jeudi 28 avril 2016
Ratchet and Clank: The Movie Review
An underwhelming companion to the stellar PlayStation 4 game.
The Ratchet and Clank movie is a charming, inoffensive, if not particularly memorable adaptation of the beloved PlayStation series. While it’s a colorful adventure with some solid performances from a great crew of actors, it ultimately can’t stand tall in the shadow of its far-superior PS4 counterpoint.
The movie tells the story of Ratchet, a plucky young Lombax (think an adorable space raccoon...thingy) who yearns to leave behind his life as a mechanic on a backwater planet and become a Galactic Ranger, just like his hero Captain Qwark. Along the way, he befriends a cute little robot named Clank, finds himself at the heart of an interstellar conspiracy, and ultimately tasked with going through the classic hero’s journey. The idea of an optimistic farm-boy who yearns to meet his hero and ultimately find his place in the vast universe isn’t wholly original. The flow of the movie is very Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The movie’s relationship with the recently-released PlayStation 4 game is interesting in that they both tell the same story, but certain events in one shed light on gaps and motivations in the other. While experiencing both gives you a full picture of the story, those who don’t want to play the game will be able to follow along with the plot of the movie just fine. That said, there are some strange transitions and massive leaps in logic that left me scratching my head as to why certain events were unfolding on screen.
The voice acting is pretty great across the board. From James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye who’ve portrayed the main characters for the past decade, to guest spots by folks like John Goodman and Rosario Dawson, scenes unfold with a great sense of energy. That said, the film’s villains lack any sort of coherent motivation as to why they’re trying to take over the universe. A bit of backstory or depth to these characters would’ve gone a long way.
Overall, I can’t help but feel disappointed that the movie doesn’t reach the heights of its video game companion. One of my main gripes with the movie is that it’s completely missing some of the core tenets that have made the game series so great for nearly 15 years. For example, while the games manage to tow that wonderful Pixar line that appeals on different levels to kids and adults alike, the jokes, themes, and scenarios of the film rarely contain any of that depth. I could totally see a younger audience laughing at some of the base gags, but especially compared to recent animated gems like Zootopia, Ratchet is completely devoid of mature themes or any real message.
Also missing from the movie are the fantastic array of weird, creative weapons and gadgets that added so much fun and personality to the games. The movie’s action scenes are lifeless, and don’t serve to grow the characters in any meaningful or entertaining way. You’d think that this adaptation would want to dig into this arsenal of strange, bombastic tools of destruction, but the movie is oddly devoid of action scenes featuring any of the series’ iconic weapons.
The Verdict
Ratchet and Clank is not a bad movie by any means, especially when compared to some of the downright-terrible video game adaptations of the past two decades. But given the humor, action, and sense of adventure of the games, the movie is ultimately a competent, shallow, disappointing take on the adventures of the plucky Lombax and his robot buddy. My advice is to stick to the stellar PlayStation 4 game.
Editors' Choice
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Alicia Vikander to Star in Tomb Raider Reboot
Passing the torch.
Warner Bros. and MGM's upcoming Tomb Raider reboot has found its Lara Croft in Alicia Vikander.
According to Variety, the Oscar-winning actress who starred in The Danish Girl and Ex Machina was always the studio's top choice, despite reports that Star Wars' Daisy Ridley was being considered. Sources have told the outlet the studio was waiting for a new draft of the script before making Vikander's involvement official.
Vikander won and Oscar for her performance as portrait artist Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl.
Tomb Raider will be directed by Roar Uthaug. According to the Norwegian director, the film reboot will draw inspiration from Square Enix's new games and feature a relatable Lara Croft that feels "like a real human being."
In addition to Tomb Raider, Vikander will star opposite Matt Damon in the fifth Bourne movie.
What do you think of the studio's casting choice? Do you think Vikander will make a good fit as Lara Croft? Let us know in the comments.
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Collector's Edition Revealed
Available August 23rd
Square Enix has published a new tailer for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, which revealed a $140 Collector's Edition.
There are two boxed editions. The first, which is the Day One Edition, includes:
- A copy of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
- One extra in-game mission
- The Covert Agent Pack, which includes in-game items, including various weapons, re-skins, and upgrades
- Digital OST sampler
- A mini artbook, novella, and a comic book (available digitally)
The Day One Edition is available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox one for $59.99.
The Collector's Edition includes everything available in the Day One edition, plus:
- An exclusive black and gold prism box
- 9" Adam Jensen figurine
- 48-Page Titan art book
- A steelbook case
The Collector's Edition is also available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, for $139.99.
The Standard Digital Edition includes the same content as the Day One Edition, except with a digital copy of the game (also available on PC) for $59.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition includes everything from the Standard Edition, plus the Season Pass for $89.99.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided can be purchased on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and PC online stores, and the game is set to launch on August 23rd. Check out the new trailer above.
Alanah Pearce is IGN's Toys & Culture Editor, who probably owns more collector's editions than items clothing at this point. You can find her on Twitter @Charalanahzard.
The Division: 6 Tips for Mastering Multiplayer
Welcome to the Dark Zone.
Partner Content by NVIDIA
Tom Clancy's The Division is never more intense than in the aptly named Dark Zone. Surviving within that Dark Zone can be a tricky exercise and more intimidating than it really has to be. The below video arms you with important information that will increase your longevity as you hunt for better loot in the ruined streets of New York.
Your first goal should be to team up with friends (you can always try matchmaking if actual friends aren't available). When you play together, you can count on someone to have your back, allowing you to make short work of enemies while also faring better against predators. Of course, it pays to turn the strangers you meet into actual friends so that when the going gets tough, they don't decide that betrayal is their best option.
You'll also want to prepare yourself by equipping the right gear. Make sure you bring a high-spec, close range weapon, since there are numerous situations when you must get up close and personal or defend yourself against someone who has brought the fight to your front door.
If you’re playing the game on PC, you’ll want to make sure your gaming rig is equipped with a capable GPU to take full advantage of the game’s detailed next-gen visuals and stunning PC exclusive GameWorks effects.
And there’s really no better time to upgrade your hardware with the arrival of The Division as Ubisoft recommends you have a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 for 1920x1080 gaming on PC. If you really want to crank up its visuals, the GTX 980 Ti is recommended for 2560x1440 gaming.
Check out the video above for 4 more crucial tips on how to survive and thrive in The Dark Zone.
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