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We're a society that loves movies. We also love video games. It's no wonder then, that so many of us want to see our favorite titles brought to life on the silver screen.
When you've got a hit game on your hands, it's not as simple as handing it over to the studios and getting them to make a movie out of it.
You need the right talent, the right story and, most of all, the right team behind it.
Video game movies are a pretty big deal these days. Many studios spend millions of dollars to make their own video game movie and they even have the potential to be big box office hits.
The problem is that most of them aren't very good, but there are some exceptions.
Not all video games can be adapted into a movie. A movie must be capable of telling a story, and it must have a lot of action. While some video games can tell a good story, many cannot. They consist of little more than shooting things until you beat them.
However, most gamers love shooting things and seeing things get blown up, so this is not always a problem for them.
So what does make for a good video game movie?
The story has to be interesting enough to carry the action along.
If the story is weak, then the movie will flop no matter how much action is in it and how cool the special effects are.
For example, Assassin's Creed has an interesting premise but it was not carried out well on screen.
Best Video Game Movies
Trying to pick out the best video game movies is never going to be easy because there are so many bad ones out there.
After all, if you choose one at random, there's a pretty good chance that it will be utter rubbish!
But let's take a look at some films that have done things a little bit differently and actually managed to live up to their source material!
There are a variety of video game movies out there! Video game movies have gotten better over time, but some still aren't quite there yet. Here's our list of the best video game films (so far).
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Mortal Kombat is the first movie based on the Mortal Kombat franchise, created by Midway Games.
The film was directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and stars Christopher Lambert as Raiden, protector of Earthrealm.
It follows Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade as they enter Shang Tsung's tournament to stop Outworld from winning a tenth consecutive victory and conquering Earthrealm. The U.S. release was rated PG-13, not R.
Resident Evil (2002)
- Starring Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, and Colin Salmon
- Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson
- Based on the video game series of the same name
- Rated R for violence and bloody images
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
The Spirits Within was released in 2001 and is based on the Final Fantasy video game series. The film was directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Moto Sakakibara, while it was produced by Square Pictures.
The film follows scientist Aki Ross and her mentor Dr. Sid as they seek the spirits needed to counter the alien Phantoms that have devastated Earth. It is an original story set apart from the worlds and characters of the games.
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Super Mario Bros. (1993) is arguably the most famous video game-turned-movie, at least among those who've seen it.
The film was poorly received on release and underperformed theatrically, but its eccentric production design and offbeat approach have earned it a cult audience. It is best approached as a very loose, dystopian reinterpretation of Nintendo's characters rather than a faithful game adaptation.
Disney
- Can you make a movie out of a video game? Thats the question that is answered by this film. Mario Mario and Luigi Mario, two hard working plumbers find themselves in an alternate universe where evolved dinosaurs live in medium hi-tech squalor. They find themselves the only hope to save the Earth from invasion.
Can you make a movie out of a video game? Thats the question that is answered by this film. Mario Mario and Luigi Mario, two hard working plumbers find themselves in an alternate universe where evolved dinosaurs live in medium hi-tech squalor. They find themselves the only hope to save the Earth from invasion.
View on AmazonRatchet & Clank (2016)
Ratchet & Clank is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated science fantasy action comedy film based on the video game series of the same name. It was directed by Kevin Munroe, produced by John Cohen, and executive produced by Michael Hefferon.
The film tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. Along their journey, Ratchet and Clank meets new friends and foes in their quest to stop Chairman Drek before his plan succeeds.
![Ratchet & Clank [DVD] [2016]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61V0I9PhFRL._SL160_.jpg)
Doom (2005)
Doom is a 2005 American science fiction action horror film based on the video game of the same name.
It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, written by David Callaham, and has been described as being "in the vein" of Aliens and Starship Troopers. Released in 2005, it stars Karl Urban as a space marine who battles genetically engineered monsters on Mars.
The project took advantage of state-of-the-art visual effects for its time, which included CGI and motion capture technologies that DreamWorks had been developing before acquiring the rights to the Doom franchise in 2002.
Doom received negative reviews from critics at the time of release but has since become something of a cult classic with fans praising its combination between live action and CGI.
The film spawned several sequels (including one direct sequel) but none received critical acclaim as much as this one did.
Silent Hill (2006)
Silent Hill is a 2006 horror film directed by Christophe Gans, based on the Silent Hill video game series of the same name.
The film stars Radha Mitchell as Rose Da Silva and Sean Bean as Christopher Da Silva (who also happens to be her husband).
Rose takes her adopted daughter Sharon to Silent Hill after recurring nightmares, while her husband Christopher searches for them from the ordinary world. The town's shifting, fog-bound reality becomes the film's central visual device.
The film received mixed-to-negative reviews but found an audience among some horror and game fans for its production design and its attempt to translate the series' atmosphere rather than duplicate a single game plot.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider (2001)
Lara Croft is a fictional character in the Tomb Raider video game series. She is the main protagonist of the series and was created by Toby Gard and developed by Core Design.
The Lara Croft character has also appeared in comic books, novels, board games, short films, and even an animated TV show. In 2001, Angelina Jolie starred as Lara Croft in her first big-screen adventure film based on the video game franchise: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider!
Warcraft (2016)
Like the video game series it's based on, Warcraft is a fantasy epic with a large focus on orcs and humans. The film stars Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), Ben Foster (A Single Man), Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger), Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and Ben Schnetzer (The Infiltrator). It was directed by Duncan Jones and released May 24, 2016.
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Directed by Justin Kurzel, starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Based on the video game series of the same name, this film follows a new assassin who is trying to find answers about his past. The film was released in December 2016 and received mixed reviews from critics.
Hitman (2007)
Based on the video game series Hitman, this action thriller follows Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant), a freelance assassin who must take out his targets in ways that make it appear as though they were murdered.
The film was released in 2007 and features a rating of R for violence including intense sequences of brutal violence throughout, sexual content/nudity and language.
Street Fighter (1994) - Directed by Steven E. de Souza
Street Fighter (1994)
- Directed by Steven E. de Souza
- Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raúl Juliá, Ming-Na and Kylie Minogue
- Based on the popular video game of the same name
The plot follows Colonel Guile (Van Damme) and an international relief force trying to stop M. Bison (Raúl Juliá), who has taken hostages in the fictional nation of Shadaloo.
Best Video Game Movies – Wrapping Up
Video-game adaptations have no single successful formula. Some translate characters and mythology directly; others borrow a world, tone, or central conceit. This guide contains 12 varied examples, including the 1995 Mortal Kombat at the top of the list.
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