Why are games that are made into films always terrible?

by Leon Somi

Posted: 22-12-2009

Leon Somi gives us his take on the age-old question of why video game inspired movies never turn out the way fans expect them to.

Anyone remember the Super Mario Bros. film of 1993? Thought not! One would think that a film based on gaming’s most recognisable hero would have a film that remains distinctly familiar. So what is wrong with the game/film genre? Why isn’t there a film that truly epitomises a game’s character?

As a director/producer, the fundamental backbone with such a concept is choosing the right one, as with every game no matter how hard you try it cannot be transferred onto the big screen. Most games are far beyond any form of realism; that translating them ends up looking more like a parody rather than a re-imagining. On many occasions film conglomerates have ignored this pivotal notion, with Super Mario Bros. being the grand example. Super Mario Bros. the game is full of color, magic and imagination, and when a film effectively scratches that away, it inevitably and unintentionally develops its own identity, causing rage amongst its many fans.

Many directors seem adamant that the film has to incorporate the same story that the game holds, in order for it to appeal to its fan base; this is unattainable, as like with books, a game’s length has to be taken into consideration with the average game lasting around the twelve hour mark. It is impossible to recreate a game in roughly 120 minutes without damaging the source’s material. A film must retain the persona of the game whilst creating its own identity in order for it to succeed, as many have rightly been unsuccessful because of this. Films such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Hitman have failed to create the dynamics of their respective games, instead filling them with generic storylines that don’t replicate any of the key aesthetics portrayed in the games.

Another damning aspect to the game/film industry is when a film attempts to branch out in the market. Directors and producers seem to believe that creating a film solely intended for its fans will alienate the casual film goer. This may hold some truth, however you cannot ignore that there is a niche in the market for the perfect video game movie and most importantly every gamer is screaming out for one.

For such a concept to ever work the film has to work very closely with the people that first imagined the game. Hitman, Max Payne and Tomb Raider are examples of when directors suggest they hold enough knowledge to create a film that truly resembles the game, often ignoring the game creators believing they are of a separate industry. In order for one to succeed you have to have as much knowledge as you can about your project. There are people out in the world that live and breathe their games and these are the people that should be directing: the people that show compassion, determination and most importantly listen to their audience.

Directors such as Christopher Gans, Corey Yuen and Paul Anderson should stick to their films and let the original creators direct their games, as not only will this give the genre well deserved respectability, but it will also appease many raging fans. Whether this will happen or not I sincerely doubt it, as not only is it a tried and tested formulae to rip off the game industry, but it’s also a lot easier to piece together a generic storyline that will appeal to both the average person and the general gamer.