Poll: Does Wreck-it Ralph count as a "video game movie"? (Spoiler-free)

[Leemaster777]

Keeping this topic free of unmarked spoilers, for all the non-American Escapists who have yet to see this movie.

Anyways, the results are in, and the general consensus is that Wreck-it Ralph is a pretty damn good movie. I'm glad to hear this, don't get me wrong, but some reviewers are saying that it's the best "video game movie" ever.

This got me thinking, IS Wreck-it Ralph a real "video game movie"? I mean, yes, it's about video game characters, it takes place in video game worlds, real-life video game characters are in it, and it's very much aimed at gamers. But I don't think that this movie is exactly what most gamers were thinking of when we think of video game movies.

Since Wreck-it Ralph ITSELF isn't based on any existing game, and instead creates it's own characters and worlds, it's no longer an adaptation. (And before anyone says it, yes, I'm aware of the flash game that was made before the movie came out. That doesn't count, it was made SOLELY to promote the movie, the movie was not based on it.)

Should Wreck-it Ralph hold the title of "Best Video Game Movie", or does it not count because it's not based on an existing game franchise?

 

[Ruedyn]

I think it should. GAMER counted, despite not being an adaptation.

Also, if we are counting adaptations only, Uwe Boll would be the gaming directer out there. I REALLY don't want that to happen.

 

[Genocidicles]

It's a movie about video games. It doesn't matter if it's based on a pre-existing franchise or not.

 

[Lucem712]

What's that got to do with anything? So, there's a war movie not based on any actual wars...so? It's still a war movie because that's it's primary subject matter.

 

[madwarper]

IS Wreck-it Ralph a real "video game movie"?

I haven't seen it yet, but did anyone in the film wear a kilt and/or eat haggis? If not, then it's obviously not a "real" anything.


Riddle me this... Which do you think is the "real" toy movie, Toy Story or GI Joe?
You know, the movie that starred and revolved around toys or the movie based on a toy infomercial.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Since I haven't seen the movie yet (stupid 3 months wait) answer me this, did it had a few/ some video game reference that a gamer would get but a non gamer (someone who don't play alot of games/ played little) didn't get the reference? If the answer is yes then I presume it to be a video game video (maybe different once I've seen it for myself).

Also the game Ralph is based from "Fix it Felix Jr" is pretty much a Donkey Kong style sort of game (a big brute is a villain who is located at the top of the screen while the short hero much get to the while avoing the stuff being thrown at him by the villain).

 

[A Satanic Panda]

No, it's about video games, but it does not follow the plot of a franchise.

 

[aba1]

People don't call Tron a video game movie so I am going to say no. But really at the end of the day it is just when people say video game movie they are not talking about it.

 

[lacktheknack]

Sure, it's a video game movie. It's a meta-video game movie, but still a video game movie.

That said, when someone says "There aren't any good video game movies out there", they mean adaptations. Wreck-It Ralph is not an exception, it's a deconstruction.

 

[Lucane]

Of course it's a video game movie it's self aware of the fact that it's a video game.

If someone made a Zelda Movie it would be in the same genre as the "Super Mario Bros." Movie a type of Action movie that's based (loosely or otherwise) on a video game unless they pull a Scott Pilgrim and have a "Continue ?" moment or something it'd just be a action movie about The Legend of Zelda video games after all are the medium not the genre of the games themselves.

 

[Something Amyss]

People don't call Tron a video game movie so I am going to say no. But really at the end of the day it is just when people say video game movie they are not talking about it.

Isn't Tron far more broadly based, with video games as sort of incidental to the plot?

This is actually about games. Game tropes, game archetypes, game genres. It's a pastiche of gaming at the very least, which I'm pretty sure doesn't apply to Tron.

 

[Mr Thin]

Of course not. General consensus is that a "video game movie" is a movie based on a video game, or a video game franchise. Wreck-it Ralph is not.

I suppose you could argue that it fits the technical definition of "video game movie", but what would be the point? As the term is commonly used and understood, it doesn't fit.

 

[geK0]

Well it's a movie about video games, so it's about as much a "video game" movie as Finding Nemo is a fish movie. But if you want to limit the definition of "video game movie" to movies that are based on existing video games, I guess it isn't one.

Although, I for one wouldn't call the Resident Evil film series video game movies : \

 

[Genocidicles]

Isn't Tron far more broadly based, with video games as sort of incidental to the plot?.

Yeah, Tron is about the whole computer system, with a couple of video games thrown in for gladiatorial combat between programs. The emphasis on the movies is on the computer system as a whole, not the games.

 

[Urgh76]

No, Street Fighter would be considered a video game movie.

If there was to be a game made out of this though, it would be a movie video game.

Movie came first though, so no dice.

 

[WaReloaded]

I know this may be a slightly off topic but does Grandma's Boy count as a video game movie? Because if it does that's probably my favourite film related to video games/gaming.

I can't wait to see Wreck-It-Ralph, I've been reading good things, plus Bob's review helped alleviate any concerns I may have had.

 

[aba1]

Isn't Tron far more broadly based, with video games as sort of incidental to the plot?.

Yeah, Tron is about the whole computer system, with a couple of video games thrown in for gladiatorial combat between programs. The emphasis on the movies is on the computer system as a whole, not the games.

mmmmm ya I can roll with that though I would argue that fits the matrix more than tron I mean tron took place in a arcade and was about a experimental video game but despite that I more or less agree with you

 

[klown]

Super Mario Brothers was a video game movie. Prince of Persia and Hitman were video game movies. They were based on a single video game/series, and had to deal with everything within that game. They are a story within that universe.

Wizard, Tron, Gamer, and Wreck-It-Ralph are movies about video games. They use video games as a theme, not as the rule. It takes a universe, a concept, or culture and builds a story out of that. It's not a story because of the game, but it uses the game as a jumping off point to build a whole new world.

 

[Smeggs]

I don't think it's a video game movie so much as a movie about video games.

The majority of it was strictly Pixar throwing in their expected life lessons, and it took place almost entirely in Sugar Rush.

I'm fairly sad that they didn't make up a few other worlds for Ralph to visit, and the epic Wrecking scene I expected against some queen Cybug or something never actually came. Instead, Turbo just buzzed off and fried himself. It seemed like they had mentioned so much and foreshadowed so many things that could have been awesome-like they did with Turbo-and yet none of it mattered.

Good movie, though. Will buy it when it comes out.