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Review: “Ratchet & Clank” – How to Turn a Video Game Into a Movie

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Ratchet & ClankVideo games have come a long way in just a few decades, and it’s pretty incredible how detailed graphics look these days. They’re practically cinematic, so naturally, translating a popular video game with a unique look into a theatrical film makes perfect sense. On the other hand, history teaches us that it’s not quite an easy transition as one would expect, and audiences haven’t always welcomed movie adaptations of video games. It could be because the movie isn’t aimed at the same audience that loved the game or, in the cases of live action adaptations, it could be because the look doesn’t translate. Thankfully, the Ratchet & Clank animated movie is a good movie that’s true to the video game and sure to please the fans, but is also welcoming to newcomers unfamiliar with the series.

The Ratchet & Clank video game franchise by Insomniac Games has been around since 2002, with the initial game released on the Playstation 2 and launching a franchise that has tallied up about a dozen games since. The series creates a fun, inviting world, so turning it into a PG movie with animation that looks straight out of the video game is a perfect fit. I’ve never played a Ratchet & Clank game, but they’ve been around long enough to be fairly mainstream at this point. Since they’re recognizable to a general audience, the question isn’t if they should become a movie, it’s how best to do the characters justice in a straight narrative where the audience can’t participate in the story.

Ratchet and ClankThe movie introduces the audience to the world and the characters as if they’re meeting them for the first time. Ratchet is a careless (or, as he would say, “carefree”) Lombax who works as a mechanic and wants to join the seemingly heroic and highly praised Galactic Rangers. Clank was built as part of a robotic army, but through a mishap during his creation, he became a small guy who wants to do good. The partnership between Ratchet and Clank is the heart of the story, driving the movie’s core questions of what it means to be a hero and if big, heroic actions are always the best way to go. A scheming villain named Chairman Drek and the appropriately named mad scientist Dr. Nefarious are teaming up to destroy planets, and the Galactic Rangers need a new recruit. Once all this is set up, the movie just takes off, becoming a wild ride with fantastic visuals and tons of jokes. The movie has an epic a great space setting but doesn’t take itself too seriously, even adding punchlines to the location titles. The story is fast-paced and there’s loads of action and heart, but there isn’t as much direct interaction between Ratchet and Clank themselves as there should be. It takes a while before Clank is introduced, and when they prove their worth to the Galactic Rangers, the pair are separated as Ratchet is taken under the wing of Captain Qwark, while Clank aids Elaris with tech support far from the action.

The movie blends video game and movie sensibilities well. If the audience can’t play the characters, they’re still going to want the same thrill while watching the movie. The characters go from one calamity to another, always set in an interesting locale with lots of enemies for the characters to overcome. Of course, everything leads up to an exciting, climactic space battle. When Ratchet becomes a Galactic Ranger, he has to be put through training. In a scene which makes video game logic work for the movie, Ratchet learns that his suit allows him to summon various guns from an off-screen arsenal. Weapon names are identified as he learns how they work. It’s a fun sequence that isn’t terribly awkward, despite being a clear advertisement for the games, because these weapons come into play later in the story. Oddly enough, Ratchet’s most iconic weapon, the omni-wrench, makes an appearance here and there but doesn’t get a whole lot of exposure. Likewise, the many functions of Clank, particularly how he aids Ratchet while strapped to his back, don’t come up as often as they could.

Ratchet and ClankThe voice cast is a real treat. Ratchet and Clank themselves are played by James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye, respectively, making this the rare animated feature film where the original voice actors are given the same starring roles as they have in the game instead of getting re-cast with celebrities. The film isn’t shy about using bigger name celebrities, however, including the likes of Paul Giamatti as Chairman Drek, Rosario Dawson as Elaris, and John Goodman as Grimroth. The celebrity put to best use is easily Sylvester Stallone as the battle happy robot Victor Von Ion, who is just as hilarious as you’d expect.

The goal of a video game movie is to not just make a good film but also to stir up interest in the video game itself. Coinciding with the opening of the movie, Sony released a Ratchet & Clank video game based on the movie (based on the video game), letting fans of the movie go out and play what they just saw on the big screen. Welcome to the Brave New World of cross-platform mass media.

Ratchet and ClankFrom the looks of it, Ratchet & Clank does everything right. It established a fanbase of the video game franchise first, and after a decade and a half of numerous games, created a movie that’s not only true to the video games in look and tone but also fun and accessible enough to a wider audience. While the original video games are still there, they simultaneously released a gateway video game for people who become interested in the franchise due to the movie. Movies based on video games have a long and mostly ugly history in cinema. If it doesn’t quite make it to the heights of movie greatness, at least Ratchet & Clank demonstrates that movies based on video games can be genuinely enjoyable.

Ratchet & Clank (the movie) hits theaters on April 29, 2016. Ratchet & Clank (the video game based on the movie based on the video game) was released on April 12, 2016.