Why Are Films of Games So Awful?

Doom, Final Fantasy, Alone in the Dark, any BloodRayne film, hell, even Tomb Raider. The gaming world has traditionally got a rough deal from Hollywood, with very few games managing to make the transition to silver screen without mysteriously turning to crap. Of course, films rarely fare better in blatant marketing cash-ins. How often have you seen the same basic, uninspired platformers stamped with the face of whatever money/wallet separation tool is being shoved into kids’ faces this month?

[CrimsonEngage]

Because you have crap actors and stray away from the story of the game. I understand Movies are only 2 hours long where as games are anywhere from 6 to 100 but you could split the movie into parts ala LOTR.

[ashbc]

There are other reasons aswell. Prince of Persia was on ok film, but it wasted an actor of the talent of Ben Kingsley in a small role. There is more to this than crap actors. Poor director for one.

[bruddahmanmatt]

Because they do not take the source material seriously, THAT'S WHY.

Video games are often frowned upon as being inferior to the likes of books, plays or other mediums used as the basis for films. When you have what many believe to be sub-par source material, there's really only one direction you can go in if you're the studio, that of big summer blockbuster which often means weak scripts, mediocre acting and huge explosions in an attempt to pander to the masses.

Perhaps one day we'll see a major studio take a story from the video game world seriously, but until that happens, don't expect any huge changes.

[kneon]

I think another reason is that movie studios still think their target audience for such films are 12 year old boys. That's not a demographic that is noted for their discerning taste so they often barely even try. As long as the movie has the right name they expect people will go and see it.

[Anderson8]

because the directors are never fans of or play the games they adapt...

[Prototype]

My biggest reason is they don't ask the fans for suggestions to consider; or they don't have directors/producers who are fans of a series to actually make a good movie - it's all Hollywood-ish and that's it. Some games you really can't make a movie unless its a "what-if" situation, or a back story, or a "this is an after story" setting.

A big example of a fan is The Dark Knight (I know its off a comic but still); that's made by a Batman fan who listened to the audience.

The only actual real good Game movie I've seen was the First Mortal Kombat.

[Jacobite]

I know some folk like the Resident Evil films but I felt they were disappointing I would have them stick to the story in the games more from the Mansion to Racoon city using Leon ,Chris, Barry, Webster and Clair in the main story in the films.

[billyboi122]

I enjoy the Resident Evil movies. I know they're kinda crappy but still tolerable. I like the idea of using the game plots though and expanding on what's there.

[WhiteLightning]

Bad casting as well

Wentworth Miller as Chris......oh boy ¬¬

[dinkeldinkse]

I should slap myself for saying that.

The RE movies aren't bad movies, but are horrible RE movies. They borrow random shit from the games that don't make any sense(The Executioner in RE5, enemies from RE5)and ignore the rest.

I like the RE movies, but I understand why others don't.

[Pozzle]

I think Wentworth Miller could have been an ok Chris if he had better direction. I feel the same way about Ali Larter as Claire. She could have been good...if she had been directed better.

Sadly, the actual game characters are never given much personality in the films because then they might *gasp* be more interesting than Milla Jovovich's character. And Paul Anderson wouldn't like that.

[vglulz]

I've never seen a really good videogame movie. Someone will do it eventually.

Bioshock would translate very well into movie form if it was handled well.

[FAGOL]

Christopher Nolan "Would you kindly" make a Bioshock movie? But it has to be done right. The game itself was a masterpiece.

[house]

everything Christopher Nolan touches turns to gold, with that said i think the reason why they dont work is because it doesn't make sense to make a movie based on a video game its like making a novelization of movie

[WhiteLightning]

They don't stick to the source material.

I have a funny feeling if someone copied and pasted most of the story to the film it would do better then a video game film that changes the entire story.

I mean of course the problem with copying and pasting is that fans of the game would know what is going to happen next but I'd rather know what happens next and enjoy the film rather then see a video game I love ruined.

Look at Uncharted for example would you rather have, at the time, David O Russels story or have a game following the Drakes Fortune plot very closely where, even though we know what's going to happen and what they are going to roughly say, enjoy the film. The best thing I like about DOOM was the fps scene and even though RE Afterlife was crap I liked the way Chris and Claires fight resembled the fight between Chris and Sheva against Wesker in RE5

For once Hollywood should try and change tatics, if changing the story dosen't work then stick closely to it.

[ashbc]

I think that most gamers that watch a game film like to see how the movie directed has gone about doing certain key scenes more than anything. It's not about knowing the story its about seeing how the movie has translated the story from the game to the film.

[Baka-akaB]

Even if you stick to the material , when the original material is already an imitation and plyable patchwork of established movies , it's doomed .

And some games genre just can't be translated well on screen .

All of the silliness from RE movies would actually serve something like a DMC movie instead .

[billyboi122]

Prince of Persia was sub-par. But still, better than most of the other crap out there.

[tigertron]

I actually really enjoyed Silent Hill and the Tomb Raider films.

The Resident Evil movies are a guilty pleasure. They really screwed with the source material to the extent where I don't actually consider them apart of Resident Evil. I think people would be more accepting of the series if they actually stopped calling it Resident Evil.

I would have really liked that Romero version being made with a few changes i.e. Chris not being a native American bird watcher.

[_Aarix_]

Because they should stay games. I don't think any were a sucess. Except for pokemon but it was an anime first so it would make sense.

[Baka-akaB]

because for starters they had an habit of choosing some of the worst ideas for a movie .

-Fighting games ? they got the stupidest plot ever , and all people wants from them are 1v1 battles in tournaments of sort . WHile every director try the silly concept of adding guns , actions scenes , chases and an even more ridiculous plot .

-Survival Horror games ? Those are already ripping off horror movies ... why the hell settle for an even dumber version from games , and then proceed to f*ck it up ? .

-Adventure/treasure hunt games ? Come on same as above . You've got the best versions already in movies than games are trying to emulate . Stop trying to copy a copy !

[wallis]

The doom movie wasn't bad actually. It stuck to the plot on a basic level but did it's own thing. Although I dont know what the hell was up with calling it event horizon.

I think it must have been because someone stole the name for a movie THAT IS UNRELATED TO THE GAME FRANCHISE IN EVERY WAY.

At least I have to keep telling myself that's what is real or else the killing urges return...

[ElementX]

I thought Silent Hill was pretty good.

[Inception]

Yeah, Silent Hill was pretty good. And SH: Revelation looks promising with Carrie Anne Moss in it.

btw, some of video games-to-movie that are good and i really enjoyed:
- SH
- RE 1, Apocalypse, Degeneration
- FF Spirits Within (ok, maybe i'm in minority in here, but this movie are not so bad afterall).
- FF Advent Children
- Tomb Raider 1
- Mortal Kombat 1, MK: Legacy

[ElementX]

I'll have to check some of those out

[nanometric]

Agreed, I also enjoyed all of those movies, also Prince of Persia was quite entertaining, tbh.

[brish]

Q. Why Are Films of Games So Awful?

It's my fault. Sorry guys!

[Miiikeyyy]

Hollywood.

[oldfriend86]

Silent Hill was the greatest video game movie to date. The atmosphere was captured perfectly, Music FROM the game, and the plot captured the essence of Silent Hill. To top it off, the ending credits was fantastic.

The Resident Evil films were crap, aside from Degeneration. Paul Anderson needs to stop making the films, cause it looks like there's going to be another one. >_>

[jacksonmichael]

And why are games of films so awful?

[FAGOL]

Developers are rushed to make a game to release alongside the movies release.

[FAGOL]

Because they have nothing to do with the game.

[omi25p]

I always thought the first tomb raider was good...

[contra157]

they forget all the fantasy the game provides , then put in believeable stuff in and ruins everything .

[Raven_Nomad]

I actually liked the Tomb Raider movies. Cant say much for other game/movie crossovers though, they have all been pretty bad.

[RedGr3mlin]

SRY BAD SPELLING BUT PLZ READ THIS THRUE!!!!

This is what they should do:

FIRST:

Give the game the director want to do a movie about to him
(together with a free system that the game is on ofcourese)
Make him play it thru what ever he want or not. THAT IS A MUST!. Make him play it on Medium (not easy) and not hard so he have to understand the feeling you get when you are hunted ( silent hill ) or under heavy fire in a gun battle ( MoH? ).

SECOND:

When he have finished the game, make him write about the game ( like kids in school do ) when they have red a book that they have to review or something, THEN send the review and thought about the game from the director to the GAME MAKER. LET THE GAME DIRECTOR ( Game maker ) then make a Quiz to send back with questions like: What was the feeling I was after you think at that part of the game OR maybe: What was the autmosvere in the basement / forest / house / lake I was after and how do you think I wanted the character to feel at that point?

THIRD:

THEN send the answers BACK to the Game director , let him reed it thru and say OK or NO to if the game should be filmed into a movie, IF HE SAY YES: THe movie can be filmed, IF NO, the director have to replay the game on HARD and FINISH IT until he knows what feeling the game director was after when making the game.

I think that most of the game films sucks because the director don't even play the game, they TEST the game, they DON'T PLAY IT THRU. They are like... Ah I see what the game director was after, so now I copy this ( AFTER 3h IN TO THE GAME )? .... '

SO Dear MOVIE DIRECTORS. YOU DON'T KNOW THE FEELING of the game after 2-3 maps or 4-5 hours of gameplay.

YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT THRU!

THINK YOURSELF IN TO THE CHARACTER!!

LOOK CLOSE AT THE ENVIRONMENTS IN THE GAME!!

GET THE FEELING THE DIRECTOR OF THE GAME WAS AFTER!!!

PLAY THE GAME THE WAY IT IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED.

HORROR GAMES = A ROOM WITH NO LIGHTS AND 5.1
(Not in your trailer on the movie set with all lights on 5m before starting filming)

SURVIVING GAMES = How ever you want regarding the light, but play it thru, think yourself into the character, play it on hard so you have to battle yourself thru so when you get to the "cut scenes" you can breath out before next part kicks off..

THAT IS HOW YOU PLAY A GAME!

[CaptainPunch]

Wow you actually took the time to write that mess of text?

[psvita4ever]

most films based in videogames fail because the director never played the game or they hire someone who thinks that gamers are going to love any crap just because is based in a videogame. Also sometimes the movie is ugly... like the super mario bros movie

[BlmThug]

And vice versa

[Relientk77]

I liked the Tomb Raider movies

but I do agree almost all video game movies are bad

[zackacloud]

Because of the fucking :

1-Authors.
2-Actors.
3-Directors.
4-Low Budget.
5-The both of companies( the game company and filming company ).

[IrieMars]

Why are you asking such a stupid question?! You should write an article about that.

[Hyperbomb69]

>Live action films
>Video games

pick one.

[Tzuno]

because it's all there without thinking for a new idea you just put them on polygons and use them to feed the supid.

[mabreu]

because people are suckers and end up buying into it. If studios are only interested in making "more" money, they wont care about the quality (PERIOD)