Ratchet & Clank is a serviceable, average animated film

To understand what you’ll think about the Ratchet & Clank film and its lineage, you need to acknowledge where you are in their universe. Are you a long time gamer fan of Ratchet & Clank, parent looking for some entertainment for the kids or just an average person who somehow wandered into the theater? How much you enjoy the film will vary as to which group you’re in and just how much you want to be entertained.

First off, a broad overview of Ratchet & Clank. It’s a video game from PlayStation that’s been around since 2002 that features a cat like creature who is kind of lazy and accident prone (Ratchet) and his robot friend (Clank) who is a small and very intelligent. They have lots of cool weapons and travel the galaxy defeating evil and saving people.

Ratchet & Clank is rated PG for action and some rude humor. We saw the film in regular old 2D and didn’t miss the 3D at all except for when the gratuitous poles, fingers or saw blades were pointed in our direction.

The kids

Our 6 year old was mildly amused at the film. He was not familiar with the characters except for the fact that I told him that it had a cat-like creature and a robot in it. During the film he earnestly laughed at a couple of parts and was only scared during one part of the film. That was when one of the characters was turned into a sheep. He then thought that all of the characters were going to be turned into sheep. He said he liked it, but the film was forgettable for him a day after he saw it.

The Ratchet & Clank fans

This film is your jam. You’ll love the hat tip to old characters, arsenal that they have at their disposal and the way that Clank’s creation came to be. The animation in the film is good, but you’ll think it’s the best work since Avatar and leave the theater demanding a sequel.

The average person

Meh, this is OK, but what’s on Netflix? The two lead characters are by far the most entertaining, but we don’t see them on screen enough. You’ll be able to see the plot shift/betrayal a mile away and will cringe at some of the animation. At times the animation is top notch, but other scenes just look odd. My mind is wandering, I hope the kids like it more than I do.

Fin. Guess which category we’re in?