Here’s a very good animated film for the kiddies and even teens, especially gamers who have played the PlayStation video game from which the movie was taken. It’s called Ratchet & Clank and gets released on August 23, 2016 in several formats DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD. They have also bundled the three formats in a one purchase box for those that want to split the fun with youngsters. The story has a good theme about being a hero, but the sci-fi animated violence can get a bit testy for the very young.
The story opens with the villain Chairman Drek giving his “minions” a talk on how he will be blowing up Tenemule. It’s the third planet in a quest to use each piece that’s broken from the planet to make one super celestial orb for his future base. In the meantime a team of protectors on planet Veldin called the Galactic Rangers want to expand to add a new member of their group. Our hero Ratchet has been thinking he hasn’t done enough for his fellow citizens and goes to the interviews to try and get accepted into the Rangers, but gets rejected.
Chairman Drek has been getting an army together with the help of the evil Dr. Nefarious. He is making a battalion of “warbots” that are fierce intellegent fighters with the power to face off against the Galactic Rangers. During an inspection of the assembly line they find a defective warbot and they try to destroy it, but he escapes. Becoming Ratchet’s pal who calls him Clank, the two form a bond to help the Galactic Rangers destroy the powerful Drek.
The animated film has a lot of action sequences that are exciting and filled with heroism. That said, like most all animated cartoons including some of the Disney fare like The Incredibles, there’s some form of violence. Being based on the video game where Ratchet and Clank are controlled by players that shoot the evil adversaries to take down enough of them to move on to another level, it could become a bit much for those under the age of 5. It does however, depend on the maturity of the child. Ratchet & Clank are more grounded in the movie with a definite challenge to keep their planet out of the hands of the evil doers that want to rule the galaxy. The film gives the good guys a sense of pride, teamwork and friendship in getting the job done.
The Galactic Rangers are the heroes at the center of the film and are likable with both genders being represented. Much like the movie Guardians of the Galaxy we find both human and animal fighters against the antiheroes. I like the furry Ratchet who looks like a fox in cat fur. He wants to help the civilization of this planet survive the evil beings who have destruction in mind for galaxy domination. The robot Clank has the brains to help Ratchet become the hero he wants to be and as a buddy character the two are stand out winners.
As the villains, both Chairman Drek and Dr. Nefarious, are evil looking, but just enough to show that wickedness comes in different forms. It’s definitely boo and hiss for the two and not a lot of the fright factor. The two are bunglers and do themselves in as much as they are defeated by Ratchet and Clank.
BONUS FEATURES
Ratchet & Clank has the same two extras on both the DVD and Blu-ray
“A Hero’s Journey” features voice character actors and director Kevin Munroe who talk about Ratchet’s rise from an ordinary citizen to a hero that has a chance to prove himself. In short it’s about “what it takes to be a hero”.
“Leveling Up” Takes you from the game to the movie. This is a good feature for parents to decide on whether their child can enjoy this kind of adventure.
The animated film Ratchet & Clank is all in fun and really gets to be an exciting adventure for mature children. It has been rated PG by the MPAA for action and some rude humor. I have included a trailer from the original film release attached to the article to help you decide.
FINAL ANALYSIS: One of the better animated action films for the teen to younger set. (B-)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Paul Giamatti, Rosario Dawson, John Goodman, Sylvester Stallone, Jim Ward, Armin Shimerman, Bella Thorne,
Directed by: Kevin Munroe (Co-director, Jericca Cleland)
MPAA Rating: PG for action and some rude humor
Genre: Adventure, Action, Comedy, Animation, Kids
Running Time: 1 hr. 33 min.
Original Theatrical Release Date: April 29, 2016
Video Release Date: August 23, 2016
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray (also available in DVD and Combo Pack)
Audio: HD, DTS Master Audio 5.1 (also playable in French or Spanish)
Video: Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Number of Discs: 2 Disc, Digital HD
Distributed by: Universal Home Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
