Movies based on video games?

[Drakeburn]

I can't believe how many movies there are out there that are based on video games, or are about video games.

Wargames
Tron and Tron Legacy
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Wreck It Ralph
The Last Starfighter
Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (who knew Elijah Wood was in the movie?)

And the list goes on and on and on......

[Dr.Epic]

Okay...?:smallconfused:

This a thread for movies based on video games, or are you looking for suggestions in the genre, or do you want to talk about them, or what?

[Drakeburn]

Okay...?:smallconfused:

This a thread for movies based on video games, or are you looking for suggestions in the genre, or do you want to talk about them, or what?

Technically I just want to talk about them, and it is a thread for movies based on video games. 2/3 is pretty good. No wonder they call you Dr. Epic. :smallbiggrin:

[Jimorian]

I can't believe how many movies there are out there that are based on video games, or are about video games.

Wargames
Tron and Tron Legacy
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
Wreck It Ralph
The Last Starfighter
Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (who knew Elijah Wood was in the movie?)

And the list goes on and on and on......

Technically, Wargames, Tron/Legacy, Wreck It Ralph, The Last Starfighter, and Spy Kids 3D are games based AROUND video games, in that video games feature in the plot, but the games themselves didn't exist before the movie.

Super Mario Brothers
Street Fighter
Resident Evil
for some others that were based on video games.

[Drakeburn]

Technically, Wargames, Tron/Legacy, Wreck It Ralph, The Last Starfighter, and Spy Kids 3D are games based AROUND video games, in that video games feature in the plot, but the games themselves didn't exist before the movie.

Super Mario Brothers
Street Fighter
Resident Evil
for some others that were based on video games.

Actually, there was a Tron arcade game that came out before the movie came out.

[The Glyphstone]

The Tron arcade game was released the same year the movie was, 1982. The machines might have been distributed before the movie hit theaters, but it's still based on the movie.

[Drakeburn]

The Tron arcade game was released the same year the movie was, 1982. The machines might have been distributed before the movie hit theaters, but it's still based on the movie.

Really? I thought the movie was released in 1983, while the game was released in 1981 or 82. Funny what you can pick up from the internet these days.....

[Jimorian]

Really? I thought the movie was released in 1983, while the game was released in 1981 or 82. Funny what you can pick up from the internet these days.....

Or just being an eyewitness to the events in question. :smallwink:

Tron the movie was the concept and test of the new technology of CGI for film as more than just a minor effect here and there. There were several tie-in games (that were quite popular and successful in the arcades and home market) that were made to promote the film and build interest. The fact that they emerged onto the market first in no way means that the movie was based on those games.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Really? I thought the movie was released in 1983, while the game was released in 1981 or 82. Funny what you can pick up from the internet these days.....

I find it hard to believe that a movie so ahead of its time as Tron was made in a year, so the game would've still been promo or something.

Incidentally, I saw someone playing a game... light racers or something, on his iPod touch (I think). It was the racing game from Tron, with every racer having a different color trail and the guys have to avoid the lines.

[Science Officer]

Tron was also handy, being a movie with no plot, it could be made during a writer's strike. Same thing with Legacy.

I've heard there's Deus Ex: Human Revolution movie in the works, and a Halo movie. Human Revolution seems like it would have potential.

[Cikomyr]

Street Fighters
Mortal Kombat
Tekken
Dead or Alive
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Game Over

[Brother Oni]

Silent Hill, which aside from the Resident Evil movies, is probably the best video game based movie I've seen.

[Avilan the Grey]

First of all let's get this truth out of the way (generalizing of course):

Statisically, the only thing that is worse than a movie based on a video game is a game based on a movie.

Now there are some gems in both directions of course, and others that just doesn't stoop to the incredible badness of their inspiration.

As an example of the first: The Resident Evil movie series is watchable. Personally though I must say it is still subpar, especially due to the huge idiot ball that everyone holds the entire movie.

Oh, and as an example of the second: The Catwoman video game, even though it was pure bile, was still of a higher quality bile than the movie it was based on.

[Cikomyr]

First of all let's get this truth out of the way (generalizing of course):

Statisically, the only thing that is worse than a movie based on a video game is a game based on a movie.

Now there are some gems in both directions of course, and others that just doesn't stoop to the incredible badness of their inspiration.

As an example of the first: The Resident Evil movie series is watchable. Personally though I must say it is still subpar, especially due to the huge idiot ball that everyone holds the entire movie.

Oh, and as an example of the second: The Catwoman video game, even though it was pure bile, was still of a higher quality bile than the movie it was based on.

Dead or Alive, the movie, managed to nail exactly the point of the video game.

[Avilan the Grey]

Dead or Alive, the movie, managed to nail exactly the point of the video game.

Hmm... as far as I recall the point of the game is to provide a fanservice level OVER NINE THOUSAND while being a decent beat-em-up. Sounds like a movie worth watching :smallbiggrin::smalltongue:

[Ravens_cry]

I liked Street Fighter the movie because it was just so damn cheesy and Raul Julia pulled it off perfectly.
Prince of Persia was all right, not great but all right, but I really liked the costumes. It was just so boneheaded obvious it was painful as was some of the integration of CGi and live action.

[Cikomyr]

Hmm... as far as I recall the point of the game is to provide a fanservice level OVER NINE THOUSAND while being a decent beat-em-up. Sounds like a movie worth watching :smallbiggrin::smalltongue:

Here is Spoony's review (http://spoonyexperiment.com/2011/09/24/doa-dead-or-alive/)

Definetly worth watching (the review). In his own words:

"**** it. At this point, I might enjoy my smut rather than feel guilty about it"
(and then throw popcorn in his mouth)

[Brother Oni]

I liked Street Fighter the movie because it was just so damn cheesy and Raul Julia pulled it off perfectly.

My main regret is that Street Fighter was Raul Julia's last movie before his premature death. The man deserved his last film to be better.

[Cikomyr]

My main regret is that Street Fighter was Raul Julia's last movie before his premature death. The man deserved his last film to be better.

Hey, he outshined every single other actors in that movie by at least 2 orders of magnitude.

For a last performance, in the name of his grandchildren, I think it was pretty good :smallwink:

Plus, Raul Julia's OFF COURSE became a meme of its own

[Krazzman]

Yeah for Streetfighters... well the Nostalgia Critic pretty summed up what I thought of the movie when I first watched it... Normally I thought Jean Claude Van Damme to be an Ok-Actor his movies I watched for the beatings but wasn't really fond of him. Now I thanks to the NC I have seen quite some flaws in that movie...
Also about video games... don't forget the god damn awful movie: The Wizard...
And: Sonic. One totally bonkers series.... another good series (both in the same year) and... well another series about something with music totally non-canon afair... as well as the Super Mario Cartoon.

[Yora]

Statisically, the only thing that is worse than a movie based on a video game is a game based on a movie.
Except for Star Wars. I would say the games are "generally good" with excelent ones and dud holding each other in the balance.
Though those games might be benefitting from generally not following the movie plots or characters. An exception would be that Episode 1 game, and that was attrocious.

[Krazzman]

Except for Star Wars. I would say the games are "generally good" with excelent ones and dud holding each other in the balance.
Though those games might be benefitting from generally not following the movie plots or characters. An exception would be that Episode 1 game, and that was attrocious.

Urghs.... how many times padme died in that one mission.... never advanced further than that...

Jedi Power Battles was fun though... but with no way to rewatch certain abilities you had with them... it wasn't that much fun anymore if you haven't played one character for some time...

[t209]

Yeah for Streetfighters... well the Nostalgia Critic pretty summed up what I thought of the movie when I first watched it... Normally I thought Jean Claude Van Damme to be an Ok-Actor his movies I watched for the beatings but wasn't really fond of him. Now I thanks to the NC I have seen quite some flaws in that movie...
Also about video games... don't forget the god damn awful movie: The Wizard...
And: Sonic. One totally bonkers series.... another good series (both in the same year) and... well another series about something with music totally non-canon afair... as well as the Super Mario Cartoon.

King Kong was actually better too. It had no HUD, and you have to check for ammo by checking your weapon.

[Cikomyr]

Except for Star Wars. I would say the games are "generally good" with excelent ones and dud holding each other in the balance.
Though those games might be benefitting from generally not following the movie plots or characters. An exception would be that Episode 1 game, and that was attrocious.

Star Wars Kinetic Dance?

[Drakeburn]

The Star Wars Episode one game for the pc was quite hard to beat indeed. At least I beat it. Hard to believe I ended the game shooting Darth Maul with a blaster while he just stood there and did nothing.

But yeah, video games based on movies are kind of tasteless and stupid *coughEragoncough*

The same would go for the Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia) Wii game. How can archers automatically lock on to targets, but not the dwarf with the grappling hook? I was too exhausted to bother getting past the first level.
Realistic gaming my buttocks........

[oblivion6]

An exception would be that Episode 1 game, and that was attrocious.

I beg to differ, but are you referring to that one all those years ago on the original Playstation? I loved that game.

[Killer Angel]

Technically I just want to talk about them, and it is a thread for movies based on video games. 2/3 is pretty good.

Even if we forget about Uwe Boll, you're being very generous...

[t209]

Even if we forget about Uwe Boll, you're being very generous...

Umm, Postal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_%28film%29) wanted to have a word with you. Well, it managed to be good since both the source and the film were stupid and senseless to begin with.

[Beacon of Chaos]

Movies based on games tend to be better when animated. I recently watched a movie of Professor Layton which was pretty good.

On the other hand, I'm looking forward to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUElpl_jDEY). :smallbiggrin:

[Ravens_cry]

My main regret is that Street Fighter was Raul Julia's last movie before his premature death. The man deserved his last film to be better.
It's sweet though that he let his kids pick his last film, and, frankly, if you were a kid in the early-mid 90's, what would you have picked?
In response to Diego Havoc, I think animation works better in general for fantastic happenings.

[Gnoman]

The two Resident Evil animated films (Degeneration and Damnation) were extremely well done, though I'm not sure where in the chronology the latter fits. It helps immensely that they are grounded in the games, while not attempting to be a recreation of said games.

[Somewhere]

I still like Street Fighter the Movie. In addition to Raul Julia's Bison, how about that Zangief?

[smuchmuch]

On the other hand, I'm looking forward to this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUElpl_jDEY). :smallbiggrin:

... is this for serious ? :smalleek:

[Surfing HalfOrc]

A movie I'd like to see would be Starcraft, the Movie!

Something that would show all three sides, strengths and weaknesses, and not just a Terran vs. Zerg story with the Protoss tacked on "because they were in the game, I guess."

Hollywood tends to do that, you know...:smallannoyed:

[pffh]

I quite liked the Silent Hill movie and am kinda looking forward to the sequel.

[The Succubus]

Silent Hill, which aside from the Resident Evil movies, is probably the best video game based movie I've seen.

I rather enjoyed it as well. I missed Silent Hill 2 at the theatre though because I wanted to see Skyfall and couldn't afford both. =(


Dead or Alive, the movie, managed to nail exactly the point of the video game.

Why is it that no character in Dead or Alive has a move called "Cleavage Slam" yet?


But yeah, video games based on movies are kind of tasteless and stupid *coughEragoncough*......

Oh poor deprived youth. Play X-Wing or Tie Fighter and behold what is quite possibly the finest flight sim you will ever play. :smallfrown:

[Cespenar]

A movie I'd like to see would be Starcraft, the Movie!

Something that would show all three sides, strengths and weaknesses, and not just a Terran vs. Zerg story with the Protoss tacked on "because they were in the game, I guess."

Hollywood tends to do that, you know...:smallannoyed:

Would be a nice trilogy, LotR-style.

[The Succubus]

I'd love to see a Witcher series made by HBO.

[Yora]

I think that would pretty much be porn. High quality porn, though. :smallbiggrin:

[Beacon of Chaos]

... is this for serious ? :smalleek:
It is. In fact it was already released in Japan.

[Tengu_temp]

I'd love to see a Witcher series made by HBO.

1. The Witcher games are based on books, so it wouldn't exactly be a video game movie.
2. There already was a Polish movie and TV show based on the Witcher, around 10 years ago. You can easily find them on youtube... If you dare. They're atrocious.

[Brother Oni]

... is this for serious ? :smalleek:

Yup, saw adverts for it the last time I was over there.

It's worth bearing in mind that the original games were a satire of the Japanese legal system. I'd give some examples, but I suspect I'd trip the board's politics rules.

[Ravens_cry]

Oh poor deprived youth. Play X-Wing or Tie Fighter and behold what is quite possibly the finest flight sim you will ever play. :smallfrown:
Goldeneye was also very, very fun.

[smuchmuch]

Yup, saw adverts for it the last time I was over there.

It's worth bearing in mind that the original games were a satire of the Japanese legal system. I'd give some examples, but I suspect I'd trip the board's politics rules.

I'm well aware, but it's more on a storrytelling/design POV that I'm skeptical.
The games had a lot of goofy designs and very obvious carricature and obstacles that were created pretty much for the purpose of gameplay. They still meshed rather well in a storry becasue the game took it's time, provided explanations and goofed around a lot so on the whole it made a somewhat clumsy if fun mix, I suspect it loose a lot of it's charm concentrated in a two hours format.

[Illieas]

my top list so far

1. Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

2. Phoenix wright the movie

3. Mortal Kombat

4.everything else.

What saddened me the most was prince of persia. It had potential instead if failed. also they was no kakolukia and the wonderful framing device of the prince telling the story. well here is hoping deus ex will pull it off

[Beacon of Chaos]

What saddened me the most was prince of persia. It had potential instead if failed. also they was no kakolukia and the wonderful framing device of the prince telling the story. well here is hoping deus ex will pull it off
I enjoyed Prince of Persia, though I admit that I've never played the games. Was it really that bad?

[Drakeburn]

I enjoyed Prince of Persia, though I admit that I've never played the games. Was it really that bad?

The Prince of Persia movie was alright in a way.

[GolemsVoice]

I rather liked PoP, the movie. It was good, and I enjoyed watching it. Except for the fact that there isn't even a single sandmonster. Not even ONE. That made me angry.

[Mewtarthio]

I enjoyed Prince of Persia, though I admit that I've never played the games. Was it really that bad?

Not really. It was a decent, if formulaic, action movie. They didn't even try to adapt the game's story except in the vaguest of terms, though. The movie stands on its own about as well as any other not-too-serious action flick, but it lacks the game's charm and bungles its message.

In short, it's not a bad movie, but it fails to measure up to its source material.

[Somewhere]

Goldeneye was also very, very fun.

Pretty much the first FPS to be done right on a console.

Speaking of other actually good games based on movie licenses, the Aladdin games for SNES and Genesis were rather solid, actually.

Robocop 1 for the NES wasn't a bad sidescrolling action game, come to think of it. I might be biased due to owning the cart, but hell, it's better than the typical licensed stuff. No comment on Robocop 2 or 3.

[Wardog]

No-one mentioned Doom yet?

[oblivion6]

I would love to see a movie/anime series based on the Suikoden games by Konami.

[NNescio]

I Wanna Be The Guy: The Movie: The Game.

(No, not really.)

On a slightly more serious note, the Japanese have a lot of anime based on games and games based on anime. Granted, most of the games are interactive novels, but still.

[KillianHawkeye]

Anybody remember the god-awful Double Dragon movie?? :smallfrown:

[tbok1992]

I quite liked the Silent Hill movie and am kinda looking forward to the sequel.

Sad thing is, it was pretty terrible. It made the monsters expicitly demons from hell, uses none of the symbolism and subtlety of the game, makes one of the main villains of Silent hill 3 into a love interest, and in the end PYRAMID HEAD saves the day. No, really.

The guy who I found this out from said that the only thing that could've salvaged it is if they put in the Dog Ending from Silent Hill 2 at the end of the film.

Also, am I the only one who'd love to see a Steven Spielberg Earthbound movie? I mean, it seems like it'd be right up his alley, and even if audiences don't know much about the game, the concept seems like it'd be popular.

[Brother Oni]

I would love to see a movie/anime series based on the Suikoden games by Konami.

There are some visual novels for Suikoden 2, but it depends on what exactly you mean by 'Suikoden'. There are a number of TV series and films (some even in English) based on the source material, The Water Margin.

[oblivion6]

There are some visual novels for Suikoden 2, but it depends on what exactly you mean by 'Suikoden'. There are a number of TV series and films (some even in English) based on the source material, The Water Margin.

I think you mean there are visual novels for Suikoden 3.

I have tried the Water Margin but it doesnt exactly appeal to me like Suikoden.

[Cikomyr]

Anybody remember the god-awful Double Dragon movie?? :smallfrown:

No I don't. And neither

*wave hand*

do you

[willpell]

Statisically, the only thing that is worse than a movie based on a video game is a game based on a movie.

Now there are some gems in both directions of course, and others that just doesn't stoop to the incredible badness of their inspiration.

I've heard that the Chronicles of Riddick video game was well-received, though I have no personal corroboration there. What I can attest to is that I saw like three seconds of the Bloodrayne movie and felt that it proved correct everything negative that had been said about this.


Anybody remember the god-awful Double Dragon movie?? :smallfrown:

I actually managed to like that one, if only because of Robert Patrick with shadow powers or whatever.

[Avilan the Grey]

I've heard that the Chronicles of Riddick video game was well-received, though

Indeed so. Of course that is somewhat of a different animal since it is a Canon Prequel. Not a "This movie is a hit, let's make a game about it".

[Morph Bark]

In the beginning of this year I had the chance to go see the first viewing of the Phoenix Wright movie at the Film Festival in Rotterdam, but sadly didn't go. (I could've gone, but would've been on my own, and I just don't go to theaters alone. They're supposed to be a shared experience.)

'sfar as I remember, that viewing was even before it was out in Japan.

[Brother Oni]

I think you mean there are visual novels for Suikoden 3.

No, I meant Suikoden 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gens%C5%8D_Suikogaiden). My wife has them, although I haven't played them as my Japanese isn't good enough.

I wasn't aware of any visual novels for 3, outside of dojinshi.

[Kansaschaser]

The Tron arcade game was released the same year the movie was, 1982. The machines might have been distributed before the movie hit theaters, but it's still based on the movie.

Hehe, I think someone's "AGE" is showing. :smallbiggrin:

[oblivion6]

No, I meant Suikoden 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gens%C5%8D_Suikogaiden). My wife has them, although I haven't played them as my Japanese isn't good enough.

I wasn't aware of any visual novels for 3, outside of dojinshi.

Oh, Suikogaiden. I was not aware of any visual novels for that.

[Brother Oni]

Oh, Suikogaiden. I was not aware of any visual novels for that.

I think we've got our wires crossed - the Suikogaiden volumes are visual novels for Suikoden 2.

[Morithias]

I just want a Princess Maker movie. I'd love to see my dear Patricia on the big screen.

[oblivion6]

I think we've got our wires crossed - the Suikogaiden volumes are visual novels for Suikoden 2.

Oh...:smallredface:

I had thought Suikogaiden was a spin off game.

[Brock]

And of course - who could forget the 'awesome' Super Mario Brothers film

As for movies that had games after them - i do remember playing an Indiana Jones game in the 80s