back to article Ten movies inspired by video games

Capcom's Street Fighter series celebrates its 25th birthday this week and while the world is awash with various mementos – including boxsets and a dedicated Street Fighter site for fans to reminisce on their favourite moments – we decided it was the perfect opportunity to look back at the film adaptations of video game …

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  1. Annihilator

    Only a passing mention

    Mortal Kombat (the first one) was rather enjoyable I recall, especially the brilliant casting of Christophe Lambert, who you suspect was constantly thinking "how on earth did I get cast in this role?"

    1. Citizen Kaned

      Re: Only a passing mention

      yeah, that was enjoyable enough. much better than street fighter movie too...

      i would say res evil was actually a pretty fun movie. i didnt play the games though but enjoyed the movie.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Only a passing mention

      The Mortal Kombat storyline is also very close to the game. Just a constant stream of fights.

      I enjoyed it, in a switch of brain and relax kind of way.

    3. Lamont Cranston

      Re: Only a passing mention

      Mortal Kombat is a cult classic, surely? Very quotable, and great fun. The sequel belongs on a list of crap films, though.

  2. AndrewInIreland

    I kinda liked...

    Hitman and Resident Evil. Though I think the saving grace was I never played the games in the first place.

    BTW, the biggest turd is missing from the list: Wing Commander. Boy was that a space dump.

    1. squigbobble
      Meh

      Re: I kinda liked...

      I remember that for every single action sequence having been cut and paste from another film. The literally tried to do a sequence from every genre; there's a carrier landing accident where they have to bulldoze a wrecked fighter off the landing deck which obligingly falls off the end of the deck... in zero G and a submarine-being-depthcharged (still in space at this point) sequence where all the senior officers spend a few minutes staring at the ceiling of the bridge while looking worried.

      There's also the Final Fantasy film, that's ok.

      1. Graham Bartlett

        Re: I kinda liked...

        "There's also the Final Fantasy film, that's ok."

        Presumably this is an Uncanny-Valley-heavy, badly-animated, occasional-jaggies, lack-of-plot-and-characterisation meaning of "ok" which has passed me by.

    2. Jedit Silver badge
      Facepalm

      "I kinda liked Hitman..."

      Ah, Hitman - the movie with the missing S in the title. Clearly you have forgotten such plotting gems as the titular character getting into a four-way Mexican standoff with three other Hitmen ... who are all allied with each other and had attacked him as a group. The only redeeming feature that movie had was frontal nudity from Olga Kurylenko (which ironically made it better than the same year's Bond movie).

      1. toxicdragon

        @Jedit

        The whole point of that scene was that the three other hitmen wanted to kill the woman, but 47 wanted to protect her, and since who ever kills her gets the bounty, they all went after each other.

    3. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: I kinda liked...

      AndrewInIreland,

      You bastard! I'd forgotten that Wing Commander film. Until now...

      I've not seen many of these fortunately. I think I saw Resident Evil on telly, and that's it. It wasn't very good, but it was watchable, and I was bored or feeling lazy.

      It's a pretty horrific thought to have to sit down and review 10 of them. I think the best options here are resignation, or setting up some compromising material on your editor's PC, so they're fired before they can make you witness the full horror.

      1. James O'Shea

        Re: I kinda liked...

        Wing Commander and Tomb Raider are the only two movies even mentioned here that I've seen. And, frankly, the only reason for remembering WC is the soundtrack. Gotta love a soundtrack where one of the tracks is named, I kid thee not, "Big Damn Ending".

        As for Tomb Raider, there are only two reasons for its existence, and they're frontally mounted on Ms. Jolie.

        1. Fibbles

          Re: I kinda liked...

          "As for Tomb Raider, there are only two reasons for its existence, and they're frontally mounted on Ms. Jolie."

          I can't believe I'm going to complain about this but her bra was so stuffed with padding in that movie that I couldn't concentrate on the action scenes because of the two unnaturally static orbs strapped to her chest.

          Now that I think about it though, this does seem reminiscent of playing the tomb raider games as a teen...

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: I kinda liked...

            Having re-played the first game recently. To keep the film closer to the game, they should be unnaturally static pointy triangular things rather than orbs.

    4. tony72

      Re: I kinda liked...

      Maybe that is indeed the key. I liked Hitman, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill, but I haven't played any of the corresponding games. I think I'm with you on Wing Commander, but my brain seems to have mostly wiped it from my memory for some reason.

    5. Hairy Spod

      Re: I kinda liked...

      I liked that Wing Commander film, if only because they resused the cockpits and bodys of my all time favourite jet fighter the BAC lightning as props!

    6. djack

      Re: I kinda liked...

      Agreed with Res Evil. It was quite a nice little zombie/survival flick with a bit of conspiracy theory thrown in for good measure. It is odd to see a film panned for not just playing on blood and gore effects.

      Though it probably does say something about the skills and scripts of the main characters as they were all up-staged by the six year old girl playing Red Queen who, for me, outranks HAL as how a homicidal AI should operate.

  3. 1Rafayal

    We really needed Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li in there, especially as this is all about Street Fighters 25th birthday.

    That film was even worse than the first one.

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      Shouldn't the sequel be a cracker then?

      I thought the first fell into "so bad it's good" territory when it showed up on TV a few months ago.

  4. Robert Ramsay
    Joke

    Criminally left out

    What about Liam Neeson in Tekken?

    1. nichomach
      Coffee/keyboard

      Re: Criminally left out

      "I don't know who you are, but I *will* find you and beat a new keyboard out of you..."

    2. Anonymous Coward 101
      Thumb Up

      Re: Criminally left out

      Why not? He has no problem appearing in the A-Team or Battleship. I think if you offered him enough cash he would appear in 'Pong: The Movie'.

      1. Armando 123
        Thumb Up

        Re: Criminally left out

        "I think if you offered him enough cash he would appear in 'Pong: The Movie'."

        I wish I could upvote you twelve times, good sir!

  5. Select * From Handle

    No Dead or Alive?

    Tbh i was not a fan of the games and the film was shit, but some of my friends rated DOA. would have thought it be on that list tbh.

    "With such bad form, it's little surprise Blizzard laughed away Boll's approach to direct the upcoming World of Warcraft film."

    Do Blizzard really need to bring in outside directors? Their cut scene work in D3 was mind blowingly good, even though the game sucked. They should be able to make an unbelievably pretty Warcraft film, the story line is already written so surly for them they just need to create the graphics.

    1. AceRimmer
      Thumb Up

      Re: No Dead or Alive?

      Anything starring Holly Valance is worth a mention

      Still haven't seen it though, waiting for internet pr0n to be made illegal

      1. John Bailey

        Re: No Dead or Alive?

        <blush> I have.

        Trust me. The only thing worth watching is Holly Valance.

        1. Kane
          Happy

          Re: No Dead or Alive?

          "The only thing worth watching is Holly Valance."

          This should be a statement applied to many different areas of life.

  6. mhoulden

    In terms of films that haven't been made, I think the Portal games would do very well, especially the early years of Aperture Science. GTA Vice City had a bit of a weak plot but San Andreas and IV would also work pretty well. (I know there's a film called Grand Theft Auto but that has nothing to do with the games).

    1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      Curiously the GTA: Vice City movie was made 19 years before the game.

    2. Grey Area

      Portal

      Couple of shorts

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4drucg1A6Xk

      and the cake is a reality

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NorZUFfpvC0

  7. squigbobble
    Devil

    Unreal Tournament

    ...would work as a brainless film. Mark Wahlberg seeks to escape the rising tide of violence in his Liandri Corp. mining colony so he enters the Liandi Corp. tournament. Cue increasingly montaged fight scenes, culminating in some sort of boss battle (perhaps with the actual boss of Liandri Corp., I think it was in the game) and some triumphant trophy hoisting. Who needs dialogue when things are exploding.

  8. ADJB

    There is one film, which after waiting for it for what seemed an eternity, failed in such spectacular style even the greatest fan of the original material was driven to despair. The Hitch hikers Guide to the Galaxy must be the epitome of how not to make a film.

    I know the Radio series, books and BBC were there first but it was quite a good game so I would consider its inclusion in this pile of turds should be a given.

    1. mickey mouse the fith

      I actually thought the Hitchhikers reboot was a lot of fun, certainly better than the awful 70`s bbc version.

      The radio series trumped both however.

      1. Gerhard den Hollander

        i liked the bbc version

        ... porbbaly because of it's cheesiness, painted on green, cardboard decors and all.

        Which remind me, I need to find out who currently has my DVD-box set and get it back for a rewatch ..

  9. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
    Happy

    Why hasn't anyone made a film of Tetris, that's what I want to know...

    1. stucs201

      There's a (spoof) trailer for one on youtube if you search for it (can't find it for you at work).

    2. Robert Grant
      Coat

      They wanted to do that, but it was blocked repeatedly.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Yeah, just as soon as they fit the last piece into place it always fades away.

        1. TheOtherHobbes

          Um

          Still - better acting than Twilight.

  10. Khaptain Silver badge
    Happy

    Silent Metal Hitman covers Uncharted territory

    Hitman was the only one of the bunch that i enjoyed, it was kinda like Jason Bourne with a shaved head........

    The game Silent hill gave me the fucking creeps so I didn't bother with the film.

    Surprised they haven't made Metal Gear Solid into a film series. ( I would love to see someone replace The Terminator)

    I wonder if they will consider doing Uncharted as this is definately a candidate to replace Indiana Jones.

    1. Fibbles

      Re: Silent Metal Hitman covers Uncharted territory

      The silent hill film isn't too bad, especially when compared to other films in the genre of 'darkness, silence, music building tension, SUDDEN BOOGIE MAN!". Just don't watch it on TV in the UK because it's usually cut to ribbons. I think the UK DVD may have cuts as well.

    2. Mattjimf

      Re: Silent Metal Hitman covers Uncharted territory

      There's a Metal Gear movie on it's way - http://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/08/30/metal-gear-movie-announced

  11. thomas k.

    regarding Uwe's, ahem, films

    I had heard that Uwe's projects were specifically designed to be flops, as they were only meant to provide tax write-offs for the investors. His sheer lack of talent is actually a virtue in the regard, it would seem.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Paris Hilton

      Re: regarding Uwe's, ahem, films

      What odious little shit should be strung up for the disservices he has done the gaming and movie industries. If ever there was a reason for extraordinary rendition to a country where torture is a national sport, Uwe Boll is it.

      Paris, 'cause she doesn't mine a good boll now and then.

    2. MyronC

      Re: regarding Uwe's, ahem, films

      I'd heard the same, and that the tax loophole he was using has apparently been closed/is no longer offered as an incentive. Surprisingly his output seems to have slowed somewhat for what I am sure are unrelated reasons.

      1. ArmanX

        Re: regarding Uwe's, ahem, films

        That's the thing about Boll, though. I think he's actually convinced that he's making good films. He really wants to make a great movie... he's just terrible at it. I'm betting the reason he's slowed his output is simply because, for now, there are no investors, and no one will let him use their video game for a film - not because the loophole has been closed.

  12. David Webb

    Resident Evil

    I actually like the RE films, they are a bit of fun to watch if you totally ignore the actual RE part of it and just take it as a zombie shooter style movie. Of course, seeing Milla Jovovich naked makes the film totally perfect and devoid of any criticism ever. Indeed, if you have the worst movie in the world ever (as voted for by El Reg users) the films become instant classics if you have Milla Jovovich naked at the end.

    Hell, even Twilight would become watchable if you had Milla Jovovich naked in it (albeit for the 5-10 seconds she appears).

    1. VinceH
      Pint

      Re: Resident Evil

      Icon says it all!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Resident Evil

      When she appears naked at the end of the 2nd film, the computer screen shows a wireframe image of what I guess is supposed to be her. But the wireframe seems to have a couple of enhancements, if you see what I mean.

  13. Captain Underpants
    Happy

    A criminal oversight

    I can't take this list particularly seriously, as it's omitted the only genuinely decent film I've ever seen that was based on a videogame - namely, Street Fighter: The Animated Movie.

    As for whoever mentioned Portal, any feature-length film would need to be at least as good as Portal: No Escape:

    (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4drucg1A6Xk if you don't know what I'm talking about).

  14. Lloyd
    Stop

    Streetfighter

    In fairness I've not watched it so won't comment on how bad it was but seeing as Raul Julia spent most of the film fighting cancer I wouldn't expect a sterling performance from him, not that you did critique him at all, I'm just saying.

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