The Ugly Truth About Videogame Movies

[Andy Chalk]

The Ugly Truth About Videogame Movies

We all know that movies based on games tend to suck, but perhaps it's time we finally admit that we're partly the ones to blame.

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[PuckFuppet]

I don't think you can easily compare a video game to a film that is based on it. Its much like comparing a book to a film, on the outside they both appear to be at the very least similar in regards to plot line and setting but when you get right down to it the difference is content, you'll never see the same degree of detail in a film and at the same time you'll never get the same degree of empathy from a book. All stories, good or bad, are told through the medium they are intended to be told through, in the case of Max Payne this was evidentially through an interactive experience. I for one wouldn't open say... a .jpeg file in notepad and then expect to see the picture.

The long and short of it is this, a game is not a film and a film is most certainly not a game. They may share similarities but ultimately they are two very different forms of story telling, even if you were to create a game so it is designed to feel like a film you'll still be playing a game. But its on that difference that most attempts at conversion fall through a rotted wooden floor and onto a pit of razor sharp fans... I mean spikes. They take either one of two extremes, the long road down "Stick to the original" lane or a ride down "Change is good, they probably won't even notice" street, both of those options are pretty damned terrible.

I mean take the former and you'll probably end up with something that can only be appreciated by fans of the series and take the latter and get slaughtered by the venomous fingers of those same fans. What it comes right down to is money, regardless how big a fan base for a game is it'll never match up the millions brought forth by the uninitiated masses.

So admittedly I never played the Max Payne games, yes I know I'm such a complete n00b. So I went to see the film without any anticipations of what it will/won't be and to be quite honest I thought it was good, if not spectacular. A few things jarred with me, for instance the fact that every scene with the "Bad Guy" seemed to be acted to a background of heavy metal, the seemingly off-hand way in which they tossed the back story into the frame among others. But I was frankly pleased, Mila Kunis wasn't half bad as the femme fatale, it even took me a few moments to actually recognise her. Mark Wahlberg wasn't half bad and being the giant TV geek I am I liked noting the other actors for what parts they've played in various TV shows I've watched.

So they got my 5.50 and frankly they deserved it. I could have done worse things with that hour and a bit.

But to get to another point, video games with little storyline. I don't know about you but when my bad ass marine was ploughing his way through the Doom hellscape I had a really good storyline going on the background, each loading screen was just another excuse for some off camera story action and certain bad guys were storyline important! And its that kind of... fun that separates films and games. In a film you get everything presented to you in a nice little package, whereas with games you're are supposed to playing a character(you do this in first person shooters too) so obviously something of you should be imparted onto this pixelated avatar... right?

 

[dochmbi]

One of the big unsolved problems of philosophy: Is it theoretically possible to create a good (either critically acclaimed or popular) video game movie?

 

[stevetastic]

If a good game makes a bad movie then wouldn't a bad game make a good movie.

do you think dark sector would make a good movie?
no

 

[Cousin_IT]

I liked the doom film personally. & I thought they did the right thing by simply taking the bare premise of the game (mars, demons, macho marines & violence); & making a not trying too hard but none the less entertaining action movie out of it.

 

[Deacon Cole]

I disagree with your thesis. Maybe fan expectations play a part in how disappointed they are in a film and how they express how awful the film is using juvenile metaphors that the Angry Video Game Nerd discarded as beneath him, but I think the reason why most video game movies are not very good is because they are made by people who are not very good at making movies.

Much like the recent and infected rash of 80's horror remakes, these are films that are cashing in on the name only. It does not matter if the movie is any good. It will still have a decent opening weekend based on the name alone. So the production is cut rate and not given the amount of time money or skilled people it would need to realize a decent movie based on a video game. These movies are quick cash ins, like t-shirts and coffee mugs.

Eventually, someone with some actual talent might make a movie based on a game. It might even turn out to be a good movie, too. But so far, this has not happened

 

[quellan_thyde]

I noticed that no mention was made of the first Mortal Kombat movie, a rather glaring omission. Its success, I think, came not from trying to be a good videogame movie but simply to be a good movie, period.

Yes, I hear what you're all saying. (No, I don't actually, but let's just roll with it.) Mortal Kombat was nothing more than a rehashed version of Enter the Dragon. What's wrong with that? Given the relative paucity of plot in the various MK variations, it's unavoidable that some deviance (i.e., linearity) will occur. Also, since you're going to be mining the genre tropes, why not ride the coattails of the guy (Bruce Lee, ftw) that invented the freaking genre in the first place?

So: Mortal Kombat, the one good videogame flick. (As far as the sequel, I actually recommend it as well, though only for MST night. It's so bad that it's bloody hilarious.)

 

[Deacon Cole]

Really? I thought the first Mortal Kombat movie was terrible.

 

[Svenparty]

I can somewhat see how the Bioshock movie will work but I also cannot see how it's going to be meaty....unless the plaster in about a dozen Big Daddy and Splicer Fights just to create action.

 

[level250geek]

You know why video game movies suck? The same reason comic book movies sucked until very recently: they are being made either by shameless profit-mongers trying to cash in on peoples' passions and fond memories or overpaid art-snobs who think themselves above the medium (more the former than the latter).

Until we have a generation of filmmakers that understand and appreciate how video games tell stories and how to extract drama and character development from the source material, we'll never see a good video game movie. It took grown-up comics geeks becoming filmmakers for us to be saved from the comic book adaptations of old (yes, even the first Superman, which I feel you couldn't help but make cheesy and corny because...well...it's Superman); it's going to take a while for video gamers to reach the same pinnacle.

 

[dorm41baggins]

...you'll never get the same degree of empathy from a book.

I take issue with this. While it may not be true for everybody, if you have a vivid imagination, a good book will move you just as profoundly as a good movie.


However I do agree with most of your points. The only really successful cross-medium endeavors I'm aware of were not direct translations from game-to-movie or movie-to-book, but common universe stories. For instance, I quite enjoy the .Hack franchise. The games and TV shows tell complimentary stories in the same universe, rather than simply rehashing the same story in a different medium.

Another example is the Star Wars universe. Yes there are a number of Star Wars movies, books and games that suck, but there are also some really good ones in there- and the best ones are all original stories in their own medium, even if there are occasional intersections.

 

[9of9]

The Resident Evil Movies weren't all that bad either, I don't think - as far as these things go. Generally though, I think the author is right on this point: that makers of videogame movies are trying to find a middle-ground that doesn't exist. I'll add to this, that I don't think any middle-ground is necessary either. The middle-ground is that between approaching this as a normal movie and attempting to play it closer to the actual game. Since you're making a movie, not a game (important fact, remember this), attempting to veer closer to the latter limit, I think is entirely pointless in the first place, since you're unlikely to please the fans no matter what you do in that respect (unless you manage to film, verbatim, a run-through the entire game, but re-filmed in live action, in which case they might be amused).

It seems clear that video-game movies need to forget everything about the videogame and instead use the strengths of the setting and the characters to do their own movie-thing. Here comes the second problem of course - that most movies are rubbish. So really, it all comes down to the necessity of actually attracting people who make good movies to make the movies.

Actually, what I think is even more concerning is that so many films seem to be imitating games. Take Quantum of Solace for instance - it's as if the entire film is a game walkthrough, with long action sequences punctured only sporadically by short cutscenes that offer brief glimpses of plot exposition (what David Cage calls the 'porno' approach).

And, honestly, when your action movies, video games and porn share the same structure, you know you have bigger problems than just bad video-game-to-film adaptations.

 

[dcheppy]

The reason video game movies suck: No one has really tried to make a good one.(Uwe Boll, maybe, but he doesn't have any talent) If hollywood wanted to get a good videogame movie they'd hire Paul Haggis(crash, quantum of solace) to write, they'd hire Robert Rodriquez(sin city, grindhouse) to direct and they'd hire brad pitt to star. Comic book movies were never good until they hired a-list directors to helm them.(Sam Raimi, Bryan Singer) Videogame movies won't be good until the same thing happens.

 

[Deacon Cole]

I don't think you can easily compare a video game to a film that is based on it. Its much like comparing a book to a film, on the outside they both appear to be at the very least similar in regards to plot line and setting but when you get right down to it the difference is content, you'll never see the same degree of detail in a film and at the same time you'll never get the same degree of empathy from a book. All stories, good or bad, are told through the medium they are intended to be told through, in the case of Max Payne this was evidentially through an interactive experience. I for one wouldn't open say... a .jpeg file in notepad and then expect to see the picture.

I hear this a lot and I do not agree with it.

While on the one hand there is a difference to how different media present a story and different media have different strengths and weaknesses, I find the above to be just so much handwaving.

But maybe I'm being a little unfair. I don't think how story works in a game is properly understood. So we do not know games strengths or weaknesses in storytelling when compared to other media. I can offer a hypothesis:

The reason why most games make for terrible movies is because the stories in most games, especially the popular ones are shit.

This is just a hypothesis, so it needs to be properly tested, but I suspect that the stories in most games are, in fact, shit. The only reason why most gamers do not notice this is because of the interactivity games offer. This allows them to overlook even the worst storytelling craftmanship.

So no wonder they make for bad movies, they're not very good stories in the first place

 

[PuckFuppet]

I take issue with this. While it may not be true for everybody, if you have a vivid imagination, a good book will move you just as profoundly as a good movie.

From a personal point of view I totally agree with you, my imagination is often too vivid, enter Doom storyline sequences. But generally speaking what I said applies.

I hear this a lot and I do not agree with it.

Not the best quote in the world but you get the idea.

Anyway, I see your point but for the most part the writer him/herself will design the plot to play out in a very particular way. In films it can either be introduced throughout the course of the film, or in one big chunk at the start with the rest of film just building on it, whereas in games the whole process needs to be completely different.

First there needs to be enough of an introduction and backstory to get the gamer interested enough to spend the obligatory four or five(Well... nowadays more like 20 minutes...) hours playing the game, from then on the plot can be introduced and explored a plethora of different ways, much on par with a book in its degree of possible detail.

 

[lornb]

Really? I thought the first Mortal Kombat movie was terrible.

Really? I thought it was awesome. The second was terrible, I was actually ashamed for renting it when the inevitable mud wrestling scene came around. It's pretty hard to shame a drunk person. Pretty hard indeed.

 

[EvilEngineNumberNine]

The problem isn't just that the movies suck, or that it's our fault for wanting them. Working with videogame plots must be a nightmare but going the route that most directors and writers go with game to movie translation is outright wrong. Same with most movies about comic books and even just regular old books. Trying to adapt the game, or comic book's story to a wider audience takes finesse and careful planning so that it can be a well thought out film and also that the original subject matter isn't lost in translation. Only a few films have been able to pull it off so far. But that's just the same as any other source material out there. We gamers are just very picky and very vocal about it. Trust me, there are lots of crappy movies out there that have nothing to do with videogames.

 

[kommando367]

i thought max payne was pretty average, not bad, not good, but it was the best game-based movie i saw. and to anyone reading this; i know thats not saying much

 

[Doug]

I think the best hope we have for a great game to movie conversion is Peter Jacksons Halo. Ok, Halo isn't plot heavy, but its Peter Jackson, damnit! Peter Jackson, who cut the crap from the over, over, over, over long books, who re-did King Kong so well people really cared about a CGI ape! Seriously, he could take a turd and turn it into 2 hours of movie gold.