Poll: Deus Ex: Human Revolution film in the works

[Loop Stricken]

CBS have acquired the screen rights to Deus Ex: Human Revolution and will be working closely with the developers, Eidos Montreal, to make a film. Welcome to the terrible mental no man's land that lies somewhere between "hmm, interesting" and "ohnononono." Let's take a look at what the folk involved have to say about the thing and then recklessly judge the endeavour.

"As is clear from the wild success of the game, Square Enix and Eidos-Montreal know how to exceed their audience's expectations by engineering incredible worlds." That's the cracking, distorted voice of CBS co-president of CBS, Terry Press, appearing as a faceless talking head on a glass screen in front of the silhouette of a pacing conspirator. "No one knows 'Human Revolution' like the team that created it, and we look forward to working with them from day one to make a film adaptation worthy of the 'Deus Ex' name."

The conspirator stops and turns as faceless shadow NUMBER TWO begins to speak. "As the millions of fans who have played the 'Deus Ex' games for more than a decade will tell you, these games catapult you into a universe that is stimulating, engaging and relevant," Augmented sonic receptors (ears) tell tell us that it's Phil Rogers, president and CEO of Square Enix Europe. "We're firm believers in building strong partnerships, and so we're thrilled to be working with CBS Films on bringing the unique 'Deus Ex' experience to the bigscreen," he says.

The shadowy conspirator picks up a datapad to find a conveniently relevant Variety article on the front page. It suggests that the plot of the film will be similar to that of the game. Instead of a security guard, Jensen's character will be a SWAT operative, but he'll still have augmentations, which he'll have to use to bring down a corrupt and sinister conspiracy. The conspirator nods. Is he pleased? It's too damn dark to tell.

With a few taps at a console dossiers appear on the flat screen. One man's name swims out of the flickering golden UI. Adrian Askarieh, producer of the Deus Ex project, previous projects: Hitman.

The room grows cold.

Another name: Roy Lee. Previous credits: The Ring (US remake), The Grudge (US remake).

The conspirator moves an arm up slowly, and then hits his forehead with an audible slap. A facepalm, or the momentary glitch of a poorly calibrated arm augmentation? The man taps more buttons and three switches light up. Switch A: Press to watch this film. Switch B: Press to pretend this film doesn't exist. Switch C: Initiate drone attack order on business competitors. Which would YOU choose?

[sub][sub]Shamelessly copypasted from Steam's news thingummie.[/sub][/sub]

 

[TallanKhan]

While its good Eidos will be involved i dont think the potential that Deus Ex has will be explored and I cant see CBS tapping into the world Eidos have crafted.

 

[Soviet Steve]

I never asked for this.

This. I wonder what casting choice we'll get for Jensen. As I recall Vin Diesel was lined up to be 47 for the Hitman film.

My money is on an improvising Jim Carey.

 

[hardbassI]

If Eidos is involved, I don't think this will be disastrous. I am pretty certain they will implement elements from the book James Swallow wrote,-"Icarus Effect" . Plus judging from how quickly they adapted to gamer's ails and needs with their DLC, "Missing Link",I'm positive they won't let this screw up, at the very least, not TOO badly.

 

[nifedj]

Like most people, I'm not optimistic. That said, I think there's a positive thing to take from this: it's the latest in a trend of people choosing games to adapt that do actually have potential. There's a better chance we'll finally have a decent video game movie with Deus Ex, Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed instead of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and The House of the Dead.

 

[Albino Boo]

Like most people, I'm not optimistic. That said, I think there's a positive thing to take from this: it's the latest in a trend of people choosing games to adapt that do actually have potential. There's a better chance we'll finally have a decent video game movie with Deus Ex, Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed instead of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and The House of the Dead.

I don't think you can ever make a decent game movie because the thing that makes a game good is the interactivity. In a movie Jensen is never going to spend 45 minutes sneaking around guards knocking them out from behind and moving their unconscious bodies to were they can't be seen. The movie version of Jenson is always going to run and gun because that is what works on film. Watching someone else stealth a level is boring, doing it yourself is a challenge.

 

[nifedj]

Like most people, I'm not optimistic. That said, I think there's a positive thing to take from this: it's the latest in a trend of people choosing games to adapt that do actually have potential. There's a better chance we'll finally have a decent video game movie with Deus Ex, Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed instead of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and The House of the Dead.

I don't think you can ever make a decent game movie because the thing that makes a game good is the interactivity. In a movie Jensen is never going to spend 45 minutes sneaking around guards knocking them out from behind and moving their unconscious bodies to were they can't be seen. The movie version of Jenson is always going to run and gun because that is what works on film. Watching someone else stealth a level is boring, doing it yourself is a challenge.

There are aspects of the game that can't be transferred, sure. I think it's only half true to say that interactivity is what makes the game good. There are lots of good things about the game, and while a movie can't recreate the gameplay design it can explore the interesting concept of human modification technology in the way the game does. Movies and games are different, just like movies and books are different, and books and games are different. When a story is adapted from one medium to another it should be (and pretty much has to be) a different way of telling the same story. The movie won't be exactly like the game - that doesn't disqualify it from being a good movie.

 

[Goofguy]

Sure, there's a part of me that is excited by the prospect. Then again, how do you truly capture the essence of a game that empowers gamers to make choices? There is a freedom in the game that comes from choosing which method (combat, stealth or social) you wish to apply to any given situation. The movie has no choice but to forgo this freedom of choice.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I'm not saying it'll be great, but I'm not dismissing it either. The game had a storyline that can pretty easily translate to a one-and-half hour movie. It won't be as good as the game, sure. But it could be pretty good in its own right.

Then again, I'm that idiot who thinks the original Mortal Kombat movie is cheesy awesomeness.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I think there's a lot of fertile ground in the Deus Ex universe to allow for a very interesting film, or even series of films. Plus, seeing the aesthetic style alone on the big screen would be a treat. There's certainly no guarantee it would be done right but that's the case with every idea ever put to film so it's hardly a deal breaker to me.

 

[octafish]

I never asked for this.

This. I wonder what casting choice we'll get for Jensen. As I recall Vin Diesel was lined up to be 47 for the Hitman film.

My money is on an improvising Jim Carey.

They are making another Hitman film? Or are talking about the one where Timothy Oliphant showed that even great actors can't do anything with badly written scripts? Then again when has Oliphant actually had a good script outside of Deadwood?

Anyway Crispin Glover for Adam Jensen! It'll be a disaster anyway, may as well be an entertaining one...

 

[Soviet Steve]

I never asked for this.

This. I wonder what casting choice we'll get for Jensen. As I recall Vin Diesel was lined up to be 47 for the Hitman film.

My money is on an improvising Jim Carey.

They are making another Hitman film? Or are talking about the one where Timothy Oliphant showed that even great actors can't do anything with badly written scripts? Then again when has Oliphant actually had a good script outside of Deadwood?

Anyway Crispin Glover for Adam Jensen! It'll be a disaster anyway, may as well be an entertaining one...

I'm not raging on Timothy Oliphant, I'm just still shocked that Vin Diesel was being considered for the role.

 

[Albino Boo]

Like most people, I'm not optimistic. That said, I think there's a positive thing to take from this: it's the latest in a trend of people choosing games to adapt that do actually have potential. There's a better chance we'll finally have a decent video game movie with Deus Ex, Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed instead of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and The House of the Dead.

I don't think you can ever make a decent game movie because the thing that makes a game good is the interactivity. In a movie Jensen is never going to spend 45 minutes sneaking around guards knocking them out from behind and moving their unconscious bodies to were they can't be seen. The movie version of Jenson is always going to run and gun because that is what works on film. Watching someone else stealth a level is boring, doing it yourself is a challenge.

There are aspects of the game that can't be transferred, sure. I think it's only half true to say that interactivity is what makes the game good. There are lots of good things about the game, and while a movie can't recreate the gameplay design it can explore the interesting concept of human modification technology in the way the game does. Movies and games are different, just like movies and books are different, and books and games are different. When a story is adapted from one medium to another it should be (and pretty much has to be) a different way of telling the same story. The movie won't be exactly like the game - that doesn't disqualify it from being a good movie.

If you remove the game play from the story in Deus Ex you are not left with much that is new. Jensen is an Ex cop thrown off the force who goes after the killers of his ex girlfriend and oh yeah he is a cyborg that can walk through gunfire. Thrown in a few twists, most of which you can see coming and you end up with a standard action B movie. Versions of which have been made for the last 25 years.

 

[Images]

Woah woah woah! The more important question is WHO WILL PLAY LETITIA?! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He09JaBVZdE]

"I don't know the Pacifics"

 

[nifedj]

If you remove the game play from the story in Deus Ex you are not left with much that is new. Jensen is an Ex cop thrown off the force who goes after the killers of his ex girlfriend and oh yeah he is a cyborg that can walk through gunfire. Thrown in a few twists, most of which you can see coming and you end up with a standard action B movie. Versions of which have been made for the last 25 years.

The exploration of the benefits and dangers of augmentation is what's at the core of the game. It shows how augs can improve and save lives, but also brings up the issue of a part of your body being technology that could be seen as being owned by a corporation. For me, the game's biggest achievement was presenting its ideas through a number of familiar things in the world, conveying to the player that we may well actually have to face these issues someday. The attitude of David Sarif towards freedom in business and scientific progress, the protestors and the extremist anti-augs, the way its covered on the news - all of these things are reminiscent of how real life issues are handled in our world.

The symbolism of the story of Icarus, while a little heavy-handed in places, is a multifaceted narrative technique more intelligent and advanced than anything you'll find in the vast majority of video games.

 

[Albino Boo]

If you remove the game play from the story in Deus Ex you are not left with much that is new. Jensen is an Ex cop thrown off the force who goes after the killers of his ex girlfriend and oh yeah he is a cyborg that can walk through gunfire. Thrown in a few twists, most of which you can see coming and you end up with a standard action B movie. Versions of which have been made for the last 25 years.

The exploration of the benefits and dangers of augmentation is what's at the core of the game. It shows how augs can improve and save lives, but also brings up the issue of a part of your body being technology that could be seen as being owned by a corporation. For me, the game's biggest achievement was presenting its ideas through a number of familiar things in the world, conveying to the player that we may well actually have to face these issues someday. The attitude of David Sarif towards freedom in business and scientific progress, the protestors and the extremist anti-augs, the way its covered on the news - all of these things are reminiscent of how real life issues are handled in our world.

The symbolism of the story of Icarus, while a little heavy-handed in places, is a multifaceted narrative technique more intelligent and advanced than anything you'll find in the vast majority of video games.

CBS are the producers and guy who make US remakes of of foreign films is the director. Its going to be formula summer action b picture. Perhaps in the hands of Eastwood or Scorsese it might have been an exploration of augmentation but guess what they don't do video game movies. They don't do them for simple reason the plots are hackneyed are the characterisation is bad in video games. Good directors want do something with more of plot than cross between terminator and death wish.