Now... time for the first of many.
Top 10 Movies Based On Video Games
I know. Video game movies usually suck. But even some bad ones can spark joy. Be it nostalgia. Be it childhood memories. Be it share them with your own children. And there are even some diamonds in the genre, if you can believe it.
Well here are some of my favorites. If you've seen them, comment your memories. If there are some you haven't, considering them recommendations.
Let's start... with...
Honorable Mention: Tomb Raider(2018): So... there have been THREE Tomb Raider movies. And 2 of them were... bad. Angelina Jolie is a legend, and not always for good acting jobs. Alicia Vikander took the helm of this one. It had the feel of the reboot games and wasn't just a shameless prop job for its star(*cough* like Jolie). Adventurous and fun. It's a good movie.
10: Rampage: Based on the Arcade Kaiju series from the now defunct Midway, starring Dwayne Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and 3 CGI monsters. Though it put a bit too much focus on the humans(of course... it's The Rock), it was a great mindless... brainless... monster bash fest. And that is what the games were all about.
9: Hitman: Based on the acclaimed stealth game, was it accurate to the game series? Not really. But Timothy Olyphant pulled off a very fun and stylish action based around... a... Hitman... even if his character was devoid of actual character.
8: Silent Hill: The Silent Hill game franchise looks to be dead. And the sequel to this movie was hot garbage. But this one... wasn't bad. A decent horror film. But that is why it is on this list. ALL other horror movies based on horror games are bullshit. And one had to make this list...... so... it is Silent Hill. I'm not saying it is bad. It isn't. If you can do horror, this movie will at least be satisfying. Don't... watch the sequel. You've been warned.
7: Super Mario Bros: This... is... a horrible movie. But it belongs on this list. It was bad when it released... and it hasn't held up over the years. But, I still love it. Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo hamming it up. Samantha Mathis being hot as hell. And Dennis Hopper trying to take it serious. Oh... and a Random Fisher Stevens!!! Most of the movie, the actors act like they don't wanna be in this movie. But the references will make you laugh, the CinemaSins will make you scratch your head, and the song the Goombas dance to will get stuck in your head. A classic. For both the right and wrong reasons.
6: Street Fighter: This is another HORRIBLE movie. But it is fun. It really is. Campy. For the kids. A family movie. But... takes a big old dump on the game franchise. Don't watch this for the game connection. Watch this for Raul Julia. The legend that is Raul Julia. The rest of this movie can piss me off. But... Raul Julia OWNED his role as M. Bison AND OWNED this movie. Watch it for that.
5: Mortal Kombat(1995)/Mortal Kombat(2021): These 2 movies share the spot because I love them both for different reasons. The 1995 is a classic. The casting was spot on, and they did a decent job following the story. But it pains me whenever a PG-13 movie is made on R/M rated content(see Ghost in the Shell). And I believe it ties their hands. The practical effects don't hold up now, but still nostalgia. The 2021 is a reboot. The story doesn't follow the games... might even follow itself. But the presentation was great. A Rated R movie that was promoted(by the cast) with all the blood, guts, and gore from the games. A movie doesn't always need the best story. As advertised craziness works too(see The Expendables).
4: Tekken: For the fighting game movies, this one is the best. Under the radar(I don't even think it was released in theaters), not enough people know it exists. The story is decent, the fights are crisp, the presentation is eye catchingly flashy, and... it actually shows a tournament(MK1995, I'm looking at you)...... and this one even has Cary Tagawa in it!!!(MK1995, still looking at you... thanks)
3: Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: This one is special on this list. It isn't live action... but it isn't a cartoon. It is all CGI. Which to me counts as a version of live action(animated to look life like). What else makes this one special is that it isn't just based off a game, it is an official sequel. What started off as cutscenes for Final Fantasy VII 2, they were so good... Square Enix decided to make a movie instead. Beautiful scenery. Wonderful story. Great voice acting. And... quotable lines! Advent Children has it all for me.
2: Sonic the Hedgehog: Fast paced, family friendly, and the movie that gave us the old Jim Carrey back! So many noteworthy moments in this movie... great references and some wonderful tongue-in-cheek humor. This movie is good enough to be on ANYONE'S shelf, regardless if you liked the games or not. Sonic deserves the #2 spot, not only because it is a great movie, but it is also a testament to what can happen if you listen to your fans. They hated the original design so much... the studio decided to have Sonic completely redone. Made him look like his game and animated counterparts. And... dammit... looks great. Sad that James Marsden had to work with yet another anthropomorphic animated animal. But... Sonic is WAAAAAAY better than HOP.
And the Number One for Movies Based on Video Games!!!!!
1: Detective Pikachu: For the longest time, I didn't realize this was based on an actual game. I forget the games existed. I just thought they made a movie set in the Pokemon Universe. Which... one it's own... this is STILL a nearly perfect movie. But... directly adapted from the game with the same name, this movie just works. It IS the new standard for Video Game Movie. The best, simple story. Brilliant performances for a family movie. Visually Astonishing. And... Ryan Reynolds as Pikachu.
There is the list. Tell me what you think. Have one that you think should or shouldn't be on this list? Say so in the comments. Share this list with others. I wanna know what they think too.
This is Part 1 of a Special 3 Part List series. Look for Part 2 and Part 3 soon!
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