Movies Made Out Of Video Games

[SpartacusUSTASA 0]

Not video games made out of movies, the opposite. This could be interesting. They're gonna be or very good or very bad. I read on a Game Pro magazine that there's about more than 40 games that have been licensed to go on the big screen.As I posted on a Halo Movie thread, here's some of the movies they're making out of video games.BloodRayneDoom(script completed. Starting The Rock O.o)The GetawayHitmanMax PayneMetriodResident Evil: AfterlifeHouse of the Dead: Dead Aim(first one sucked)and lots more...We'll just have to see if it's really a good idea what they're doinFor more info go to gamepro.com

[Neverseen 0]

Notice from szupie:

This post is copied from the first and second page of this article. Subsequent offences will result in suspension.

The most common problem, especially in the earlier days of videogame to movie conversions, is that the franchise simply wasn't movie-like. Translating a popular platform hero like Mario, who basically spends his time jumping isn't easy. So, filmmakers simply did their own interpretation, in the hopes that it would stay true to the spirit of the franchise. This failed, in the case of Super Mario Brothers and others. The problem was that the core elements of the franchise were removed, creating what was only an extension of the franchise in name. When you remove core elements, it turns into something quite different, making it based on the franchise in name only. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a franchise can be relatively movielike, but there is simply too much content to cram in. If you take a game like Resident Evil, there are bound to be dozens of unique moments, along with the core plot line. Something difficult to cram into a two hour movie, especially in a logical order. It gave up the haunted mansion setting for the sterile lab setting. For a game series that has been all about the atmosphere, such a radical change compromises the spirit on many levels. The same can be said about the failing Street Fighter. Although it may seem as a mystery to many, Street Fighter does in fact have a story, despite popular belief; there would not have been so many sequels if there wasn't. However, the essence of the game was not with the film and it fell to the bottom of a sea of failed movies like a brick, along with its following TV cartoon series which surprisingly ran for two seasons across 26 episodes.
Either way, the problem is deviation from the original spirit of the games. Oftentimes, these projects seem more interested in grabbing the fan's dollars than creating a successful film version of the original franchise. There just aren't many, if any, films out there based on games that have successfully taken off with the spirit of the game and turned out good. On some levels, staying faithful may be compromising any chance of quality, as the nature of the gameplay may work in games and games alone, which is clearly obvious in the Tomb Raider movie series, which changed directors from the original to the miserable sequel. As you watched the film it seemed as though the whole thing was shamelessly held together by duct tape and super glue. Although Angelina Jolie did a good job at portraying Lara Croft, the overall presentation of both films was simply weak. The main reason for the poor production values could probably be traced to the fact that it seemed too "Hollywood." The problem doesn't lie in the special effects, which were excellent, but in the weak story. It's a fact that the story drives not only movies but videogames as well. The Tomb Raider game series withered and died because of the story, and like-wise, the movie was weak in this department. And Paramount Pictures had the audacity to point the finger at Angel of Darkness' disappointing sales for Cradle of Life's failure at the box office?
However, if there was any game to movie trangression that went off without a hitch, it would undoubtedly have to be Mortal Kombat. Mortal Kombat was arguably the most successful game to movie transfer ever. While it had its flaws, it stayed very true to the series and even spawned its own sequel: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Coupled with the first film was a promotional VHS that mixed cartoon renditions and CGI to convince youngsters to go out and see the movie; the video, dubbed Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins, follows the events that lead up to the movie, including background information on various characters such as Scorpion and Goro. Director Paul W.S. Anderson, the same director of Resident Evil, managed to capture all of the gameplay and story elements that made the videogame such a fabled series; including an excellent soundtrack, an unbelievable cast, and great dialogue. And in the event that you haven't seen it, Subzero and Scorpion alone warrant a rental.
The best game - which remains to be unlicensed by a movie studio - I could think of to translate into a movie is Ikaruga.  Your initial reaction may be to laugh, but I can assure you, it is a much better choice than it first may appear. If you inspect the underlying themes behind the plot, and the actual flow of the game, you will find something that would give film makers the ability to stay true to the source material, create their own interpretation of the story and translate the game into movie form without harming the essence of the game's feel. If you look into the actual structure of Ikaruga, it is promising. Five brief, but increasingly intense levels filled with gunfire and explosions. An excellent start for an action movie. In addition, the backstory to the game, as detailed in the instruction booklet, features some genuinely promising elements.

Edited June 24, 2005 by szupie (see edit history)

[silentkarma1405241502 0]

That is possibly the longest post I have ever seen. I don't think I would have time to even read it all. It's like a freakin novel. lol. Anyways I just wanted to say that a Splinter Cell movie is coming out! I haven't heard any release date information, but it will be awesome! I remember mario bros. and mortal combat! I loved those movies! I watched them like all the time!

[-M60- 0]

I don't like that Vin Diesel will be Agent 47.

[ultimategamers 0]

I think the ideas of making games into movies doesn't really affect how well the movie is going to do. The thing that is mainly going to affect it is the storyline and visual elements like neverseen said. If you take a movie with generally no storyline and try to add story to it - it just doesn't go too well. But, on the other end if you try to take story from a complex game (Final Fantasy) and try to shorten it down to 2 hours you might not do so well as you just can't keep all the storyline twists, and plots all at once like you could with a video game. Then again I think the best games to movies are movies like Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil. These games have plenty of action, story, and all the elements of movies. It also just depends on how they script it and screen play it lol. Thats just my two cents lol..

[The_Don 0]

I cant wait for resident evil afterlife... The first resident evil movie was alright but i loved Apocalypse this one should be real good... Alice is ****ing crazy now

[iGuest 3]

I cant wait for resident evil afterlife... The first resident evil movie was alright but i loved Apocalypse this one should be real good... Alice is ****ing crazy now

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah it is amazing. Part 1 was like a prelude or intro in my opinion, but part 2 was like the beginning meat of the series. It was pretty cool, and I'm happy it did better than Tomb Raider. Also, I heard they are making TWO NEW Resident Evil Movies. The location of them both are like Austria and Japan or something. I don't remember, but it was most likely not a rumor of those two locations.

I'm also interested in Doom. Even though the Rock is in there, I'm sure it can't be that bad. As long as they don't pull any 'try to be funny but it's just the not the right time if you'd notice' stunts. They did that in those Jason and Freddy movies that came out, it was terrible because they tried to be funny. This is an action movie, this should stay action, and suspense, keep the funny business to a minimum unless it's the right time. Don't try to pull a joke like, "He must be dead since he's outside the spaceship, and can't breath. "Are you sure? Why don't you go out there and check." Jason X did something like that, not funny at all and just bad timing since it removed the suspense.

[enve19 0]

I think theres pros and cons to the game to movie situation. There have been some really good move overs for example Tomb Raider and Resident evil.On the other hand there have been some right bloopers too, i mean take streetfighter, such an amazing game and the film was such a let down.Sagat in the film was some average sized dude and didnt really stick out as an aggresive character. I think you could make a truely great film from Splinter Cell and Doom as long as it sticks to the game and not going off on some random tangent.

[Charlatan 0]

The only movie based on a game I have ever seen was Street Fighter and that film was just dreadful. That impression partly stemed from the very fact that many elements that seemed OK in the game like exotic costumes and that weird story simply felt out of place in a movie, but there was also a fact that the movie looked as if made for 10 years and was on top of it done very amateurishly. Which was kind of a surprise to me since it featured Jean Claud van Damme who was moderatly established actor of action flicks.But I am interested in how a movie based on Max Payne will come out, since that story has potential for a very good movie in my opinion. If they only manage to preserve the dark feel of the game and don`t over-emphisise the bullet-time shooting parts until it looks like Matrix or something.

[punkpig5 0]

Not video games made out of movies, the opposite. This could be interesting. They're gonna be or very good or very bad. I read on a Game Pro magazine that there's about more than 40 games that have been licensed to go on the big screen.

As I posted on a Halo Movie thread, here's some of the movies they're making out of video games.

BloodRayne

Doom(script completed. Starting The Rock O.o)

The Getaway

Hitman

Max Payne

Metriod

Resident Evil: Afterlife

House of the Dead: Dead Aim(first one sucked)

and lots more...We'll just have to see if it's really a good idea what they're doin

For more info go to gamepro.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If i was going to make a movie out of a game i would make it out of devil may cry 2 probably.I think many people would got to see it.But if that didnt work out for me I would make a movie out of one of the grand theft autos and hope it would turn out well.It would attract many people,but hillary clinton would probably say it's to violent or something.

[Moody 0]

I think it is difficult to make a movie out of a game, but i has to work. It looks interresting. Please remeber me when one comes out, cus i never saw one before.

[BlackWolfX 0]

I think they should make 6 movies based on the games that may not be well known called Star Wars. I mean it's such a great storyline. Good Vs. Evil. A group of warriors called the Jedi vs. a group of evil warriors known as the Sith. It would be to big of a movie to make into 1 so it would need at the least 6 and how about we do the last 3 first so that we can have the end of the storyline all ready and then we can do the first 3 last and tell the very beginning. I think I'm going to direct these movies based on this game 'Star Wars.'

[GM-University1405241492 0]

I always thought a Grand Theft Auto movie had meret, but when you think about it it presents a lot of problems, such as the amount of violence, how to make it relate to the games but not be an exact replica of the games, perhaps include some of the main characters of the games as boss's/ friends of the main character of the movie. What do you think about a GTA movie?

[ASR1405241491 0]

Honestly, theres been too many zombies and undead movies out that Im kinda sick of it... They are soo much alike except for the simple storyline... everything else is based on how they survive with that certain events of zombies/undead.... They need to think of something new... I certainly think the only game that would be a good movie to make is Halo... It's sci-fi and futuristics with different monsters... Itll be great... Metriod would be cool too... Max Payne, Hitman, and GTA is kinda like mafia movies and I guess its good and all but I doubt it will beat godfather or scarface... That just my two cents... Chin chin...

[CartridgeComics 0]

In my experience there has yet to be a really good video game movie. Directors just haven't figured out a winning formula for translating the action of a video game and bringing it to life on film. Mario Brothers, anyone? Good lord that was awful. And the House of the Dead film was about as low as Hollywood can get. Metroid sounds like a great idea for a film but I'm sure it will be shamed just like every other video game franchise that has made it to film. It seems to me that Hollywood should bring onboard the same writers who came up with these games in the first place, and put them on these films, at least to help. This genre is sadly lacking.