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Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

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Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#51

Post by craftyguy »

sirmarksalot wrote: post #44

So many video game movie projects are missing the simple question, "why?" So many of these games are inspired by movies in the first place, and their stories are mostly just cliches based on their source material. It's fine in the context of the game, because the player is doing something, but when you put that into a non-interactive medium, the flaws become obvious. If you take Indiana Jones, turn it into a game wit…

This is a great point. The real question is "Why is Hollywood trying to make video game movies?"

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#52

Post by krapp »

craftyguy wrote: post #51
sirmarksalot wrote: post #44

So many video game movie projects are missing the simple question, "why?" So many of these games are inspired by movies in the first place, and their stories are mostly just cliches based on their source material. It's fine in the context of the game, because the player is doing something, but when you put that into a non-interactive medium, the flaws become obvious. If you take Indiana Jones, turn it into a game wit…

This is a great point. The real question is "Why is Hollywood trying to make video game movies?"

They think it's easy money.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#53

Post by sh33mp »

jakebasile wrote: post #13

There have been good video game movies, but the number is vanishingly small. Many are "so bad it's good" such as anything Uwe Boll makes, but there are a couple that seem to be created by directors who genuinely love the source material and take it in interesting directions (e.g. the first Silent Hill film, the first Resident Evil film, arguably Final Fantasy: The Sprits Within). Also, Mortal Kombat (1995) is a good…

Mortal Kombat is very, very fun. I'm not sure I'd call it a good film, but I enjoyed it a lot.

Another good example is the Phoenix Wright movie (in Japan). Both are excellent love letters to their fans.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#54

Post by LMYahooTFY »

dfxm12 wrote: post #26

Mostly because videogame plot lines aren't as good as we give them credit for. Videogames are great at being interactive diversions, but their stories leave a lot to be desired and are really just thin background dressing for the real reason we play videogames: for the gameplay. The most successful videogame movies tend towards genre films like Mortal Kombat (the film) and Resident Evil (the series). Of course, let's…

I disagree with the "mostly", without some quantified support. Unless you mean that most of the games selected are substandard stories, but I didn't see a list of the 35 mentioned.

I would posit that perhaps the filtration system of making a wide audience film has more impact on how the screenplay is adapted and I haven't noticed that being discussed.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#55

Post by Skunkleton »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #16

I guess I'll be the odd ball who thought that Mortal Kombat was a decent movie. The fact that it seemed to use existing martial arts movies (Enter the Dragon and Game of Death, in particular) as a template rather than the game itself seemed to help.

I was pretty young when I saw that movie for the first time, but I still re-watch it from time to time and enjoy it. There is something charming about how hyper serious it is, while being absolutely ridiculous.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#56

Post by bpicolo »

umjames wrote: post #32
justinsaccount wrote: post #17

"The Last of Us" would be a blockbuster.

I don't want that story to be ruined by directors/producers/writers taking creative liberties. Some things just shouldn't be live-action movies. Look at all the anime movie failures. They were perfectly fine in their original animated format. No need for live action, except to keep people in the movie industry employed.

It's also just a way longer story than fits in a movie yeah?

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#57

Post by ygaf »

ebbv wrote: post #24
jakebasile wrote: post #13

There have been good video game movies, but the number is vanishingly small. Many are "so bad it's good" such as anything Uwe Boll makes, but there are a couple that seem to be created by directors who genuinely love the source material and take it in interesting directions (e.g. the first Silent Hill film, the first Resident Evil film, arguably Final Fantasy: The Sprits Within). Also, Mortal Kombat (1995) is a good…

Kinda cheating to call the Spirits Within a video game movie. It was titled Final Fantasy but was a wholly unique story and new characters and everything.

Not sure why this is downvoted. If you don't have a videogame source material it's not going to have whatever problems a videogame movie has.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#58

Post by r00fus »

ken wrote: post #45
larrik wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought it was better than than the trailers made it look like it would be. It's probably better without the game, though since, it simultaneously makes no sense within the game's universe and yet leads right into the beginning of the game version of Sands of Time.

I've never played the game or seen the movie, but the trailer looks pretty bad to me. If I were making a movie about that subject (and maybe this will make it clear why I'm not a producer), I'd go for more of an "Adaptation" style film. Viewers can't control time? Play it up, by (visually) admitting that the game powers like "rewind" are done on film through multiple takes, and stunt men, and editing. That's how you…

Exposing the deus ex machina as a mundane studio recording effort is an interesting idea, but detracts from the immersiveness and suspension-of-disbelief.

Great humor potential, though it'd get stale and instead become the story.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#59

Post by ssambros »

sirmarksalot wrote: post #44

So many video game movie projects are missing the simple question, "why?" So many of these games are inspired by movies in the first place, and their stories are mostly just cliches based on their source material. It's fine in the context of the game, because the player is doing something, but when you put that into a non-interactive medium, the flaws become obvious. If you take Indiana Jones, turn it into a game wit…

Mortal Kombat was not a bad movie if you ask me.

Re: Why Can't Hollywood Make a Good Video Game Movie?

#60

Post by xnaas »

sirmarksalot wrote: post #44

So many video game movie projects are missing the simple question, "why?" So many of these games are inspired by movies in the first place, and their stories are mostly just cliches based on their source material. It's fine in the context of the game, because the player is doing something, but when you put that into a non-interactive medium, the flaws become obvious. If you take Indiana Jones, turn it into a game wit…

>So many of these games are inspired by movies in the first place, and their stories are mostly just cliches based on their source material.

Just Cause 2 was the best "shitty action movie" video game I've ever played!

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