With the release of Prince of Persia this weekend, I thought it might be appropriate to suggest movies based on Video Games this week.
Please be good!
Now, I know what you might be saying, “Dave, movies based on video games suck!”
I answer with, yes… yes they do. I think Prince of Persia might be the one that gets the box office numbers that we are looking for. Maybe not critically acclaimed, but then again, Sex and the City 2 sucks and will get big numbers, so hey, anything can happen. I was a little late to the comic book party, and I grew up with video games. So when a film based on one comes out, I have high hopes. When I heard that a film based on Halo was going to be produced by Peter Jackson and directed by the, then unknown, Neil Blomkamp, I was quite excited. Then everything went downhill and their project ended up being 2009′s District 9. A hugely successful film, and it makes you wonder what Halo could have been.
Anyway, video game adaptations generally aren’t the best, but there is no denying that they’re fun. So here is the best of the bunch.
(Super Mario Bros. not included)
YOU DON’T EXIST!!
Mortal Kombat
The 1995 film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson is, in my opinion, the best video game film to date. The best martial artists from around the world are summoned to a strange island where they must compete in the tournament known as Mortal Kombat. Everyone has something to prove. Whether it’s credibility, quest for revenge, or just pride, everyone has a purpose. It isn’t as cheesy as you think. There are some corny lines in there, and Goro looks like a mutated penis, but that’s besides the point. The film definitely shows its age with its visual effects, but if you can get passed all that, you will definitely find an enjoyable film here. For the love all that is good in this world, AVOID THE SEQUEL!
Hitman
The 2007 film directed by Xavier Gens is a pretty fun action popcorn flick. Agent 47 is, coincidentally, a hitman, hired for an assassination. He is then told to kill a witness, but that witness is not actually a witness, and Agent 47 is hunted by the very people he worked for. The plot isn’t that important, because all you want to see is GUNS, GUNS, GUNS, and there’s lots of them. A predictable story that you can figure out from 10 minutes into the film, but it is the ride that’s enjoyable and that’s pretty much the most important aspect for a film like this. Also, if you can get passed, Timothy Olyphant’s shaved head, then you’ll enjoy it even more.
Silent Hill
In what has to be a film that was very true to the video game, Silent Hill manages to capture everything that made the game so great. The creepiness of the town, the disturbing monsters, the fog, and Pyramid Head, it is a movie that the filmmakers did a lot of research and it payed off. Directed my Christophe Gans, and stars Radha Mitchell, and 006 himself, Sean Bean. A mother’s daughter goes missing on their way to the strange town of Silent Hill. She encounters strange and scary creatures and townspeople that are equally strange and scary. It would’ve been the best, in my opinion, if it wasn’t for the outrageous end sequence in the church. If you could get passed that, then you’ll find a scary thriller that is quite enjoyable at 3 AM. Fans of the game will definitely get a kick from seeing Pyramid Head on screen!
Resident Evil
In what is quite possibly the most successful of the video game movie franchises, the first in the series is pretty great. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and starring Milla Jovovich, the research facility under Raccoon City has developed a virus that accidentally gets out and a team gets sent to contain the outbreak, where they must battle flesh eating undead, mutated dogs, and The Licker! All this with the help of Alice, a bad ass suffering from amnesia from the T-Virus. It’s all pretty standard. Guns, killing, undead, narrow escapes, meh. Again, it’s the ride that’s fun and you will find lots of fun here. If you’re willing, definitely check out the sequel, Apocalypse, then stop. Don’t go passed the second film. You’ll thank me later!
Don’t forget the popcorn
Author: Dave
