Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
When the galaxy comes under the threat of a nefarious space captain, a mechanic and his newfound robot ally join an elite squad of combatants to save the universe.
Ratchet & Clank (2016) is a competent but underwhelming adaptation of the beloved video game series. The plot is a straightforward, paint-by-numbers hero's journey with little surprise or emotional depth, condensing the game's story into a rushed and shallow narrative. Voice acting is serviceable but unremarkable, with characters feeling thin and underdeveloped. Cinematography and animation are visually decent, capturing the colorful sci-fi aesthetic of the games reasonably well — this is the film's strongest area. Novelty is low, as the film largely retreads familiar animated sci-fi adventure territory without bringing anything distinctive to the table, feeling like a generic product rather than a singular vision. The ending is predictable and tidily resolved without much earned emotional payoff, consistent with the film's overall lack of ambition.