![]() The same can be said for the movie that spawned one of the most prolific video game adaptation series, Resident Evil, which featured the return of Paul W.S Anderson to the genre. It even successfully spawned a sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. With a palpable energy that was reflective of the new millennium, a familiar story, Jolie’s brilliantly aware performance, and fan-friendly nods to the game, many now view the film as an enjoyable guilty pleasure. In 2001 came Lara Croft – Tomb Raider, a massively successful action blockbuster that put actress Angelina Jolie on the road to super-stardom, after her award-winning role in Girl, Interrupted. That is until the turn of the new millennium, where adaptations started to pick up. Yet Mortal Kombat looked to be a one-hit wonder, as more failures came in ( Mortal Kombat – Annihilation and Wing Commander). Mortal Kombat showed that a balance of general audience friendly cinema and devoted fan service can be achieved. ![]() While the PG-13 rating hindered the chance of showing the ultraviolence the source material is known for, critics and audiences have agreed that the film is certainly one of Hollywood’s better efforts. Considered to be one of the best (if not the best) of video game film adaptations, writer/director Paul W.S Anderson and crew managed to bring the source material to life by closely following character designs and numerous touches, all whilse fashioning it into a cinematically pleasing story (being an Enter the Dragon riff). But like Bros., it has gained a cult following over time as a camp classic, as well as for Raul Julia’s wonderfully pantomime performance.Įven if the films were not always in keeping with the games, one must admire the chutzpah the filmmakers had in bringing the games on the big screen not as an obvious exercise in cynicism but as an opportunity to bring something new to cinema.īut then came the 1995 film Mortal Kombat. ![]() ![]() Even with its financial success, the film was slaughtered by critics and audiences for its lack of fidelity with the source material and its lighthearted tone. Similar things occurred with the 1994 film Street Fighter. But over time, it has gained a cult following where people have started to appreciate its production design, the casting of Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as the titular brothers and the creative enthusiasm behind its choices. Critics had said that the film had lacked the spirit of the source material to the point that many of them claimed it as embarrassing. Inspired by the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesin 1990 due to its adherence to its dark tone, the filmmakers decided to follow suit with the Mario film.īut after numerous production problems during filming (including many rewrites, difficulties working with actors including Dennis Hopper, production mishaps, unsanctioned edits and many reshoots), the film became a critical and financial failure. Given that it was new ground Hollywood was breaking and having creative freedom from the video game company Nintendo, filmmakers Rocky Morton and Annabelle Jankel were free to do what they wanted with the source material. The first video game film adaptation was the 1993 film Super Mario Bros. With the latest video game film adaptation, Resident Evil – Welcome to Raccoon City in cinemas now, let us briefly explore the history of just how far cinema has gone in adapting beloved video games for the silver screen. ![]() The World spring to mind – so why have we not yet cracked the code? Of course, we have had several well-received films that have explored the nature of video games – eXistenZ, the recent Jumanji films, Ready Player One, and Scott Pilgrim vs. But what is it with film adaptations based on video games? Why is it that so many have earned such a horrible reputation? Is there a code that needs to be cracked? A formula to get right? What exactly can we do to achieve a good film that honours its source material, while being still accessible to newcomers? The term “video game film adaptation” often makes people shudder. ![]()
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