Like every video game fan out there we’ve all been more or less excited about the flood of video game movies that have come out over the recent years. Some of you probably know the first video game movies that came out which were less than glamorous. That made Hollywood rather reluctant to take on new video game adaptations over the decades. But with the recent success of shows like Arcane and The Last of Us, they have finally opened up their doors again. So, how did video games make the leap to movies?
The Struggle Of Game Movies In The Past
While nowadays a lot of shows that are based on movies have gotten quite popular, it wasn’t always like that. In fact video game movies were infamous for not living up to people’s expectations. The first shows, which were based on video games, actually came from Japan. ‘Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission To Rescue Princess Peach’ and ‘Running Boy: Star Soldier No Himitsu’ were the first anime adaptations of video games. While both of them flopped in theaters, they still made history for being one of the first takes on game adaptations. Everyone needs to start somewhere, right?
The First Live Action Movie Adaptation
Of course with Nintendo being one of the rising stars in the video game industry, it’s no wonder that they also received a second chance on the big screen in 1993 with their live-action movie ‘Super Mario Bros.’ which also was the first-ever live-action movie adaptation of a game franchise.
It offered a quite unique take on the popular video game franchise. Departing from the familiar setting, the film placed Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi (played by Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo) in a strange alternate dimension instead of the famous Mushroom Kingdom. There, they encounter a humanoid reptile called King Koopa (played by Dennis Hopper) with the plan to merge the two worlds together.
Even though the Super Mario franchise was very popular among people, the movie was far from a success. Most movie critics found the plot nonsensical and confusing while most Nintendo fans were disappointed by how far they stayed away from the original source material.
This left a rather sour taste in people’s mouths after the first video game movie adaptation was released and turned out to be such a bust. Even though most people were disappointed by the movie… It still found a rather niche audience among trash movie lovers. Those are movies that are so bad… that they actually are good again.
Common Mistakes Video Games Movies Make
Due to the rather rough start of video game movies, projects that came afterward often got kicked out of the door if they tried to sell them a game adaptation. But that didn’t stop them from trying. Of course, there were a few exceptions that made it through like ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ and ‘Resident Evil’. While they’ve been better received, the biggest part of the still movies flopped.
This caused the reputation of video game movies to get worse and worse over the years. While a lot of people tried over and over again to win their audiences back… Most of the time the movies backfired and sent them back to square one. So why are video game movies always so badly received?
Shallow Plot & Confusing Story
One of the biggest mistakes video game adaptations made was the fact that they took the plot not seriously enough. The plot often was all over the place… Trying to somewhat match the original story while also giving it some sort of unique twist. This not only confused fans of the franchises… But also the new people who had nothing to do with the video game itself.
Some movies even required you to have played the game to a certain extent to even remotely understand what the movie was all about. Often it was either the writers that lacked the knowledge of the franchise which created rather confusing stories or because the focus was more on action which often ended in a rather shallow plot in the end.
Low Budget & Bad Execution
Another big reason why they were often rather badly received is the budget that was provided in the first place. Every movie needs money to be made and video game adaptations already had a bad reputation. So more often than not, people were hesitant to invest in it. So the production had to work with whatever cards they got dealt with. Of course in some cases, that wasn’t enough.
Aside from budget issues, those movies often were very badly executed. Books have been turned into movies for many decades before the first video game was released. Even in that genre, a lot of mistakes are being made every day. So, of course, if you try to go into uncharted territory, things are not going to get easier. Nobody had any idea how to properly adapt a game into the movie. So, it is no wonder that they simply failed because of they lacked experience.
High Expectations & Disappointed Fans
In books, a story is told from a set perspective the author has chosen… In video games, people have a lot more freedom when it comes to experiencing the story firsthand. No two players experienced the game the same way. You play the protagonist. You decide where he goes and how you beat the level. So, the more freedom a game gives to a player… The harder it is for a movie to follow in its footsteps.
True fans will know every single detail of their beloved franchise… So, they are going to tear everything apart that doesn’t line up with the original.
The Rise Of Game Adaptation
Over the last couple of years, video game shows have received a renaissance. More and more shows have been released on various platforms like Netflix or HBO. Not only were they well received among fans but also by people who’ve never even played the game. We can’t cover them all in one article but here are the most notable ones of recent years.
The Witcher – Series
The Witcher was originally a book series by the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski . Later CD Projekt Red bought the rights to it in order to turn the books into a popular video game franchise we know today.
Unlike the game, the series starts at the very beginning of the dark fantasy novel. It follows Geralt of Rivia, a mutant that hunts monsters for gold. Unknown to him, his destiny becomes intertwined with Yennefer, a powerful sorceress, and Ciri, a young princess with a hidden magical potential.
The series not only starred famous actor Henry Cavill among others like Anya Chalotra & Freya Allan but also has produced really good soundtracks like ‘Toss A Coin To Your Witcher’ and ‘Burn Butcher Burn’.
Arcane – League Of Legends
Arcane dives into the world of League Of Legends, focusing on two sisters, Vi and Jinx. Set in a divided society, the opulent city of Piltovers sits above the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Tensions rise as Piltover pioneers arcane technology, while Zaun suffers the consequences.
Vi and Jinx, already on opposite sides of the tracks, find themselves further divided by a stolen artifact with immense power. This theft sparks a conflict that forces the sisters to confront their past and grapple with the choices that will tear them apart.
With its outstanding art style, amazing soundtracks and professional voice acting… Arcane is one of the best video game adaptations out there with a second season coming out in the fall of 2024.
The Last Of Us – Series
The Last Of Us on HBO takes place twenty years after a fungal infection transforms people into monstrous creatures just like in the original game. Society has crumbled, with survivors forming dangerous factions or living in fear of the so-called Clickers.
We meet Joel, a hardened smuggler tasked with escorting a teenager named Ellie across the ravaged country. Ellie may hold the key to a cure, but the journey is fraught with peril. They face infected creatures, ruthless survivors, and the constant struggle for survival in a brutal world. Their bond grows as they rely on each other, forming a surrogate family in a world where humanity seems lost.
The Last Of Us did a very good job of showing off iconic scenes of the original game while also diving deeper into certain characters. Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and all the other people on the cast did an amazing job of embodying the characters of the game.
Those were only a few of the amazing shows that have been produced recently and there are a lot more about to come. It’s nice to see how far video game adaptations have come over the past decades and while not all of them are going to be a success… I am sure a lot of them are going to exceed our expectations as long as people care about them.
If you’re interested in how video games make the leap to movies and want to look into a more specific case, this is the perfect article for you:
From Game To Movie – The Success Of Five Nights At Freddy’s
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