors spark some interest, but nothing can hide the fact that the story drives off a cliff in the last 45 minutes.
The film’s heart is in the right place. It has taken the carefully-constructed soul of the gaming franchise and poured it into a sippy cup, ready for those recently out of nappies to enjoy. The humour is friendly, and its charm is childlike – as if the edges have been rounded off to ensure it’s truly childproof. Ratchet is no longer mean to his short-built sidekick, with undying optimism replacing any kind of snark; let’s just be thankful Quark’s never-ending egotism remains entertaining.
For those of us used to having control of Ratchet’s movements, it all will feel a little restrictive. The young certificate is nothing new, but the removed freedom of character only emphasises the round edges. The return of many of the series’ most beloved weapons is essential, if underused, but the bolt collecting of the game series does not make its way back.
The story isn’t good enough to make this all okay. Having your heart in the right place is only worth so much, especially when a lack of ambition circles the rest of the project. The film doesn’t take us anywhere new, or pit our heroes against anyone formidable, the scariest part of the villain is the Paul-Heyman-esque ponytail he sports, and the stakes never feel very high, even with the threat of intergalactic annihilation on the horizon. Ratchet & Clank is fun, and often entertaining, and will surely introduce a new group of filmies to its world. But, the titular pair may struggle to keep them there as the film holds none of the keys necessary to make this any more than a functional, colourful children’s adventure.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Jake Wilson is a freelance film watcher and writer & is all over Twitter. He spends most of his time staring at Wilson Reviews. He’d love it if you’d give him a follow or ask him how his Fantasy Football team is doing, if you’re into that kind of thing.
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