Hollywood Interested in Mass Effect Movie

[Casual Shinji]

But... why? Again, all the Spider-man movies haven't interfered with the stories in the comic books, despite being direct adaptation of comic book plots, and Iron Man or X-men didn't ruin the stories in the comic books despite being entirely new stories, either.

Spider-man and X-men are such long running series that they've basically become a solid part of American culture. So when someone chooses to experiment with it, it's no big deal. As a matter of fact, those series grew to what they are now because they shook things up every now and again. Some of it good, some of it bad. But I don't think Uncharted will last that long.

People keep dodging my comic-book movie analogy, but I think it's valid. People thought comic books made bad movies, when talented people took over they made good movies. The source material is largely irrelevant to cinema. When people say this or that doesn't work they typically mean that the current way in which Hollywood production companies process certain source material into assignment jobs, including casting, staff selection, budgeting and other creative elements, usually produces poor results. Which is a much more complex statement than "videogame movies suck".

When it comes to a movie adaptation of a comic, all of a sudden you have motion, sound, music and whatnot. And so there's much more of a surprise factor, aswell as seeing you're favourite comic book character come to life on screen. The only real difference between a movie adaptation of a game and the game itself, is that it's got live-action actors - sometimes not even that.

But I think the real reason why many gamers, myself included, are very sceptical of Hollywood adapting games, is that videogames are still not respected as a medium by Hollywood or for that matter by the entire mainstream media. Comics are well respected as an artform by the mainstream, but games are still seen as toys. And so, Hollywood doesn't take the games or the story they present serious enough to give it enough of a financial and artistic backing.

When the first Tim Burton Batman came out it was a revelation. Here, suddenly, we had a comic book movie that took it's source material serious and was not overly campy. But before that comics were also regarded as kids stuff by Hollywood and the mainstream. Games are probably in that stage right now.

So as long as Hollywood sees games as kids or teenage stuff, I'd like them to not mess with my favourites in order to make a quick buck.

But in the end I still feel that adapting a game to a movie is a mistake. The reason I like games is, because I get to control the events in front of me. If you take that control away and make it a completely passive experience you lose the main reason why you like the game. There are very story heavy games like JRPG's. But even there you are invested in the story and characters, because you've spend 40 to 50 hours with them and not just 2.

I could go on for hours stating my reasons, but I think I've said all I can say about it. I'm freaking exhausted from thinking this much.

 

[WaywardHaymaker]

Mass Effect is a game where you, as the player, control the outcome of everything. That's one of the things that made it so great.

A movie based on Mass Effect wouldn't be able to do that for obvious reasons, and would basically end up being a generic Sci-Fi shoot 'em up movie (With Biotics).

I'll just ignore this movie if it's made.

 

[Gitty101]

Please, for the love of all things holy, may this never happen. I can see it now, an entire brand ruined due to a shitty movie. Please God, don't let that happen.

Or get a decent director. If they made it right, it could be a very good movie.

 

[Wakefield]

Half the fun is making your character...You can't do that in movies.

 

[Casual Shinji]

snip

I... just don't think any of those are valid points. Comics are dismissed as teenage stuff as much or more than videogames. It is contradictory to say that introducing motion in a comic book is a significant change that enables adaptation and then claim that games can't be adapted because removing interactivity is too much of a change that prevents adaptation...

...I keep hearing prejudice. At one point, somebody will do a great adaptation (it could have been Halo, given what District 9 turned out to be, but it will be something at some point) and everybody will claim that they "had been waiting for something like this" when, in fact, they kept saying it was a bad idea just because they had assumed it was impossible.

Well, think of it this way: Is there a videogame equivalant of Watchmen, something that even the oldest movie critics see as a masterpiece regardless of the form of media it's in? Even if you think comics are seen as more of a kids thing than games, comics are still more regarded as a respectable storytelling medium by Hollywood.

Maybe someday someone will make a fantastic game movie. Maybe Sam Raimi will wow us with his WoW movie. But you can't blame us for being sceptical when the large majority of game movies haven't been up to snuff.

 

[hazabaza1]

No! NO!
Bad Hollywood! You do not wreck something this awesome like you have to every other awesome thing!
No!

 

[Tehpengwan]

Look at the Grudge if you want major fuck up.

Or just look at any Japanese Horror movie turned into a Hollywood production.

Yeah, or look at all these other adaptations the screw up, like Shrek, and Where the Wild Things Are, and Casino Royale, X-Men, Iron Man, Spider-man, The Dark Knight, High Fidelity, Star Trek, Die Hard or The Lord of the Rings.

Oh, Hollywood, why do you hate source material so?

Did you seriously just cite The Dark Knight as a screw up?

 

[soren7550]

Firstly, a movie based after the game is a huge no-no.

Secondly, if you were ever to go to the IMDB for about ten minutes you would have known this for a year plus.

 

[Canid117]

Prince of Persia could be ok and if that flops then the wow movie should at least be decent. Though it seems that the scope of Mass Effect might be a problem. You might have to make a trilogy out of each game just to get the full story across and appease the fans.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

How very unsurprising of Hollywood

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

I'd prefer if it would have been a Bollywood movie hahahaha

 

[Bat Vader]

I say if a movie does get made out of Mass Effect the script, writing, dialogue, pretty much everything has to be done by the people who work on the game.

Heck, why not just make it a computer animated movie like Advent Children and that way you can re-cast the same voice actors.

 

[Jark212]

This could be ether:
Really really really really really bad
or possibly ignorable...

 

[Bat Vader]

Look at the Grudge if you want major fuck up.

Or just look at any Japanese Horror movie turned into a Hollywood production.

Yeah, or look at all these other adaptations the screw up, like Shrek, and Where the Wild Things Are, and Casino Royale, X-Men, Iron Man, Spider-man, The Dark Knight, High Fidelity, Star Trek, Die Hard or The Lord of the Rings.

Oh, Hollywood, why do you hate source material so?

Did you seriously just cite The Dark Knight as a screw up?

They also said The Lord of The Rings was a screw up. Granted Peter Jackson did change some things but it was still excellent. I love the books and I also love the movies.

It is their opinion though so there is really no good in getting mad at them.

I do believe Watchmen and Sin City are bad movies, not because they don't bring anything new, but because they refuse to adapt the material.

I never saw Sin City but I have to say that a lot of the Watchmen comic was adapted into the movie. Heck, they even kept Bernie and Bernard in the movie. Yes, it was the extended edition but they still adapted them into it.

I loved the Watchmen comic and I loved the Watchmen movie.

I suppose it just boils down to a difference in opinions.

 

[Brad Shepard]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO..............................................................NO!

Yea, this more or less, (Stole my line man...)

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

It is a cinematic experience already.
Don't do it, Bioware.

 

[Mad World]

I've been wanting a Mass Effect movie.