Adapting any form of media into a film is challenging, especially when it comes to video games. While most video game adaptations have struggled to meet expectations, some filmmakers did well in understanding what the fan base wanted. Regardless of critics' opinions, these films are more often geared to please the gamers.
Even if a video game movie wasn't necessarily stripped from an original game, the creators did their best to recreate the feeling of gaming. From an inside perspective on non-player characters to bringing rugged treasure hunters to life, some video game films have succeeded in earning praise from audiences.
10 Prince Of Persia Is An Adequate Adaptation
Though Disney's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has its flaws, including questionable casting--though Gyllenhaal made Prince Dastan lovable--it is still a fun watch for those looking for an adventure film. Most audiences unfamiliar with the games might have been surprised to find that the film was based on a video game franchise of the same name.
While the film deviates from the original story somewhat, its heartfelt script, humorous moments, and sense of adventure earned the movie a fairly positive reception from audiences.
9 Silent Hill Can Be Admired For Its Atmosphere
2006's Silent Hill is far from being the perfect movie it should have been, but it definitely exceeded the disappointing sequel, and the filmmakers understood the games enough to translate the visuals well. While the film remains to be one of the lowest-rated video game adaptations, fans of the game have come to really love it.
The film's saving grace was the creative decision that brought the sleepy town of "Silent Hill" to life. Clunky dialogue and excessively long scenes aside, the film is worthy of a watch, even if just for the monsters.
8 Tomb Raider Saw A Better Revival Of Lara Croft
Conflicting views on the most recent adaptation of Tomb Raider have put the Alicia Vikander film in a sort of limbo between awesome and disappointing, but it served its purpose. After the rebooted game franchise released several games featuring a younger Lara Croft on her treasure hunting adventures in a less objectified approach, the opportunity to recreate it on film presented itself.
Most criticisms are pointed toward Croft's constant beatings throughout her own film, but the movie doesn't shy away from the fact that it attempts to be a rebirth of Croft's origin story, making Lara's very human struggles against her foes even more understandable and relatable.
7 Resident Evil Was Great For Its Time
The Resident Evil games are highly praised for their original storytelling and heartfelt characters, but 2002's movie adaptation threw the games out the window, leaving behind only a semblance of its source. Though the movie and its sequels are far from ideal, their original stories are fun to watch and admirable.
The early aughts gave way to cheesy transitions and terrible one-liners, but they work well in this film. The movie might not be a masterpiece, nor a cherished ode to the game series, but it's exciting to see the collapse of a zombie-infested world.
6 Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Is A Love Letter To The Games
Flashbacks of the original disturbing look of "live-action" Sonic aside, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 did a wonderful job of stepping up to its precursor in bringing the video games to life. The family-friendly film understands the audience it's geared toward and doesn't try to delve too far from the Sonic universe, as a certain Super Mario Bros. movie did.
In addition to Jim Carrey's fantastic portrayal of Dr. Robotnik, audiences got to see Knuckles in action. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 did exactly what it needed to do by creating a family-friendly story with bits of silly humor and genuine heart.
5 Tron: Legacy Deserved Better
Where 1982's Tron made impressive waves with its release, the long-awaited sequel failed to impress critics. Most audiences, however, enjoyed the higher-tech revival. Sam Flynn and the characters he encounters, including part of the original cast, do a massive amount of work in world-building, creating a fleshed-out universe that fans still hope to see more of. From Daft Punk's welcome appearance and befitting album to the new and improved costumes, the film may have worked better as a game, but as a movie, it is certainly an underrated work of art.
4 Mortal Kombat Is Violent Fun
Fans of the 1995 classic Mortal Kombat might have been let down by the highly anticipated remake, but the 2021 movie did well to bring such a high fantasy-based game into a more serious realm of reality. Capturing the over the top violence of the games, the movie's cinematography and fight sequences are thrilling to watch. For a game series as one dimensional as the Mortal Kombat series is, the film does well to give heart to certain characters, and isn't afraid to rip some of those hearts out and show them to the audience.
3 Wreck-It Ralph Understands Arcade Games
One of Disney's least talked about films, partly because of a lackluster sequel, Wreck-It Ralph put arcade games in the spotlight, giving them a life in an animated film. The film focused on Ralph and his frustration over his mundane pixilated life until he meets a neighboring game character, Vanellope.
Its formulaic plot was quickly dissolved into incredibly heartfelt moments and refreshing twists. While the plot is heavily character-driven, gamers and audiences alike can delight in the inclusion of game references and several cameos from classic video game characters.
2 Uncharted Is A Heartfelt Recreation Of The Series
Critics and fans could argue over the Uncharted film for hours, but the flawed movie certainly understood some of the most important aspects of the games. Nathan Drake devotees were elated to see the beloved adventurer take to the screen, despite being aged down and tied to a slightly less charismatic Sully.
The movie took different cutscenes out of the games and spliced them together in live-action for the world to see. Still, the film received a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes for doing its best and providing a fun story to follow.
1 Free Guy Made Audiences Care About NPCs
Gamers understand the rough (nonexistent) life of an NPC, or non-player character, so Free Guy finally gave a voice to these unsung heroes on the off chance that they do have a sort of sentience. The funny commentary provided by an ensemble cast featuring Ryan Reynolds as the main NPC, Guy, puts the film at the top of enjoyable video game-inspired movies. The balance between the real world of gamers and how they treat expendable characters in the game is done with such grace, it's easy to fall in love with the story.