Who here has been disappointed by a movie based on a game? Raise your hands. Yeah, I thought so...
Over the Years we have seen countless film adaptations of games ranging from almost mediocre to EPIC FAIL. They come in every type and genre: Mario, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, House of the Dead, Final Fantasy, Blood Rayne and the list goes on.
They all have one thing in common...THEY SUCK. Granted that only Resident Evil and Final Fantasy have been able to produce a decent film adaptation, but besides that, they're all sad versions of the games we love.
Also, most of these films make you think of this guy...
Possibly the most hated person in gaming since Jack Thompson and Tipper gore. He has been responsible for some of the biggest abominations in movies based on games. A cold wind and shudder is brought on every time his name is attached to one of these projects. Especially that he continues to get work and money for projects like Far cry. Anyone else feel that cold wind again?
The media still portrays games as for kids and not a big part of entertainment, but can we blame them when we have nothing good to show for it with what we display in a different type of entertainment format? The only people I've ever seen enjoy these films are well the ill-informed and cinematards or those who've never touched one of the games that the movie is “based on." In my Media Arts 2 (film) class, I sit snuggly on the couch while I watch my favorite teacher teach the class (not a bad gig eh?). But he started the class as he does every year, by having the students bring in a list of their top ten favorite movies of all time. (In which later you see how it has changed from your gained knowledge of film.) As the class started, it was all normal with the usual films showing up on the lists (300, Sin City, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir dogs, Casablanca. All the great films of course) then I heard as one student read from their list. "Silent Hill" was in their top ten of favorite movies of all time.
Me and my fellow gamers/media arts 2 students in the class couldn't help but laugh and wonder "Are they serious? Favorite film of ALL TIME!? I lost a little bit of hope for humanity. Whether or not they heard our outrage and laughter, I do not know. But the point stands. Movies based on games and AFI top 100 greatest films of all time don't mix.
What I wonder though is why? Is it really that hard to make a movie based on a game? Will it ever live up to the game? I mean, the story and plot material is already laid out there for you...it shouldn't be this hard. We either end up getting a half assed retelling, rehashed version of the game's story with plot changes, a terrible original story or one that falls in between with a plot tie in.
But let’s say it’s a perfect adaptation of the game's story with plot, story and characters 100% true to the game and intact, then what? Will it be goodthen? Well, I say, perhaps...to an extant.
One main reason films can't seem to make a good game based movie is the lack of user interactivity. This is where the games thrive and the movie flops. How can this key feature be duplicated or replaced in a film? Can it?
Well I don't know about you fine reader, but I'm pretty much done with video game movies. It's sad when the title is the only real selling point of a film and people are tricked into seeing it because of the title. I'm about ready to call this subject a loss cause.
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It's a good idea if someone decent is in charge.
I personally detest Final Fantasy, so the Spirit Within was a hoot and a half to me, but I honestly think Advent Children was nothing more than a fanboys wet dream and had nothing to offer me (or other people who hadn't played the game).
Also, I gotta side with the Super Mario movie being pretty good on its own.
Its just a shame that Hollywood has that much money to cash in on "fads" and then the gullible fools pay money to see their favorite game on the big screen. Then everyone has a cry and their spirits are crushed.
I'm a Resident Evil fanboy, so ignore me when I say that I enjoyed those movies.
Also, the new CGI Resident Evil movie looks great!
All in all, you're right. Video game movies seem to be a bad idea at the moment, because no one in Hollywood seems to take them seriously.
I handle video game movies like I handle Pitbulls with rabies...staying far far away from them.
Please let the Sonic move be CGI Animated and not played Real life people with a Green Screened hedgehog Interacting.
Yea, most of them are pretty terrible, I understand that its hard to turn a game into a movie but most movies just don't seem to make the effort.
Still waiting for Pac-Man the Movie, nuff said.
Sorry, but the Silent Hill movie ran circles around the shitty Resident Evil flicks. At least the director wanted to stay as true as possible to the vision of the game while still doing something different. The RE movies play out like shitty fanfiction.
The only thing I didn't enjoy about the Silent Hill movie was the ending or the "climax" if you will. It was too weird for my tastes, the first half of the movie was gold though.
Resident Evil movies are good if you don't think. Good popcorn flicks imho.
SegaSonicDude: There was a Sonic movie: Right here. It was an hour-long anime that had very little to do with the actual games except that it had Sonic, Eggman, and some of the other main characters. It took place in its own continuity separate from the games, and while it wasn't "good," it was entertaining.