MarkMclovin
Member
Maybe Gary Whitta can save them?
/s
/s
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Why do Video Game Movies suck so much and how can a good one be made?
- Thread starter NandoGip
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Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China was one of the main inspirations for the vibe of the film. They also played it 100% straight by casting Liu Kang as the protagonist with Robin Shou (even when they had names like Cristopher Lambert attached), instead of completely whitewashing the film like what happened with Street Fighter.
That would be pretty cool. Valhalla Rising was very surreal and nightmarish. Loved it.
JimmyRustler
Gold Member
No, I feel it's either hypocrates who say the stories are bad but enjoy blockbuster movies with equally as bad/good stories or it's actually fedora wearing film/game critics that only watch independent or niche movies that are made by a handful of people and don't realize that big games cannot target such an audience.
I generally never understood the people who seem to be unable to differentiate between deep and entertaining writing. Both are good, just different.
I can watch "Arrival" and enjoy it one day and then "Predator" the next and just because Arrival's story stay with me much longer, it doesn't make Predators writing bad. Both serve their purpose and entertain me in their own way.
More_Badass
Member
Hell, I'd argue that Fast and Furious 4, 5, 6 feel like video game adaptations of video games that dont exist, except somehow they'll also good enjoyable fun action movies.
I still haven't seen these movies. I wish they were on Netflix and/or Amazon Prime or something where they were easily accessible.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
If fans can make some good ones I don't see why Hollywood can't with more resources.
This Star Fox one is pretty cool.
This Star Fox one is pretty cool.
gutter_trash
Banned
they fail because they are business titles with a loose adaptation that doesn't please fans and does nothing to attract non-fans
Sure, and? The details of it weren't all that great at all, what i'm saying is only having the "Ezio arc" as an incipit is meaningless in whether or not you can make a good film out of it.
Abilidebob
Member
Eh, I've watched it with some friends that never played a Warcraft game in their lives, and they enjoyed the movie, although got kinda confused at some plot points. Even if you're not a fan I think you can enjoy it.
benjipwns
Banned
The Fast and The Furious series has become the Saints Row films.
I actually loved the Speed Racer movie. I thought it was one of the more visually arresting and spectacular films we've gotten in a long time. Its also got a pretty solid if simple story to it and the themes of family and such were all pulled off really well. I think its a great movie for kids and adults. It was just horribly misunderstood which is sad.
Like honestly I was surprised when Need for Speed didn't try to be a Fast and the Furious rip-off
Like it seemed the perfect chance since believe first movie was partially influenced by the Need for speed games
Yup.
And then don't think another one in the 20s....
And Angry Birds at 43% is the 2nd highest of all-time
So you're the guy who liked Speed Racer.
I've never seen. Didn't know the Wachowski made it, wow.
Yes, it's great.
Most of the video game movies I've seen suffer from one of two problems.
A. Trying to fit an unconventional game/narrative into a conventional movie framework
B. Just being a shitty movie in general
Making a good game adaptation is the same as turning any property into a film - treat the source material with respect while focusing on making a GOOD MOVIE above all.
A. Trying to fit an unconventional game/narrative into a conventional movie framework
B. Just being a shitty movie in general
Making a good game adaptation is the same as turning any property into a film - treat the source material with respect while focusing on making a GOOD MOVIE above all.
Yeah I loved speed racer I never understood the hate. The visuals were fantastic and still set the bar for live action anime IMO. The rest of the film was average. Pretty great cast, serviceable story, average acting. Certainly not the train wreck it was painted as. I enjoyed it. Not every movie I watch needs to blow my face and mind away like the Matrix.
Regarding the topic. Most videogames have horrible stories compared to other mediums. Books, Movies even TV tend to have better stories. We tend to judge video game stories only VS other videogame stories. If we held them up to the standards we hold books and movies they'd fall short. So yeah if you adapt a bad story you get a bad movie.
Speed Racer is one of those rare movies that manages to pull off "stupid but really enjoyable".
The story and acting never got to a point where it was painful to watch.
There's a lot of moving parts in adapting a movie to a game that seem to trip up the end product. I think filmmakers need to take a deep look at what the essence of the source game is and ask themselves "does it makes sense as a 2-ish hour three-act narrative?" (which is probably the structure they need to work within, although I'd welcome a different direction if it were an option). I think the solution lies more in sticking with the spirit rather than the letter of the law.
To those posting about Scott Pilgrim, Edge of Tomorrow, Inception (I'd argue against its inclusion - sort of): I think those movies are stories structured in the form of video games rather than function. Their stories use game systems to craft the narrative. When having this discussion about games to movie adaptations, we also need to consider if we want to adapt the forms alongside the function.
Just taking the story premise of AssCreed and turning it into a regular movie is one thing. To really dig into the game structure of AC and baking that into the movie's narrative is a whole another thing. Specifically with AC being a game within a game, I think the latter is more advisable. The franchise's form leads to questions about the nature of reality and our perception of history that could've made a cool smart movie*
*I have not seen the AC movie, but I feel like I can assume they took the premise of the franchise and then backed themselves into a corner by trying to be misguidedly faithful to the source
To those posting about Scott Pilgrim, Edge of Tomorrow, Inception (I'd argue against its inclusion - sort of): I think those movies are stories structured in the form of video games rather than function. Their stories use game systems to craft the narrative. When having this discussion about games to movie adaptations, we also need to consider if we want to adapt the forms alongside the function.
Just taking the story premise of AssCreed and turning it into a regular movie is one thing. To really dig into the game structure of AC and baking that into the movie's narrative is a whole another thing. Specifically with AC being a game within a game, I think the latter is more advisable. The franchise's form leads to questions about the nature of reality and our perception of history that could've made a cool smart movie*
*I have not seen the AC movie, but I feel like I can assume they took the premise of the franchise and then backed themselves into a corner by trying to be misguidedly faithful to the source
Zen_Arcade
Banned
Because 99% of video game stories suck and that unsurprisingly transfers over to other media. Especially when the main point of that media is storytelling.
The two best videogame movies weren't even based on videogame properties and that would be Scott Pilgrim Vs The World and Edge of Tomorrow.
Coincidentally, the videogame was better than both the source material and the movie.
Personally, i know they weren't 100% faithful to the original, but i liked the first Silent Hill movie, it was a decent modern horror movie.
Warcraft was the movie the game deserved, i know it didn't make bank, but i thought it was well done.
If i remember correctly both of Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider movies did pretty well at the box office.
I actually loved Speed Racer and my only complain about it was precisely "Well, this will delay any chance for an F-zero Movie cause it'd be too similar"
Except it wasn't
The Silver
Member
and yet Marvel was able to take dogshit like Civil War and make a movie everyone liked out of it.
It does not matter how the story was told in the game, all you need is the core concept and world and do whatever you need to do to make a good film out of it.
There is no reason at all Ass Creed couldn't have been as good as your average Marvel movie.
Hey, don't get me wrong, all 3 are good, but the videogame is basically the end game of Scott Pilgrim, it's basically it becoming what spawned the idea in the very first place.
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