Video game productions are finally shedding their perpetual curse of being a bottomless collection of box office flops. The Super Mario Bros Movie and The Last of Us TV show have garnered critical acclaim, great box office numbers, and a renewed interest by Hollywood to make more faithful adaptations of video game properties. 2023 will also see a film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's and Resident Evil: Death Island, while 2024 will see both Iron Lung and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 hit theaters.
Films like Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu have also made their mark by surprising audiences while offering a glimmer of hope for gamers worldwide to see their beloved properties on the big screen finally. After all, fan outrage sent the Sonic producers back to the drawing board to create a more faithful rendition of the character on screen. Still, it's nice to remember where we come from to understand why we are getting such great content these days.
Take a look back and remember some of the most terrible video game films to ever grace the screen. The lackluster efforts of these past offerings have shaped the creative input of studios, making them realize fans don't want a deconstruction of these beloved characters. Many of these films are also a worthy reminder that some video game IPs don't work as films at all, and they are best served in their original medium.
Falling in the category of "being so bad it's good," the first Super Mario Bros film from 1993 is an absolute guilty pleasure film that holds a special place in our hearts. Directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, with a script by Parker Bennett, the film unexpectedly brought the iconic video game to life. Bob Hoskins stars as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi; their mission is to help Princess Daisy free her kingdom from King Koopa, played by Dennis Hooper.
Despite its mixed reception, the film was groundbreaking for its time, with impressive sets and great visual effects. Super Mario Bros may not have received critical acclaim, but it's undeniably a lot of fun to watch. The story takes bold liberties with the source material, creating a unique and imaginative dystopian version of the Mushroom Kingdom while embracing its flaws and offering an entertaining experience.
For some reason, in the early 2000s, every studio seemed to think Uwe Boll was a master storyteller. He's responsible for many films in this list, and they all have a single trait in common: they bombed hard at the box office. The House of the Dead is a hilariously bad yet strangely enjoyable film directed by Boll and based on the popular first-person shooter video game of the same name. It was a modest effort made on a low budget of $12 million, which is still a lot of money to make a partly competent movie.
The story is set on an island where a massive rave is taking place. A group of young people gets on a boat to join the party but find the site deserted and ravished. A group of undead zombies takes out the crew individually as the island's mystery is slowly unraveled. In the end, only two survivors remain. The plot is set to be a prequel to the videogame itself. House of the Dead is not a masterpiece and never intends to be. The unpretentious film is good enough to switch your brain off and watch a bunch of 20s-somethings gets killed for no reason.
Some of the most amusing cinematic video game adaptations are big blockbuster films. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is such an offering. The visually stunning adventure is more of a guilty pleasure than a cinematic experience. Directed by Mike Newell, with a somewhat clever script by Boaz Yakin, the film features the horribly miscast Jake Gyllenhaal as the charming Prince Dastan and Gemma Arterton as the feisty Princess Tamina.
The story adapts the last Prince of Persia game that debuted in 2003 of the same name, and it had a massive budget of $200 million, which was well-spent on high production value. Despite its shortcomings, the film is considered competent and amusing at most, not exactly the impression you'd expect from such a massive effort. It's a movie with great action sequences, an enchanting atmosphere, and visually dazzling.
Paul W. S. Anderson could have some merits to dispute the crown to the worst video game filmmaker of all time from Uwe Boll, but most of Anderson's films actually make money. The man has made six Resident Evil films with a cumulated box office gross of $1.2 billion. Monster Hunter was his last offering, released in 2020 and starring his wife, Milla Jovovich, as Captain Natalie Artemis and Tony Jaa as the Hunter. Everyone critically panned the film, but you can still enjoy it for the guilty pleasure it represents.
While the story follows the premise of the game to some extent, Anderson keeps committed to making Jovovich the main lead of the story, with the Hunter being more of a side character. It's not an unusual twist from the director, but one that didn't resonate this time with audiences, as the movie flopped hard at the box office, making only $45 million from its $60 million budget, although it should be noted it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic when many theaters were not open. The story is still mildly entertaining, with thrilling battles and stunning visuals. It may not be a masterpiece, but it offers a fun ride worth your time.
To be fair, Mortal Kombat was a tough act to follow. Paul W. S. Anderson did such an excellent job with the first film. The next one had to go bigger, and that's precisely what the studio went for. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is an unabashedly entertaining film that embraces the over-the-top nature of the video game. It was directed by John R. Leonetti, who worked in the cinematography of the first entry. Unlike the previous film, Annihilation dives into campiness far more but still remembers to deliver great action-packed scenes.
Related: 20 Movie Character Deaths That Happened in the Last Scene
The screenplay by Brent V. Friedman takes off right after the first film's end. Most of the cast was replaced with unknowns, but the studio managed to secure Robin Shou to reprise his role as Liu Kang and Talisa Soto as Kitana. However, not getting Christopher Lambert back as Raiden was a colossal mistake, as James Remar doesn't have the same gravitas playing the character. The crammed storyline had too many characters and took most of its cues from the recently released Mortal Kombat 3. It's still a good watch, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original.
Directed by Dwight H. Little, known for his work on action films, Tekken is a footnote in the world of video game movies and the perfect guilty pleasure for fans of the franchise. If anything, the movie conveys much of the canon from the original video game, which, unlike most fighting game franchises, has rich lore with family ties and multiple stories about betrayals and conspiracies.
The screenplay by Alan B. McElroy captures the essence of the game, and the competent cast manages to play their parts while showcasing their martial arts expertise. For this movie, we have Jon Foo as the lead, Jin Kazama, and Kelly Overton as the hardened Christie Monteiro, with a special appearance by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Tekken's prominent villain, Heihachi. The movie is loaded with electrifying fighting sequences, and the hefty budget of $35 million managed to secure good production values. Unfortunately, this film bombed hard, grossing a mere $1.6 million in its theatrical run.
Nothing can top the cheesier value of Double Dragon in the world of video game adaptations. Relegated to the butt of many jokes for many decades, this is one of those films that it's so bad it's good (the second one to get that distinction in our ranking). Directed by James Yukich, who was mostly known for his work in music videos, this movie aims to bring the popular beat 'em up video game to life but merely lands as a charming camp-fest.
A screenplay by Peter Gould and Paul Dini should have been good enough, but the story embraces the over-the-top nature of the game by trying to build a plot over a basic premise. Pairing the talents of Mark Dacascos as Jimmy Lee and Scott Wolf as Billy Lee was a bold move, as both actors have great chemistry and enough showmanship to offer a great display of martial arts skills. The film was made on a low budget of $7.8 million. While it was a total bomb, it still delivered an entertaining experience with colorful settings, energetic fighting sequences, and game-accurate characters.
Ah, yes, another "masterpiece" by Uwe Boll. BloodRayne is likely the film that sent the director to the direct-to-video purgatory. This movie epitomizes a guilty pleasure, delivering an entertainingly terrible experience. Based on the videogame of the same name, the script written by Guinevere Turner embraces the campiness and Gothic themes included in the game. Kristanna Loken takes the lead as the half-human, half-vampire Rayne, with Sir Ben Kingsley starring as the villainous Kagan; the acclaimed actor certainly looks like he's here for the paycheck and nothing else.
BloodRayne is a top B-movie extravaganza. The $25 million budget can't hide its flaws, but it's a fun watch for its unintentional humor and over-the-top action scenes. BloodRayne is a film that doesn't take itself seriously, and neither should you. It's the best way to enjoy the ridiculous dialogue and cheesy special effects. Beware, though, if you find yourself craving the ludicrous shenanigans of this movie; Boll managed to complete the trilogy with two direct-to-video sequels found in the discount bin of your favorite video store!
Wing Commander has the distinction of being the film that tanked Freddie Prinze Jr's career. That's not what makes this film a guilty pleasure. Wing Commanders is a popular IP with 12 games to its name. The space combat simulator had enough of a plot to build something great, yet the film adaptation went the cheesy route with an underwhelming story. The worst part of it? The film is directed by Chris Roberts, the creator of the Wing Commander video game series, which is baffling, to say the least.
The screenplay by Roberts himself barely captures the spirit of the game's universe, and the budget of $30 million was more than enough to convey its message. One can't blame Roberts since he's solely responsible for driving his vision to the big screen. Frankly, the results did not match audiences' expectations. It was a case of the wrong film for the wrong times. The silly, outdated special effects are charming, but they would age quickly, eventually surpassed by TV offerings just a few years later.
Dead or Alive is a Tekken clone that was very popular with Playstation Fans. The franchise has six entries in the original saga, with multiple spin-offs across platforms. Unlike Tekken, the games have no deep storyline (even though they try). The franchise is well known for having a slew of female fighters using scantily clad outfits and loads of fan service served in every game. Somehow, this was enough for Hollywood, and a film was released in 2006. Directed by Corey Yuen, this action choreography stunt-coordinator turned director knew exactly what he was getting into.
Related: The 15 Biggest Anime Fan Debates of All Time
The movie brings the popular fighting game franchise to life with over-the-top action sequences and vibrant visuals. The screenplay by J.F. Lawton and Adam Gross barely holds a plot but captures the essence of the game's characters and their fighting skills. You get most of the popular characters in the game represented by several newcomers to the industry, with a heavy focus on beautiful girls for all the warrior women. A budget of $30 million was enough to get something decent out of this IP, but all we get is a series of pretty, mildly entertaining sequences, which is more than enough if you're looking for mindless fun.
Fans of Resident Evil were expectant when a film directed by Paul W.S. Anderson was announced. The director was already known for his work in the sci-fi genre and cult classics such as Event Horizon and Soldier. Written and directed by Anderson, fans were left scratching their heads when the popular survival horror game switched gears and gave all main characters in the game supporting roles in the film, with many of them making their debut in subsequent sequels in the series. The intense atmosphere of the games was there, along with the zombie-infested world, but everything else was really different.
In what would become an ongoing tradition, Anderson gave the lead role to Milla Jovovich, who plays Alice, a brand-new character created to serve as our surrogate. She would remain in the role across six films in the franchise. The film follows Alice as she escapes amidst the chaos in an underground facility of the Umbrella Corporation. Amazingly the film still holds its own, and it's regarded as one of the best video game franchises ever put to screen. The franchise would cast working actors for the leading parts across the series and service fans with moments of great action, intrigue, and survival stories.
Not many people know that Far Cry had a film released in 2008, and take our word when we say the world is a better place for it. Directed by Uwe Boll, with a screenplay by Michael Roesch and Peter Scheerer, we still need help placing the angle of this film. However, Boll was so determined to make this movie that he did everything to get the rights and funding through his company Boll KG Productions. The story follows a mercenary and an American journalist trying to survive on a mutant-infested island.
The cast includes Til Schweiger as the rugged Jack Carver and Emmanuelle Vaugier as the reporter Valerie Cardinal. The script barely holds a plot as it is, so much of what we see is a couple of characters trying to survive the chaos on the island, a premise that feels copied and pasted from The House of the Dead. Boll managed to nab funding of $30 million and distribution by 20th Century Fox, but his reputation preceded him by that time. The film barely made $700.000 in its theatrical run, but it can be watched as a novelty.
Rampage is a film in a whole different league. The movie was a tentpole blockbuster released in the spring of 2018. Directed by Brad Peyton, with a screenplay by Ryan Engle, this action-adventure movie brings the popular arcade game to life with many larger-than-life creatures fighting on the screen and epic destruction of cities, just like in the original video game. The cast includes Dwayne Johnson as primatologist Davis Okoye and Naomie Harris as geneticist Dr. Kate Caldwell, this movie had a budget of $120 million, and they made good use of it.
There's no better way to spend a couple of hours than watching a giant albino ape beat the tar out of a monster-sized werewolf and a gator. This film delivers that premise on point, with incredible visual effects and adrenaline-pumping action. This one has everything: thrilling action, humor, and giant monster mayhem, making it an enjoyable ride that the whole family can appreciate.
Whoever takes the role of Lara Croft has a tough act to follow after Angelina Jolie made the character hers with the duology of films made in 2001 and 2003. Alicia Vikander tries her best but falls flat on her efforts. Tomb Raider is directed by Roar Uthaug, who has experience in the thriller genre. The screenplay by Geneva Robertson-Dworet captures the essence of the game's relaunch under Square Enix with a more humane take on Lara Croft embracing her adventurous spirit.
Made on a budget of $94 million, Tomb Raider delivers visually stunning locations and intense action sequences. The plot revolves around discovering natural pathogens with the sole intent of using them as weapons. Vikander did a great job as Lara Croft, and the film's box office gross seems to agree. Sadly, it wasn't enough to warrant a sequel, as Warner Bros. let the rights of the property lapse, and MGM is currently developing a new iteration of the character.
When Netflix got a hold of the TV rights to Resident Evil, Sony wasted no time nabbing the film rights. Two offerings were pursued with the IP: a film and a TV show. Popular reception seems universal as neither offer is highly regarded. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is still a movie with a lot of charm. Directed by Johannes Roberts, who already has some background in the horror genre, it brings a fresh take on the popular survival horror game series with its dark and atmospheric setting and humorous undertones.
The screenplay by Johannes Roberts and Greg Russo captures the essence of the game and uses the iconic characters as our surrogates for the first time. Although the cast does a reasonably competent job, they look nothing like their video game counterparts, with Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield and Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield, the film was done on a small budget of $25 million, and it's widely regarded more as an action flick than a horror movie. It's enough for a cheap thrilling ride and not much else.
The first of two entries by Andrzej Bartkowiak. The director honestly had an affinity for video game films, with Doom being his first offering. The beloved IP was long overdue for the Hollywood treatment with a mix of action and demonic themes; the first-person shooting was widely beloved worldwide. The screenplay by Dave Callaham and Wesley Strick captures the essence of the game's fast-paced gameplay and dark atmosphere.
Starring Dwayne Johnson as the Sarge and Karl Urban as the hero Reaper, this film allows us to indulge in a fan-fest mashup of pretty visuals with a barely coherent plot. The film's highlight is Reaper's death and resurrection using the iconic first-person shooter perspective. The impressive budget of $60 million wasn't enough to drive more viewers to theaters, with the movie tanking at the box office. It remains a cult classic and campy but compelling offering in the realm of action flicks.
Now here is a film that makes the 1994 film by Steve E. de Souza look like a masterpiece. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is a non-canonical side story tied to Street Fighter IV. Andrzej Bartkowiak, the man with a knack for low-budget action films, directed this abomination. The screenplay, by Justin Marks, was approved by Capcom and quickly disowned after the film's release. While the movie was praised for having a clever plot and great use of Capcom assets in realistic depictions, it was panned for having some of the worst fighting sequences ever put to screen.
If your film is named "Street Fighter," you certainly can't have such lackluster performances in that department. Kristin Kreuk left Smallville to take the role of Chun-Li, Chris Klein plays detective Nash, and Neal McDonough plays M. Bison, who is no longer a dictatorial cartoonish villain. Instead, he's the CEO of a shady corporation called "Shadaloo." With a budget of $50 million, there were enough resources to make a great film. Sadly, someone forgot to hire a stunt coordinator, and therein lies the value of this film as an odd piece of video game-related media.
The first Silent Hill film was regarded as a masterpiece by many, with excellent production values and a gripping story closely tied to the video game it was based on. However, The production companies Konami led failed to capitalize on the success of the first offering and took nearly six years to complete the sequel. Written and directed by Michael J. Bassett, most of the cast returned for a second round while adding Kit Harington and Carrie Ann-Moss, yet the final result is underwhelming, to say the least.
Silent Hill: Revelation was made on a budget of $20 million, which was already 30$ million less than the last film. The first film was a box office hit, recouping $100 million at the box office. For the new entry, the lack of funding is visible. The superb acting and the horrific visuals of the most famous monsters of the franchise are not enough to hold together the muddied storyline of this film. It's worth a watch if you want to get the overall arc of the first entry, but it doesn't work on its own, which is something you can give to almost any entry in this ranking.
Uwe Boll manages to land a hat trick in this ranking, with his third entry falling in the category of "so bad, it's good" for video game adaptations. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale has all of Boll's trademarks in a single film, plus it's also proof the director was heavy at work, as this film was released in the same year as BloodRayne II and Seed. This guilty pleasure is a delightful blend of fantasy and action that somehow got a ton of working actors on screen to give the film a sense of familiarity.
The ensemble cast includes Jason Statham, Claire Forlani, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Ron Perlman, and Ray Liotta. At the tune of $60 million and distribution by 20th Century Fox, this fantasy action flick should have been a winner, yet it managed to crash a burn with a box office gross of $13 million worldwide. Despite being critically panned, Uwe Boll made another trilogy out of this IP through his production company, which truly speaks to his commitment to filmmaking. It's a film worth a watch, mainly for the novelty of having such an impressive cast in a fantasy setting.
It can be challenging to grasp just how popular Max Payne is. Every video game about this character has been a major hit on every console. The main trilogy was released between 2001 and 2012, with ports to all PlayStation and Xbox consoles of the eras. The neo-noir aesthetic and heavy storyline of the game drew Hollywood to make a film about the character, using many supernatural elements. The cast landed Mark Walberg, Mila Kunis, Ludacris and Olga Kurylenko.
Directed by John Moore, with a screenplay by Beau Thorne, the movie had a lot to make a compelling story. But the final result was critically panned, even by 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller. The film does a great job at capturing the essence of the brooding protagonist, but it leans heavily towards the supernatural. Despite the critical response, the film managed to nab an $85 million gross box office on a budget of $35 million. It's a great film, worth exploring if you're not so picky about the source material and the liberties the film takes with it.