My opinions on why game-inspired movies flop.

[RavenOfOdin]

1. Because the movies end up being too little like the games to really hold a purist's attention, and if they're too much like the games you aren't going to get people who "just want to watch a movie" in the theater.

2. Because movies which seem too alien to moviegoers aren't going to get very far. Such was the case with FF: Spirits Within, which was designed via computer at a time when no one really gave a rat's @$$ about CAD graphics outside of geeks -- incidentally, the exact kind of people who are the polar opposite of "just want to watch a movie" above.

(PS: I'm ashamed to say I actually thought the movie was good. Hell, so what? It had a kick *** theme song made by a rock group with a French-sounding title.

The voice talent was OK, the graphics were good, and I'm also a Final Fantasy nut. :D

Too bad 99.9% of theater audiences thought it was so horrible that Square Enix - or Squaresoft at the time - had to can the Chrono Trigger series in response. >.<)

3. Because "House of the Dead" made the horrible mistake that no movie should ever make - intersperse shots of the cheesy looking game that the movie was named for, throw in a few badly inserted shouts of "RELOAD!" and make the audience squirm in their seats.

Did I forget anything? ;)

[fuscia]

a movie based on minesweeper could rock.

[RavenOfOdin]

a movie based on minesweeper could rock.

I'll pass, thank you. :D

[jISh]

Minesweeper movie...haha.
I don't think there is a problem with the CONCEPT of game based movies, it's just that the execution has failed too many times. I think that if the game has a good storyline to begin with, and you give it a good director and actors, then you will have the same success as if the story was from a novel or from scratch.

Look at movies such as DOOM, the game never had a good story to begin with. Then, the story was completely ruined. Instead of taking what was already there (sci-fi universe, demons from hell, etc) and putting the imagination to work with it, it was changed to some really stupid virus crap.

I know I've seen a couple good movies based off game universes, although I can't recall them right now. I hope the Halo movie will do well, but with Peter Jackson included in the production staff... :)

Not to mention lots of movies based on novels flop as well!

[%hMa@?b<C]

um... I second the minesweeper movie. Set in vietnam, there are people who get paid to clean the mines out, and then some bloody explosions, it woudl be a box office smash!

[djsroknrol]

a movie based on minesweeper could rock.

Or maybe Spider Solitare?

[NightwishFreak]

I'm wondering, what did everyone think of the Silent Hill movie? I personally thought that it was one of the best videogame to movie adaptaions i've ever seen.

[djsroknrol]

I'm wondering, what did everyone think of the Silent Hill movie? I personally thought that it was one of the best videogame to movie adaptaions i've ever seen.

I liked it as well...I also thought Doom wasn't too bad....

[TravisNewman]

doom was bad! VERY bad. But it was fun to watch, and the FPS sequence was incredible.

[RavenOfOdin]

I'm wondering, what did everyone think of the Silent Hill movie? I personally thought that it was one of the best videogame to movie adaptaions i've ever seen.

Same here, actually.
They managed to integrate the game with the movie very well.

Doom WAS horrible, though. Virus. . .24th chromosome crap. . .stupid beyond words.

I have yet to render an opinion on Resident Evil, but Milla Jovovich is hot. ;)

[GuitarHero]

Same reason games of movies dont work. Just because a story works in one medium doesnt mean it will work in another. Also companies often just look for a cop out to get more money(Super Mario Brothers Movie anyone? It barely resembled the game!)

[djsroknrol]

doom was bad! VERY bad. But it was fun to watch, and the FPS sequence was incredible.

The first person shooter sequence was outstanding...

[mips]

I enjoyed resident evil and milla jovovich is the hottest woman on the planet so that might have something to do with it. In a similair vain 28days was good but not based on a game per say.

[asimon]

Given the trend for modern multi-milltion dollar hollywood movies to include tons of special effects, but only rather boring dialogs, and no - or only a dorky as dorky can be - story one would imagine that basing movies on fps games should in fact result in great success. I really don't understand why this isn't true. ;-)

[RavenOfOdin]

Same reason games of movies dont work. Just because a story works in one medium doesnt mean it will work in another. Also companies often just look for a cop out to get more money(Super Mario Brothers Movie anyone? It barely resembled the game!)

Yeah. . .what the heck was with that? They managed to make the mushroom guy into a little punk-looking piece of crap. ;)


and milla jovovich is the hottest woman on the planet

oh yeah, especially when she was wearing next to nothing in 5th Element. I forgot to mention that.