Just like movies, Video games do teleport you into a different dimension. But what happens when video games get incorporated into movies? It can either be a disaster or it can bring action figures to life. Generally, movies based on video games underperform and one of the many reasons is that they fail to recreate the feel and vibe of the original work.
Hollywood is full of attempts to transform beloved video game icons into film stars. Only a handful of selected movies have succeeded, becoming successful both critically and commercially. But there are few movie adaptations that failed the box office. Here’s the list of 10 video game movie adaptations that were doomed at the box office.
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10. Bloodrayne
Uwe Boll is known for his adaptations of popular video games. Many of these are not well received contributing to the poor reputation of video game movies. Out of many of his works, Bloodrayne was not well-liked.
Critics often described the movie with puerile direction and poor writing which came in the way of excitement. Neither its plot nor its actions seemed loyal to its original source.
9. Hitman: Agent 47
Hitman is a video game series that has been running since 2000. In the video game, the player controls Agent 47, who is an elite assassin sent on missions to eliminate some pretty despicable members of high society. There are often multiple ways to eliminate a target: either a classic bullet to the head or set up a scenario to make their death look like a freak accident.
In 2007 Xavier Gens directed Hitman starring Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47. But the critics were disappointed with it its action sequence and considered it dull. The film indulges the worst instincts of video game movies without their strengths. It portrayed underdeveloped characters and a weak storyline without any charm or gripping action.
8. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider‘ was a box office success, starring Angelina Jolie. But sadly its financial success did not match the fan and critical response. Jolie’s performance might be the only thing praised about the film. The film’s story, dialogue, and action were marked as average. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is nothing like an adaptation or a film.
7. Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is a popular Japanese role-playing video game in which players take on the assignment of hunting various fantastical creatures. The game transports the player into a completely separate universe.
The main purpose of the game was to transport the players into a fictional land but witnessing it on the big screen might take away its magic. The film features a group of US Army Rangers who get inadvertently sucked into the world of Monster Hunter.
Seeing a group of modern soldiers in the fantasy world that the game takes place in was extremely bizarre and disappointed the video game fans.
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’ might perhaps be one of the biggest insults to video game fans to hit the big screens. It is a series of action-adventure games that take place in Ancient Persia, with elements of Persian Mythology mixed.
The film released in 2010 starring Jake Gyllenhaal as the protagonist instantly took away the element of historical fiction. Also, the film was incredibly boring, solely focusing on the romantic plotline which was completely unnecessary.
5. Sonic The Hedgehog
Unlike the ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’, 2020s ‘Sonic the Hedgehog might have probably saved the video game genre. The film received good reviews from critics and a positive response from the fans. But the film did not stay loyal to its source.
Instead of exploring the fictional world of Sonic, the directors threw the Sonic characters into the real world, just like Monster Hunter. Apart from deviating from its original source, the film was well-received and captured the personality of the video game characters.
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4. Far Cry
‘Far Cry’ is an extremely popular series of shooter games. While the game was still relatively new, a movie based on it was released in 2008. The film was directed by the pioneer of video game adaptation of the film Uwe Boll but the film failed miserably at the box office. Many critics also claimed that the movie is inaccurate and has no connection to the game.
3. Doom
‘Doom’ is considered to be one of the most iconic video games ever made and had become a landmark entry in gaming history. On the other hand, the film adaptation is bland and insulting. The film is called an unambitious sci-fi action movie with mediocre action and a senseless plot. Fortunately, the casting saved Doom from being an absolute wreck.
2. Need for Speed
‘Need for Speed’ is well known and longest-running racing game series. But its film adaptation almost felt like bad fan fiction. Also Fast and the Furious is the only racing franchise we ever need. Also, the obvious product placement of the Ford locomotives looked like a forced hour- longed commercial.
1. The Angry Birds Movie
‘The Angry Birds’ movie earned positive reviews from critics, which is amazing considering the simplicity of the game on which it was based. Many on the internet mocked the filmmakers for even attempting to make a story off such a simple game. But they certainly seemed to surprise the fans. The film had to deviate from its source material to deliver more than just a video game story.
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