Ratchet & Clank (D- or .5/4 stars)
Based on the popular PlayStation video game {oy, already}, CG-animated 'Ratchet & Clank' (directed by Kevin Munroe & Jericca Cleland) ... annoyed the heck outta me. The plot revolves around galactic heroes, a dangerous mega-weapon, & a gaggle of aliens voiced by celebrities of varying talents. Rocket mechanic Ratchet (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) is a sweet Lombax, a sort of squirrel/feline hybrid with a tail similar to a lion, while his smart, pint-sized pal is Clank (David Kaye), a mellow, kind-hearted, if also "defective" robot from Orxon whom Ratchet saved from the junkyard; he's a WALL-E type character. Ratchet longs to join an elite group called the Galactic Rangers (Rosario Dawson, Jim Ward, Dean Redman, Bella Thorne), led by self-centered lantern-jawed Captain Qwark (Jim Ward, again). Basically, Ratchet looks up to Capt. Quark as a rolemodel and wants to be a superhero.
His chance to become a member of said elite squad comes when he is forced to defend his own home, along with all the other planets in the Solana Galaxy, from utter destruction by a malevolent, maniacal Blarg, Chairman Drek (Paul Giamatti, what are you DOING in this!?), and his evil cohorts: merciless Victor Von Ion (Sylvester Stallone, what!?) & ex-Ranger mad scientist asst., Dr. Nefarious (Armin Shimerman). Drek & co. want to destroy the planets, take parts from each, & make a super 'perfect' whole. When Drek manages to lure Quark to the dark side, it's up to Ratchet & his team to save the day ... or can they? My answer: who cares.
I'm not a fan of PlayStation-esque video games, nor film versions of such. But I figured I'd give this film a shot. Unfortunately - and it's only one of many reasons I didn't enjoy this - I can't STAND the visual aesthetic/graphics that is provided. CG-animation can be great, but with this film, you really can see how low-budget it is. While chock full of blinding color (and blaring, clamoring sound, mind you), the visuals onscreen are pretty ugly. The backgrounds & foregrounds are just filled with ... stuff. And I loathe the aesthetic used for the character details. It's never good when you don't like LOOKING at your main protagonist character(s).
'R&C' is a self-referential, snarky nightmare for me to watch. With only a few minutes in, I couldn't wait for it to be over. The cartoonish violence (space battles, explosions) in the story did not engage me; don't know if it will for children, either. The direction is lifeless. The story is stale, unoriginal, & annoying. I've already mentioned the characters (and how they appear onscreen). The dialogue is bland/generic. The musical score is standard; typical sonic frivolity from an animated flick. I couldn't abide the too-cute pop culture references. Probably the only thing going for it is that it offers life lessons to kids about humility & the importance of friendship. But blah blah blah -- you can find that in most child films. And those heartfelt lessons are often interrupted and/or diluted by the annoying sarcastic streak that runs through the proceedings. 'Ratchet & Clank' is simply a tacky, forgettable video game rip-off. Skip it.
His chance to become a member of said elite squad comes when he is forced to defend his own home, along with all the other planets in the Solana Galaxy, from utter destruction by a malevolent, maniacal Blarg, Chairman Drek (Paul Giamatti, what are you DOING in this!?), and his evil cohorts: merciless Victor Von Ion (Sylvester Stallone, what!?) & ex-Ranger mad scientist asst., Dr. Nefarious (Armin Shimerman). Drek & co. want to destroy the planets, take parts from each, & make a super 'perfect' whole. When Drek manages to lure Quark to the dark side, it's up to Ratchet & his team to save the day ... or can they? My answer: who cares.
I'm not a fan of PlayStation-esque video games, nor film versions of such. But I figured I'd give this film a shot. Unfortunately - and it's only one of many reasons I didn't enjoy this - I can't STAND the visual aesthetic/graphics that is provided. CG-animation can be great, but with this film, you really can see how low-budget it is. While chock full of blinding color (and blaring, clamoring sound, mind you), the visuals onscreen are pretty ugly. The backgrounds & foregrounds are just filled with ... stuff. And I loathe the aesthetic used for the character details. It's never good when you don't like LOOKING at your main protagonist character(s).
'R&C' is a self-referential, snarky nightmare for me to watch. With only a few minutes in, I couldn't wait for it to be over. The cartoonish violence (space battles, explosions) in the story did not engage me; don't know if it will for children, either. The direction is lifeless. The story is stale, unoriginal, & annoying. I've already mentioned the characters (and how they appear onscreen). The dialogue is bland/generic. The musical score is standard; typical sonic frivolity from an animated flick. I couldn't abide the too-cute pop culture references. Probably the only thing going for it is that it offers life lessons to kids about humility & the importance of friendship. But blah blah blah -- you can find that in most child films. And those heartfelt lessons are often interrupted and/or diluted by the annoying sarcastic streak that runs through the proceedings. 'Ratchet & Clank' is simply a tacky, forgettable video game rip-off. Skip it.