I had the pleasure of attending a screening of the upcoming animated film Rachet & Clank, based on the popular video game series that you may recall from your own childhood. It was a blast, I must say. My two children (Ari, 7, and Samara, 5) adored the film. I also got to take my dear friend Courtney, who is more like adult child. We have that kind of soul connection. The first thing that happened when we entered the screening, was a family photo on the red carpet.
Despite my seven-year-old’s less than amused face, he was actually having a great time. He and his sister decided to pose in front of the movie poster like the hams that they are. 
After my children stopped mugging in front of my iPhone camera, we entered the event where we had a variety of delicious snacks and found an area for the kids to color in. The chicken was friend to us all. 
Ari particularly enjoyed the coloring area. There were mazes and word searches from the film. He and another boy at the event collaborated on finding all the words on the list. When in doubt, ask a member of the studio audience, right? I recognized some of my favorite blogger friends and while the kids were distracted with coloring books, I took the opportunity to chat with Mitch (Gay NYC Dad) one of my favorite parenting bloggers who was at the event. In fact, Mitch was cool enough to take this stylin’ picture of me in my 3D glasses just before we went into the theater to start the show. 
The movie was a great family outing, because it easily grabbed the kids’ attention. Every child in the theater was transfixed by the screen. The impressive aspect of this film is that it managed to successfully capture the feel of a video game, while still being entertaining and telling a story for viewers of all ages. The film follows Ratchet, who is an ambiguous animal that most closely resembles a cat. In fact, one of the characters pokes fun at Ratchet because he is unable to distinguish what sort of animal he is. Ratchet is determined to become a Galaxy Ranger, which is like a policeman of the universe. He faces a variety of obstacles including species discrimination, and ultimately triumphs when he meets his partner in crime, a robot named Clank. My kids were so preoccupied with the film’s story that they didn’t say a word to me the entire length of the screen time. We all enjoyed the film and there were several laugh-out-loud moments. After the show ended, the kids received an awesome goody bag with a variety of old school candies including Fun Dip, Air Heads, and Milk Duds. What’s not to love? When this film hits the theaters, y’all should check it out. Here’s the official site for Ratchet & Clank, plus you can visit them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Ratchet and Clank will be IN THEATERS FRIDAY! Watch the official trailer here:
Some photos courtesy of Carmen Staicer.