Ratchet & Clank

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

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.

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.

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

I love the animated movie Ratchet & Clank which is based on the popular Play Station video game. From the beginning to the end, the film kept me on the edge of my seat, as it is an adventurous, funny, heartwarming and witty story. One of the funniest scenes is when Dr. Nefarious shoots Chairman Drek with a laser gun and turns him into a sheep.

The story follows the main character, Ratchet who wants to be a member of the famously respected Galactic Rangers team but unfortunately, is told he doesn't have the right "stuff." According to Captian Qwark, Ratchet may have heart but physically just doesn't measure up as he is too small. However, Ratchet meets and names a robot Clank who is similarly small and both human and robot not only become the best of friends but a powerful duo. Together they make it their mission to try to save the Solana Galaxy from the evil Chairman Drek.

My favorite part of the story is when we learn the robot doesn't measure up to his own kind. In fact, he is considered a "defect" to be terminated because he's small, thinks for himself and doesn't want to hurt humans but wants to help them.

I particularly enjoyed all the various voices talent for the animated characters. My favorite is that of Ratchet's and I was fortunate enough to personally meet and interview both James Arnold Taylor and Bella Thorne (the voices of Ratchet and Cora) immediately following the movie screening. I loved seeing how their actual facial characteristics and physical mannerisms are incorporated into their animated on-screen film characters.

There's not just one moral to this movie but three stand out in my mind. First, is to always believe in yourself and never give up. Second, as told to Ratchet, "To be a hero you don't have to do big things just right things." Third, if the right thing requires you to do the wrong thing then probably the right thing is the wrong thing to do. I love these golden nuggets that make the characters seem very real as cleverly penned by the director, Kevin Munroe.

All ages will like Ratchet &Clank and it's particularly well suited for ages 5 to 12. There's no bad language that make it appropriate for young audiences. The sophisticated storyline, fun adventure, basic struggle of good vs. evil and plenty of twists and turns will appeal to more mature audience, as well. It's also a story about two underdogs who together try to rise to the challenge. Do they succeed? Well, you'll have to see the movie to find out!

Finally and on a personal note, I just love the relationship between Ratchet and Clank - two orphans in the universe finding each other and creating a lasting bond. Together the dynamic human and robot duo try to do the right thing in the right way.

Reviewed by Abigail Zoe L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.