Video game adaptations are not meant to please film critics, but fans of a specific video game instead. But when there is clearly something off, it is bound to be a complete disaster. That said, there are some video game films that managed to be great adaptations despite what the critics say.
With the right directors, writers, producers, and more, a solid enough video game film adaptation can come together. Sadly, it seems like the upcoming Monster Hunter (as a dishonorable mention due to not being released yet) film will be negatively received for its derivation from high fantasy to technological military-action. Video game movies have only gotten better with time, but few touch actual greatness.
10 Great: Tomb Raider
Alicia Vikander portrayed 2018’s film reboot of Lara amazingly and brought the vulnerable, but inner adventurer to life. Despite its rating from Rotten Tomatoes sitting at 51%, Tomb Raider fans can agree that this adaptation is thriving, entertaining, and carries the weight of going from one form of media to another. Let’s just hope that the sequel will turn out great as well.
9 Horrible: BloodRayne
Uwe Boll was just spiraling into negative reception as he adapted, not one, not two, but three video game adaptations. Out of all of them, BloodRayne is the absolute worst. Laura Bailey, the voice actress for the protagonist Rayne, trashed the movie for how awful it was and couldn’t even get through the first 20 minutes.
Its reception was expected, but it was rather surprising that it became a box office flop, only grossing nearly four million when the BloodRayne series was at its peak in the video game industry.
8 Great: The Angry Birds Movie 2
It sounds crazy to believe that out of all video game movies, The Angry Birds Movie 2 has the highest rating on Rotten Tomatoes at a fresh 73%. The sequel even did better than its previous movie, which is definitely saying something as some video game sequels tend to be worse. It is also surprising that this sequel and its predecessor managed to come up with a plot that features the game’s elements, albeit with an original story.
7 Horrible: Hitman: Agent 47
In the looks department, Rupert Friend captures Agent 47 perfectly. Unfortunately, that was just not enough to save Hitman: Agent 47. It performed worse than its predecessor, which came out in 2007. It holds no substance and doesn’t do anything unique to make this film a fun take on the game franchise.
For an average moviegoer, they will think Hitman: Agent 47 is boring. A fan of the games might get something out of it, but will definitely prefer the games by a large margin.
6 Great: Sonic The Hedgehog
This movie almost became a cinematic disaster when the first trailer showed Sonic with a horrifying look and a trailer featured the unfitting “Gangsta’s Paradise.” Not only did Paramount listen to the criticism from fans, but added $5 million to the film’s budget, recreating the CGI that brought the Sonic we know and love to life.
When Valentine’s Day arrived, fans sung praises of the movie, especially towards Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Dr. Robotnik. If it weren’t for the feedback, Sonic the Hedgehog wouldn’t have been as successful. Currently, this film is the highest-grossing live-action video game film in America, and that is certainly an accomplishment.
5 Horrible: Super Mario Bros.
Mario games don’t follow a deep and complex story, so it was a challenge to adapt a Mario movie onto the big screen. While there were good parts, such as including the iconic sound effects and Mario & Luigi having Italian ancestry, there are also some ridiculous addictions. What were Mario’s parents thinking of having his first and last name be Mario? Let’s not forget the bizarre special effects put into this film.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Mario franchise, mentioned that the film had a lot of effort put in, but tried too hard to be like the games instead of a good movie. Mario deserves more respect, and it might get that when an animated film is set with Miyamoto part of the project as a co-producer.
4 Great: Detective Pikachu
It is safe to say that the movie adaptation for Detective Pikachu is better than the Nintendo 3DS game. Ryan Reynolds surprised fans and put up a funny, yet heartwarming performance.
The effects and the incredible CGI on each Pokémon were done phenomenally. They really felt like they were there with the people of Ryme City. The comedy, the action, and the heartfelt moments were genuine, and hopefully, that will be passed on to the sequel that is currently in development.
3 Horrible: Street Fighter
Street Fighter had a lot of things going for it as a film adaptation. The casting is faithful to the characters’ ethnicity and Capcom even financed the film. It had potential, but it failed in many aspects. Bison, however, was easily the best part thanks to the fantastic, campy performance from the late Raúl Juliá.
There is even a video game based on the Street Fighter movie. Not surprisingly, it was just as bad as the film – a fighting game based on a movie based on a fighting game is destined to fail in every way.
2 Great: Mortal Kombat (1995)
If Ed Boon and John Tobias, the creators of Mortal Kombat, have praised the movie, how can you not enjoy this adaptation? The film can be incredibly cheesy and does not feature gore or extreme violence as the games are known for that, but it’s still faithful to the games. They got their personalities down to a T and even modeled future incarnations of Kano after this film, as he was originally a Japanese-American, but is now Australian.
The end of the movie even hyped at the possibility of a sequel with the main characters about to take on Shao Kahn. It was very unlikely for the end credits to bring out hype, but Mortal Kombat managed to do that. Speaking of its sequel…
1 Horrible: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
A movie that goes from 100 to 0 best describes 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Ed Boon literally said that his worst experience with being tied to Mortal Kombat is the Mortal Kombat sequel. There were so many things wrong with this movie that it is absolutely laughable.
Other than the obvious recasting of Johnny, Sonya, and Raiden, there are awful special effects, awkward acting, and unenjoyable fighting scenes. This movie was so bad, a sequel was canceled.
NEXT: Mortal Kombat 1: Every Character’s Backstory & Fighting Style
