Ratchet & Clank, 2016
Directed by Kevin Munroe and Jericca Cleland
Starring James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Rosario Dawson, Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, Armin Shimerman, Bella Thorne, Sylvester Stallone
SYNOPSIS:
When the galaxy comes under the threat of a nefarious space captain, a mechanic and his newfound robot ally join an elite squad of combatants to save the universe.
It’s a big year for video game movies. While we only had one last year in Hitman: Agent 47 – which didn’t perform all that well – we’ve got a whopping four adaptations in 2016. But before we get to Warcraft, The Angry Birds Movie and Assassin’s Creed, we’ve got the smaller budget and smaller release Ratchet & Clank from producer Brad Foxhoven, who nearly brought Metroid to the big screen in 2006 with John Woo. So, how does Ratchet & Clank set the tone for the rest of the year?
As with most video game adaptations, Ratchet & Clank serves as a prequel to the franchise to introduce new viewers and established gamers to the moment that Ratchet and his robot pal Clank first meet. It tells the story of Ratchet wanting more from his life, a la Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, and he gets his chance when The Galactic Rangers go on a quest to find a new member to join their ranks and take down Chairman Drek who has teamed up with Doctor Nefarious. Though he is rejected at first, Ratchet – with the help of Clank – joins the Galactic Rangers and becomes the new face of the group, much the chagrin of previous leader Qwark.
There’s been a shift in video game adaptations since the likes of Super Mario Bros. in 1993 where developers are now working closely with the studios to make sure the movie isn’t hurting the franchise. This has happened previously with Paul W.S. Anderson and Resident Evil, but it’s now becoming more commonplace. Ubisoft have been very involved with the production of Assassin’s Creed and Duncan Jones has been working side-by-side with Blizzard to make sure they’re happy with his Warcraft movie. Likewise the production team behind Ratchet & Clank have worked alongside Sony and Insominac to create this movie, which is why it looks, feels and sounds like the game. The animation is the same, the character designs are the same and even the voice actors are the same (for the most part). James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye make their big screen debuts to voice Ratchet and Clank respectively and Jim Ward and Armin Shimerman also return as Qwark and Doctor Nefarious. It adds a real sense of familiarity to gamers going to see the movie, but it also won’t detract from those who know nothing about the series.
Joining them is a very impressive voice cast for a movie of this size, including Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek, John Goodman as Grimroth, Bella Thorne as Cora, Rosario Dawson as Elaris and Sylvester Stallone as Victor Von Ion. None of them really pull out a stellar or noteworthy performance (though Giamatti is a lot of fun), but it’s not like they’re half-arsing it either. And unlike Dreamworks animated movies where the voice actors overshadow the characters, Ratchet & Clank just allows you to enjoy the characters themselves and go along on their journey without distractions.
This really is the video game movie fans have been waiting for because it feels like an extended cut scene from one of the Ratchet & Clank games. Some may see this as a negative, but if there is one thing gamers have requested from adaptation is a closer connection to the source material. If you’ve played the games, this won’t feel like a deparature. However one big negative for the film is that the humour only really works for kids. Perhaps Ratchet & Clank’s biggest flaw is that it can really only appeal to a younger audience with very little for adult viewers. There is nothing wrong with that of course, but much of the humour doesn’t land and it falls quite flat. Adults can certainly enjoy the story and fun characters, but it’s pretty laugh-free unless you’re the target audience.
With that said if you are a kid and you love the game series, Ratchet & Clank is a fantastic adaptation. Even if you’re a newcomer to the series, there is so much enjoyment to be had from the film that it will make you want to go home and get the game – which really is the movie’s aim. The voice cast is fun if unimpressive and the story is beautifully predictable. Of the four video game adaptations out in 2016, Ratchet & Clank has gotten us off to a solid start.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the co-host of The Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @ThisisLukeOwen.
Originally published April 29, 2016. Updated April 24, 2023.
