Video game moviesare finally starting to get good after decades of trying, but there are plenty of adaptations of classic games that practically no one remembers. Gaming has come a long way in only five decades, and video games have blossomed from simple pixels on a blank screen to cinematic adventures with state-of-the-art graphics.
Because of their popularity, Hollywood wanted to get in on the action, and wasted little time producing a handful of misguided video game movies. Early failures like 1993’sSuper Mario Bros.proved that the industry just wasn’t ready, and gaming films would languish for decades as they tried to find their footing.
Evensuccessful gaming movieslikeResident Evilwere a hollow shell of their source material, and it wasn’t until the 2020s that video game movies began properly paying homage to their inspirations. Despite constant disappointments, video game movies have been released at a steady clip since the ’80s, and many of them have been almost completely forgotten.
10Wing Commander (1999)
TheWing Commanderseries helped to revolutionize the space flight simulator genre, and wasone of the most popular PC gaming franchises of the ’90s.A 1999 eponymous film seemed like a sure-fire hit, but the Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard vehicle failed to take flight. It got abysmal reviews and wasa box office disasterto boot.
Bringing such a popular, but still very niche, property to the mainstream was a big mistake, andWing Commanderdidn’t stand a chance with general audiences. The production value was lackluster, and it was a bit too steeped in its own lore. Even great performers like Lillard and David Warner couldn’t save a gaming movie that was DOA.
9Tekken (2009)
Despite their razor-thin plots,fighting games have always been popular fodder for video game movies.Tekkenmight not be as famous asMortal KombatorStreet Fighter, but it’s a big enough franchise to warrant a film. However, the 2009 adaptation was not what most were hoping for, and largely fell flat compared to the bombastic games.
The decision to cut out the supernatural elements and comedy was the movie’s biggest mistake,and its attempts at realism were mostly boring. The fight scenes were excellently crafted, but without a compelling story to back them up, they have no stakes or emotion.Tekkenhas since gotten other adaptations that opted for an animated style instead of live-action.
8Ratchet & Clank (2016)
Animated films always seem like the most logical medium to adapt popular video games, but movies likeRatchet & Clankdisprove that theory. Based onthe eponymous action platforming series,the 2016 film maintained the visuals of the games and brought back all the beloved cast members. While it should have been a recipe for success, it was a dud.
Box Office Mojonotes thatRatchet & Clankonly earned $13 million against a $20 million budget.
A lack of widespread appeal and poor marketing gaveRatchet & Clanka tough hill to climb, and most audiences just weren’t interested. The animation looked cheap compared to Disney and DreamWorks, and it didn’t try hard enough to appeal to viewers outside the fanbase. It was a noble attempt, but ultimately a misguided effort all around.
7Werewolves Within (2021)
Perhaps the most obscure video game to ever get a movie adaptation, 2021’sWerewolves Withinis more famous than its source material. The game itself employs a Mafia-like approach, with one player concealing the fact that they are the werewolf.The movie ignored almost every part of the original game, and just kept the basic framework of lycanthropy.
The Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub film may have slipped by unnoticed, butWerewolves Withinholds the distinction of being thehighest-rated video game movie everonRotten Tomatoes. Source material changes aside,it’s a fun little horror comedy with strong writing and witty performances. It’s barely a gaming movie, but it deserves attention.
6Monster Hunter (2020)
Milla Jovovich and her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, have been an acting/directing force in the video game movie sphere for years, butMonster Huntercouldn’t live up to the success ofResident Evil. The fantasy action gaming series was practically begging for a movie adaptation, but the 2020 feature was a lazy attempt to capture the larger world.
Though the visual effects were nice to look at, the plot was bare bones and uninspired, andJovovich sleepwalks her way through a role that had no depth whatsoever.Monster Hunteris a franchise beloved by gamers, but not as well-known to the average viewer. That’s probably why the movie was a box office bomb, even though reviews were middling.
Uwe Boll has helmed numerous video game movies, butHouse of the Deadwas his first. The 1996 rail-shooter was a successfulResident Evilclone, and spawned its own zombie franchise. The games didn’t give the 2003 film much to work with, butHouse of the Deadis still one of the worst movies of all time.
With a convoluted script and amateurish production,it wasn’t just a disservice to the games, but to film itself. It isn’t an adaptation of any particular game, and is really only loosely connected to its namesake. Unlike other gaming movies which cater to gamers a little too closely,House of the Deadseems to have contempt for them.
4Double Dragon (1994)
If style points counted for anything,Double Dragonwould be a much better gaming movie. The ’80s beat ‘em up series was still popular in the mid-1990s, but it didn’t give filmmakers a ton to work with when crafting a script. As such,the film is an over-the-top spectacle set in a post-apocalyptic world that is dripping with mid-’90s cheese.
The fight scenes are well-crafted, but the story is absurd and goofy, and the creative choices are baffling. Robert Patrick gives a truly hammy performance as the villain, andthe childish storytelling pushes things just a bit too farinto silly territory.Double Dragonhas since become a cult classic, largely because of how odd it is.
3Far Cry (2008)
Now one of the most successful game franchises of the 21st century,Far Crywas still new when director Uwe Boll made the film in 2008. Though better than some of his other gaming movies, Boll’s fingerprints are all over the movie, andit is one of the most unambitious stabs at a gaming adaptation in movie history.
TheFar Cryfranchise offers a lot of opportunities, and an original story didn’t need to be a death sentence. However, it’s dull and boring, andit feels more like the framework of a film than a finished product. Clearly, nobody involved cared about the games, and Boll’s efforts were rewarded with terrible reviews and bad box office numbers.
2Need For Speed (2014)
The modern era of Hollywood video game movies is still somewhat new, but 2014’sNeed for Speedwas one of the first inklings of what was to come. The Aaron Paul film is far from great, butit delivers on what the title promises, and at least tried to pull a convincing story from the racing games.
Reviews aside, the movie was a box office hit that grossed over $200 million.Need for Speedhearkens back to the early days of theFast and Furiousfranchise, where cars and racing were still center stage. It’s an unabashedly silly movie, andit probably would have been an even bigger hit had it premiered a few years later.
1BloodRayne (2005)
BloodRaynewas one of those flash-in-the-pan gaming franchisesthat was popular briefly, but that didn’t stop Uwe Boll from making a movie in 2005. The action game casts the player as a vampire who protects humanity from supernatural threats, and it had plenty of clever ideas to support a feature film.
The entire experience is awkward and clunky, though established stars like Ben Kingsley and Michelle Rodriguez add some effort. The biggest problem with thevideo game movie, besides the script, is the lack of budget.BloodRaynecould have used a major Hollywood adaptation, and the money could have made up for its lackluster quality.
