Making movies based on video games didn't usually end that well in the history of film-making so far. For a great part of the worst movies based on video games, we have Uwe Boll to thank for destroying some great ideas and game universes.
However, Warcraft the movie is opening in just under two months, and an Assassin's Creed movie is coming later this year. We thought this is a good time to revisit some of the movies that actually turned out quite well in different ways. Even if some of these movies don’t actually follow the game story and might differ quite a lot from the original source, it doesn’t make the movie bad.
So, until Warcraft and Assassin's Creed are released in theaters, you can enjoy this list of 6 game-based movies worth watching and maybe get some inspiration for your next movie night!
DOOM
Being based on a first person shooter game with lots of monsters, gore and not a whole lot of story to go by, the movie might be suspected of having a hard time bringing the source material to screen. It's true that the movie turned out really cheesy and the main actors play pretty regular characters. However, there is something about the DOOM movie that makes it an enjoyable watch.
The movie is based on the universe introduced by the third game in the series. This might lower the odds for it to succeed since that story is still patchy. But somewhere along the line, the movie manages to get that Mars base atmosphere right and the ending is a pure celebration of the game, making this one of our 6 game-based movies worth watching.
Resident Evil
Even if this turned out to be a long series of movies, only the first movie fits on this list of 6 game-based movies worth watching. While the other ones might be enjoyable to some, they move more and more away from the game franchise and only use parts of the universe and the characters.
The first movie is actually based on the first Resident Evil game even if it of course takes huge liberties and does its own thing. But the atmosphere and suspense found in the game are still there, which makes the first movie really good and in many cases true its original source.
Max Payne
Even if Remedy, the creators of the game, did badmouth the movie when it was first released, it was something they took back when the movie actually sold good at the cinemas. Being a hardcore fan of Remedy games I didn’t think the movie would work at all, especially with Mark Wahlberg as Max Payne.
Even if the story doesn’t reach its full potential in any way, and even if every scene with Mila Kunis is awful, the movie actually manages to get the atmosphere and feeling of the game right. The color filter used, the tempo of the movie, the sound and music together with a Mark Wahlberg that actually does fit in a noir movie, makes it one of our 6 game-based movies worth watching.
Silent Hill
Like most movies on this list, the first Silent Hill movie's greatest strength is getting the atmosphere right as well. The scene where the main character first enters Silent Hill is almost as chilling and horrifying as it is in the first games. While the story in this movie actually manages to hold the viewers' attention while still introducing the monsters from the game in a good way, it has still received a lot of harsh critique, especially from gamers.
But do not let this discourage you from watching the first Silent Hill movie. This is a good movie whether you have played the game or not and deserves a spot on this list of 6 game-based movies worth watching. So don't hesitate to turn down the lights and let yourself be taken to Silent Hill in this creepy and very satisfying horror movie next time you have a free night.
Postal
I know that you’re going absolutely crazy seeing an Uwe Boll movie on this list. But seeing how the Postal games is about two things really: being fully non-political correct and upsetting people, this franchise was made for Uwe to take on, and impossible to fail with. What we get is an absurd humor and a script that takes everything you normally cannot do in a movie and just does it. The acting is terrible, the script is terrible, both put the movie on par with the second Postal game.
This is an extremely controversial movie where everything you do not expect to happen does happen, including watching the Postal creator beat up Uwe Boll. Being true to what the game series is, or isn't, is what makes Postal: The Movie fit on our list of 6 game-based movies worth watching.
Mortal Kombat
Last on our list of 6 game-based movies worth watching, we have included the oldest one of the movies which also happens to be the oldest gaming franchise of them all. The Mortal Kombat games are all about fighting and no real story is really given which makes it easy for a movie to be based on the games.
This movie is all about fighting and letting us see our favorite Mortal Kombat fighters come to life in a live-action movie. While the effects have aged pretty badly it is still a movie that gives us a great representation of some of the most famous characters from the game. Finally, maybe the best reason for watching the movie that doesn't need any explanation is seeing Christopher Lambert fight as Lord Rayden.
The Future of movies based on videogames can be bright
While this list of 6 movies based on games worth watching show you that not all movies based on games have to be extremely bad - like Hitman or FarCry - it also shows us that the future of movie based on video games is pretty bright since they don’t have that much to go up against. While these movies are absolutely worth watching, they all have huge flaws and were often affected by pretty low production costs too.
Seeing how both the Warcraft movie and the Assassin's Creed movie are going to be real blockbusters, they do at least have the financial advantage, so they carry a promise of being good. Let's hope they deliver!
Do you have any other ideas for game-based movies we could watch while waiting? We'd love to hear your ideas, so don't hesitate to leave a comment.
