Game based movies that could actually work?

[YamadaJisho]

Silent Hill is the only game I've ever seen that could translate well into a movie. Unfortunately, the people who tried screwed the pooch royally on that one. The movie was good for about 15 minutes. Then it turned into a mess of uninspired, unimaginative, horrible attempts at shock treatment. Movie makers seem to not understand what makes certain games great, and the difference between movies and games. One of the reasons why movies like God of War and Prince of Persia made great games but would/will make HORRIBLE movies (because the Prince of Persia movie is going to suck, hardcore) is because the main attraction to the games is the game play. That's not something that *can* translate into a movie. Yeah, it'd be cool to watch Kratos pull Greek monsters limb from limb for a few minutes, but if you're not actually the one doing it, then it'll get boring rather quickly. The main draw of Prince of Persia was absolutely the game play. The combat got a bit annoying at times, but the puzzles and the acrobatic feats you could make the price do were awesome. Those kinds of things aren't going to come out well on film. Then again, I've been rather disappointed in Disney for a number of years now.

The reason I say that the Silent Hill series (specifically Silent Hill 2) has the most potential to be the only working video game movie is because more than any other game it relies on atmosphere. In Silent Hill 2, every monster has a reason for being there and for looking the way they do. All the monsters (except Pyramid Head, who I believe was a representation of the main character) were twisted and mangled forms of females, when gender could be ascertained. It really played into the whole idea of the main character trying to find his dead wife and instead finding all these mangles female demons. The game play was DEFINATELY not the shining point of brilliance for this game. I, personally, never liked the game. I prefer to actually be able to control a character rather than have the controls be an awkward, sticky mess. The game just ended up being frustrating to me. But the atmosphere was VERY well defined. It would make for a truly cinematic experience and truly horrifying film if the creators would simply try to understand what made Silent Hill great in the first place.

The main problem with the movie is that after about 15 minutes, you began to figure out what was going on. The monsters really had no reason to their form (and seriously, can ANYONE think of a reason for Pyramid Head to be there except blatant fan-service?), and everything began to be explained in the movie. The brilliant thing about Silent Hill 2 is that you never really knew what was going on. Not really ever (unless you got the secret dog ending).

That's the main reason that I was very glad that the Legend of Zelda trailer that came out on April Fools of 2008 ended up remaining a joke. That movie would have been truly horrible, and I don't want my memories of Zelda to be tarnished that way. The trailer was awesome, and it was a really well thought out joke, but that's what it should remain.

As a side note: I know that people have commented that a Silent Hill movie could work if done right, I'm simply explaining as to why it could be done right, and why other games really won't work that way. Advent Children was a sloppy mess of confusion, and the Tekken movie is going to be the Street Fighter movie without Raul Julia. Ergo, it's gonna suck even more.

 

[Wintermoot]

MGS I heard it is 90% cutscenes or HL1 as a action movie it was always pretty cinematic

 

[Toomanywordz]

Bioshock would be a good game based movie. Except that they should make splicers more rare and make them appears from places that would scare the audience. But I think it actually getting it's own movie soon anyways.

 

[Teenysaurus]

I would like to see what rapture would look like on the big screen, but I think it could only be a prequel leading up to bioshock. And I'm gonna be pissed if it's in 3-d, but it probably will be.

 

[Coldfreeze]

I think crysis has potential. Still i don't like game movies. I always have these moments like : OMG! that is not how it went.

 

[Therumancer]

Hmmm, well truth be told what's a "good" movie is debatable and truthfully your never going to make any large fanbase entirely happy. I thought that while not entirely accurate to the games that "Mortal Kombat" (the first one), "Tomb Raider", and "Silent Hill" were all decent if not "OMG wonderful" movies. It's just we have yet to see a perfect/massive blockbuster video game movie that enchants both the fan base and the mainstream movie goers. I suspect it will happen eventually though.

As ironic as it sounds, I think there has been great success in adapting video games to children's cartoons though. For example Pokemon, which few people think about, has had successful TV series, and a ridiculous number of movies. A little too cutesy for my tastes (goofing off with a Pokemon game for the first time), but it is noteworthy as it was successful. Street Fighter had at least two Animated series (Street Fighter II V, and an American TV show), and then we also saw animated shows based on "Wind Commander" and "Mortal Kombat". Indeed one of the things that briefly amused me when I was sitting around sick at home was how USA had a bunch of video game inspired kids shows running in a block. They ran this one meta-plot between all of them where there was this orb with all these powers that was getting tossed between universes. At the end of one show they dumped it through a portal where it would arrive in the universe of the next show, where it would cause problems, and then get dumped again. Eventually it wound up sitting on a planet in the "Wing Commander" universe I believe. It's been a while. The point of this being that apparently this was doing well enough where someone was able to coordinate this with totally differant design/animation teams, meaning that there had to be some serious funding/success involved to even begin to plan something like this.

At any rate, I'd guess that right now the "golden standard" of video game MOVIES is probably "Resident Evil" since it did well enough where it got *TWO* sequels.

 

[1066]

In my opinion, there are a few things to remember when picking something like this. First is that any videogame license will be made into a mainstream movie and will have to cater to that. Not saying that this is a good thing, just nature of the beast. I'll be honest in that Advent Children surprised the hell out of me by semi avoiding this and assuming we'd all seen it. That said, it was a movie made FOR a game, not a movie made ABOUT or OF a game.

Anyway:
1) No fewer than two characters who are near-constantly present, plus at least one other who is often present. One man shows can work, but seldom happen. Even a movie like Die Hard, which is known largely for McClane's shoeless bad-assery, really had four characters who were often on-screen. The Lead, The Cop, The Lead's wife and the Bad Guy. They all played off each other even if McClane was physically alone throughout.

Get a game with only one character, or a few good ones who seldom talk, and something's going to get shoehorned in to make it interesting. It's why I can't ever get interested in the thought of a Metroid movie. Giving her a sidekick, or a love interest, or a Chozo either one, would damaged her character. At best.

2) Only a handful of events required for the story. Games (with stories) often make full use of the simple fact that you're going to be parked there for 8-40 hours. Mainstream movies, which these will be, would play to the crowd, not the fans. For the fans, reducing important events would be bad, and ignoring them would be worse. To allow the writers to put their own, needed, spin on the piece, I'd say no more than 4-5 major events, and even that's pushing it.

this is why I don't think something like Mass Effect could work out. Every character gathering mission, and every loyalty mission is vital to the feel of the story. Mass Effect 2, Garrus or Tali alone have enough story to build an entire movie on, and ditching it would just piss off fans and take away from the story.

...though a series of character-personal movies might work...

3) Flipside to 2: Must have a story. Metroid somewhat falls into this, Doom certainly does. I guess it lets them get away with some stuff, but if there's nothing to build on, the writers'll have to make up their own stuff.

I think that's why I didn't like Doom, aside from crowbarring in characters as per point 1. Doom: You're on Mars. You're a marine. Those are demons, kill they ass. (With all due respect to Yahtzee). Movie: Pretty sure they weren't on mars, yes, he was a marine, and they weren't demons it was a virus. My view, they got 1 out of 3 on that, but I can't see them doing better no matter what they did.

4) If there's a sequel, then it has to be a in-line sequel with little new introduced.

I reference Wing Commander here. In the movie they made, the skip-missile came right out of nowhere for the movie, and was 20-30 years too early in continuity. But, it was there because it was a nifty thing and/or because fans liked it. Silent Hill, the same with Pyramid Head. Story was a semi-retelling of 1, PH is from 2 and is a personal demon of James' anyway. As were the Sexy Nurses, etc. But they were there because they'd become iconic, even if they didn't really work.

Again, all my opinion on how these things would pan out.

As for games that would work? Some adventure games could.

SOME adventure games could work. Grim Fandango was mentioned. Properly spun and with a bit more focus/time given to Glottis, I could see it. Remove some stuff, like the Seabees to streamline. Not sure how they'd get past/use the year-long waits, but that's a relatively small hurdle when you think about it. Monkey Island could work. The Dr. Brains could work as kids' movies if done light and similar to Series of Unfortunate Events.

Most RPGs are right out due to size and important events, but Zelda I can actually see. It's broad enough that they really can cherrypick without issue, which kind of kills point 4, but in an odd and almost unique way. I think it would have to be Ocarina or Twilight Princess-based though, to have a second character. For the record, I liked Navi, so I don't see a problem there.

Parasite Eve could be done, though the game was kinda based on a movie/book, so take that for what it's worth.

Most action games are out for the multiple people bit. Done right, a castlevania game based on #3 could be good, but is in danger of falling into the trap of mixing and matching between games.

Done right, System Shock could work. I'm thinking about SS2 here though, due to Shodan talking. Never actually played one, so not sure if the same applies. Two is enough of a stand alone that a quick recap would be enough, I think, so take that for what it's worth.

Odin Sphere could be done, but it would lose the different perspectives thing. Could still work.

Beyond Good and Evil could work. Need to be streamlined a bit, but could work. Might need to play up Secundo and ditch Double H.

Mercenaries isn't a bad one, if played up as a squad, or active company instead of a one-man drop.

 

[Nansen]

hmm..., Beyond Good and Evil.

 

[zenoaugustus]

It would be interesting if a Fallout 3 movie was made. Of course it would have to be based on just the main questline of the game, which wasn't as good as the other stuff in the game, so maybe a very loose adaptation (with overall similar set pieces, Dad escaping the Vault, purify water project, Brotherhood vs. Enclave. That sort of thing).

 

[maninahat]

Team Fortress 2 would make for an amusing tv series. It already is basically a psychopathic bloody pixar animation.

Why do people keep saying Heavy Rain? It already feels like a derivative of Saw and Se7en, both of which already have plenty of derivatives to speak of (they're ususally relegated to late night tv).

Neverhood would make a great movie. It has a solid, yet straight foward premise, which also serves as an interesting allegory for Judeo-Christian writing. Alright, don't let the mention of Christianity put you off - it isn't a bible game. Rather, it just borrows the creation story and simplifies it into a mad cap World of clay and mad characters.

 

[maninahat]

Oh, and Monkey Island wouldn't work. So many of the jokes have already been incorperated into Pirates of the Caribbean (both are inspired by the same theme-park ride). Audiences would feel like they are retreading the same ground.

 

[maninahat]

If done well (which means never) Half Life, with the G-Man being played by that Generic Movie Voiceover Guy.

Generic voice over guy's dead now. Just a world full of amateur knock offs now.

 

[eddielovato]

I'd like to see a Bioshock film. Just to soak in the brilliant atmosphere.

you will see it very soon

 

[lucksack]

MOTHER FUCKING PONG

They did that. It was called "Balls of Fury"

oh yeah and it sucked ass, centipede then just for its amazing visuals and high paced story line

 

[MicrosoftPaysMe]

Well I'm looking forward to:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0968747/

Is that real? Please tell me thats real. It better be real.

Somehow I just don't belive this is real. The actors are too good.
[small/][small/]stop lying to me[/small][/small]

Thats real!

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=6ji&rlz=1R1WZPB_en___GB344&q=Kane+and+Lynch+movie&meta=&aq=f&aqi=g-c3g2&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

My life just got a little bit better. thank you