Film adaptations of computer games are notoriously bad. Is it because they chose the wrong games (Super Mario Bros……really?) or the wrong film makers (Paul W.S. Anderson…..please stop) or maybe it is just not the way things are meant to be. Well I firmly believe that a game can make a good film, you just have to pick the right games and the right people to make them. That is what I have done Hollywood, heed my words. I have done the job of a mega expensive movie producer and given you 10 pitches. All I ask in return is to see perhaps one good film adaptation of one of these epic games.
10. Crysis
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of the Crysis games. In fact, I downright disliked Crysis 2. Still, that isn’t to say I don’t like the ideas going on here. The nano-suit is a thing of beauty (so why they made it a first person game is beyond me) and I would love to see some dynamic and exciting nano-action in a movie. The alien invasion scenario isn’t exactly original but fighting them off with a space age battle suit is pretty cool. I also like the idea from Crysis 2 that the main character is basically only being kept alive by the suit. That’s cool!
You know who I’d like to direct this? Paul Verhoeven. I see Crysis being a mix of Robocop and Starship Troopers, with some ultra-violent action and a nice twist of satire to boot. I’d also be tempted to star Denzel Washington as Nomad as let’s face it, who else would you want in your corner when the alien shit hits the fan?
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38 Comments
No bioshock…?????? Really?!?!
Gears of War isnt even in there!??!
Bioshock is in my opinion one of the best games in terms of narrative delivery (audio logs) and that would be totally lost in a film. So while it is a great story, I think it is best staying as it is.
Would you really be interested in seeing a Gears of War movie? The idea hadn’t crossed my mind if I’m honest.
Lacks Mass Effect imho.
I thought about it but it felt a little too much like stuff we’ve seen before.
The biggest problem with a Mass Effect movie, IMO, is the game itself is all about choice. Are you a male or female? Renegade or Paragon? Do you kill Ashley or Kaiden? Hmm..Extremely tough to make this into a movie if you ask me. HOWEVER. Something I would absolutely love to see is a movie set within the Mass Effect Universe. I have been pitching a Mass Effect: First Contact movie since the first game came out.
You begin with scientists on Mars making the discovery, the politics of finding other lifeforms and how, as humans, we should interact with them, and then finally meeting the Turians and facing off in the first intergalactic battle.
It would just bother me for them to make a canon Mass Effect movie when there are so many other options they can go with within this universe.
how is halo not in this list? u also missed out modern warfare, red dead redemption.
I chose Crysis over Halo as it has a more dramatic defend the human race feel. Halo was a close call though so I’ll give you that for sure.
Red Dead is just every western ever and trust me when I say this, the western has been done. Genres go through 4 stages primitive (it establishes itself) – classic (established conventions are refined, this is the peak) – the revisionist stage (post modern approach, turns conventions around and re-evaluates the genre) and finally the parody stage, when the genre is mocked. Now, the western had reached parody by the 70s and since then it has drifted in and out of minor fads within each stage. Nothing new can really be done and even someone like Tarantino can only really be original by bringing in non-western conventions. We shall see what he does. But Red Dead is a game that looks at the who genre’s evolution and pays homage. If you then made it into a western you would be dealing with such a diluted and clichéd mashup of the western genre it just wouldn’t work.
As for MW…….terrible movie. It is too jingoistic and would just end up as propaganda. War movies have moved on much further than war games. I mean how many war games are brave enough to put you in the shoes of the people fighting the Americans? None, because the backlash would be too great but films have done this many times. Clint Eastwood even made a pair of films focusing on each side of the Iwo Jima conflict. So many people forget that soldiers aren’t people making evil decisions, they are following orders. Of course, when you are playing COD:MW with a 10 year old online and you score a sweet head shot you don’t take a second to think about what that represents. A war movie has a responsibility to make the audience understand the horror of war, not the fun of a computer game.
@Ed – Great point about MW and war movies in general. I mean look at the best war movies like Apocalypse Now or Saving Private Ryan. I could hardly see a movie based on MW stacking up to those. Speaking of the COD series, I could see something like Black Ops working if they worked the psychological angle that was explored in the game. As long as Sam Worthington isn’t in it, lol.
Star Wars the force unleashed really? It would make a terrible movie. It wasn’t the only canon SW game, so was KOTOR which has better storyline and action without destroying established canon already. TFU was freaking terrible with a terrible character who never does anything heroic. He is not a good guy, he is a stalker going after a woman. Give me a break about TFU as a movie. Make KOTOR or Jedi Academy as movies which had Kyle Katarn and Revan. Without a strong character, a movie or game isn’t going to fly.
@Joey – I second your notion about TFU being a horrible choice. KOTOR would be a MUCH better choice.
@Ed – You mentioned that ME is too much like stuff we’ve seen before, but aren’t most of the games in your list stuff we’ve seen before? Fallout 3 would be too much like Mad Max. Crysis would be way too familiar. The best parts about the game were the graphics and the sandbox feel of the first half. You can’t transfer those things over to the movie medium. the best things about ME were the choices and the story. Although choice can’t be transferred over to film, the kick-ass story could. These are just my thoughts of course. Thanks for putting this list together.
Hi Kurt
Firstly, I was never fortunate enough to play KOTOR, but as a forefather to ME, I imagine it is rather good! My main point is to see a side of Star Wars that isn’t so wishy washy. Now, I’m not saying that the plot is great, it isn’t. What I liked was what we got in the early trailers for the second game, really dark and cool lightsabre action. This kind of thing is what I want: http://youtu.be/SPBclswT2AI
It’s violent and cool and ten times better than any action sequence in any star wars prequel.
Mad Max 2 is post apocalyptic but not much like Fallout 3. I mean, there are no butless chaps in Fallout 3. I dunno, for me ME is too close to Star Wars and Star Trek, which have both been done well and done badly. Crysis is similar to films that have come before indeed but never with the kind of angle that we have a chance to kick ass and win in the end. Plus, the Nano-Suit is sweeeet.
Fallout 3, Yes! Without a shadow of a doubt! And definitely get Raimi in for this one; there’s that element of gallows humour running throughout the game which I think Raimi would nail. Been wanting a Fallout movie for years!
I’d be very wary of seeing one of my favourite games making it to a big screen adaptation…so many titles that make that jump are just disappointing to say the least. My idea is more related to rather than a direct move from game to film…it would feature a guy who becomes so obsessed with Football Manager that he starts to think he’s actually a Football Manager! Think Looking For Eric meets The Damned United.
No Half-Life.. Are you kidding!? I guess it’s just as well- I’m 60 pages into my own script so if it doesn’t get made, I can lobby for it :p
That’s the way to do it my man.
Uncharted!!
Some hottie to play Nathan Drake and Bruce Campbell as Sully. The answer to those utterly terrible Tomb Raider films!
I didn’t put any movies currently (publicly) in development, which Uncharted is. I fully support Bruce Campbell as Sully, very similar to his role in Burn Notice.
I always thought Josh Holloway would be a good Snake. One could just go crazy and cast David Hayter as Snake. Don’t think that’s ever been done before (the whole voice-to-screen thing)
Yeah but if you watch Guyver Dark Hero you would notice that he physical acting sucks le balls.
Tom Jorgensen: I don’t think Half-Life would work at all. Keep in mind that the hero of the story never even speaks. Writing the script would be a total pain in the ass. I’m not questioning the story being good, but a half-life movie would have the same universe but a totally different cast thatn what i think you imagine. As much as the dystopian setting is awesome, i doubt a movie would do anything other than ruin itself in comparison to the game.
Is it pervy to want a Lollipop Chainsaw film?
Yes but it’s so so right.
If anything Lollipop Chainsaw might be one of few games that would result in a half decent film, alot of Game-Film adaptations take themselves way too serious but Lollipop could never be that so it automatically has a head start on the rest!
I finished the game today and fallen a bit in love with Juliet Starling and I don’t normally go for cheerleaders. Awesome game and I can so see it as a film. But Shadows Of The Damned would also make a very good movie if done right.
I think games like: S.T.A.L.K.E.R and F.E.A.R. Ofcourse left4dead , would be good films , all have good story , horror…
I know this is pure fanboyism (or something), but i really would like to see a good Starcraft movie before i die. I mean, futuristic space marines in hugue battlesuits and an ancient, proud lightsaber-wielding alien race fighting together against a swarm of interplanetary insectoid horrors able to consume all life in the galaxy… What else do you need?
Chainsaw wielding Cheerleaders…….?
Replace Force Unleashed with Knights of the Old Republic or Star Wars: The Old Republic. The cinematic promos for the latter are stunning, and they give you an awesome window into how great a full length feature done in that style could be.
Killzone would make an amazing film, the game doesnt really cover the backstory well which is far superior to any of the other games mentioned, humans v humans that were treated badly in the past giving rise to a vengeful dictator hellbent on eradicating the perceived “lesser” race….ring any bells to a real life chain of events?? but in a cool future setting….
Three words:
Red Dead Redemption
I have to disagree on all three of those words massively. To try an compress a 20+hour game that pays homage to decades of cinema into a film that could only be a max of 3 hours long would be ruinous. As I said, everything that can be said and done about the western has been said and done. A film of Red Dead is like a parody of a parody (in principle, I realise Red Dead isn’t a parody) and that just results in crap. Like Scary Movie.
Two franchise games come to mind, one current and perhaps due to be a film regardless and the other fading into obscurity. Last one first, Soul Reaver. From the beginning of the game play you are immersed into a scene-scape that spans both time and distance. A rich and engaging narrative, rivalries and loyalties and the anti-hero, whats not to like?
The other one….one word and if you have played it or rather, become enthralled by its silent protagonist or even G.L.A.D.O.S. then you know why portal should be made!
Ratchet and Clank would make a great dreamworks/pixar movie. I can imagine quite a large audience for that provided it has a bit of adult humour (subtle of course).
Also in honour of the 10 year Civ2 guy, I vote civilisation film, imagining the end of his game (as if it was real life obviously).
What about heavy rain?
God of War, Uncharted, Heavy Rain and Darksiders
God of War, Uncharted, Heavy Rain and Darksiders.
I think that STALKER has the makings of a brilliant film. The mood and setting of the game is so visually and emotionally striking that you can’t go wrong with a film adaption as long as you remain faithful to the game.
Borderlands could be fun