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The premier top tier video game movies

What are the best movies based on games?

  • Super Mario Bros. (1993)

    Votes: 12 8.9%
  • Street Fighter (1994)

    Votes: 9 6.7%
  • Mortal Kombat (either of the two, 1995 and 1997)

    Votes: 38 28.1%
  • Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)

    Votes: 8 5.9%
  • Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

    Votes: 12 8.9%
  • Resident Evil Franchise (all of those Jovovich movies, 2004 to 2017)

    Votes: 9 6.7%
  • Doom (2005)

    Votes: 3 2.2%
  • Hitman (2007)

    Votes: 2 1.5%
  • Dark Space: Downfall (2008)

    Votes: 2 1.5%
  • Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2009)

    Votes: 7 5.2%
  • Hitman: Agent 47 (the reboot, 2015)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • WarCraft (2016)

    Votes: 8 5.9%
  • Assassins's Creed (2016)

    Votes: 3 2.2%
  • Tomb Raider (the reboot with Vikander, 2018)

    Votes: 5 3.7%
  • Rampage (2018)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Detective Pickachu (2019)

    Votes: 26 19.3%
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (either of the two, 2020 and 2022)

    Votes: 53 39.3%
  • Monster Hunter (2020)

    Votes: 2 1.5%
  • Mortal Kombat (the reboot, 2021)

    Votes: 7 5.2%
  • Werewolves Within (2021)

    Votes: 1 0.7%
  • Uncharted (2022)

    Votes: 15 11.1%
  • - Tron (either movie, 1982 and 2010)

    Votes: 28 20.7%
  • - Wreck-It Ralph movies (either of the two, 2012 and 2018)

    Votes: 29 21.5%
  • - Pixels (2015)

    Votes: 4 3.0%
  • - Ready Player One (2018)

    Votes: 18 13.3%

  • Total voters
    135

Bragr

Banned
Vote for your 3 favorites.

A popular movie can spark massive interest in a video game franchise and make a lot of money to boot. Recently, the Sonic movies become a hit for kids, and Sonic has become a popular figure for people who don't even play the games. The same can be said for The Witcher, which pushed interest in the games and was likely a big reason why CD Projekt RED went straight to a new Witcher game.

Look for virtually every big publisher to make movies and TV shows of their franchises moving forward.

Super Mario Bros. was the first movie to be based solely on a video game, and it has been downhill from there. Which says a lot considering that movie.

I added some of the video game-inspired movies, that aren't really based on a game, at the bottom.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
They are all kinda shit.

Except maybe the Mortal Kombat one. I was too little to remember anything aside from the cool music.
 

p_xavier

Authorized Fister
Tomb Raider movies with Angelina were the GOAT. Did respect the franchise while being good movies on their own.
 
i don't count ones that aren't based on videogames.

the original Mortal Kombat is the only good one. I don't remember hating DOOM as much as everyone else. The Rock & Karl Urban. How bad could it be

I also remember liking the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movies. but more because they were fun action movies not because it reminded me of the games very much
 

Husky

THE Prey 2 fanatic
I havent watched Sonic yet but I don't think I will, watched the first 20 mins and it wasn't really that impressive imo, does it get better?
According to most people, yes. According to my own tastes, it was unbearable. I'm not sure what everyone else sees in it.

I listened to a Ready Player One audiobook recently and the story and craft are both awful. The movie was a massive improvement. Unfortunately I think the best video game movies are not adaptations, but gaming-centric films like Ready Player One and Wreck-It Ralph.

As for adaptations, I think the Super Mario Bros. is made more entertaining by its deviation from the source material, and of the game adaptations I've seen it's probably (controversially) the best. I remember Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time being alright, but not anything great. Those two are probably the best game adaptations I can think of. I think Kingdom Hearts could be made into a great movie, easily the best gaming movie if they understand where to take creative liberties, and only if they make the risky choice to adapt it in live-action. Takashi Miike could fucking nail that film.

Adapting a video game into an animated film (aka a cutscene) is cowardly as it bypasses the need for risky creative liberties in adapting the game world's look and feel. No respect for the upcoming animated Mario. Pussies.
 

kunonabi

Member
Sonic is easily the best of the bunch followed by Mortal Kombat and FF: Spirits Within. There is some other decent B-Movie fun to have with some of the other stuff but not much.
 

Codes 208

Member
The sonic duology is good, detective pikachu was good. Though i noticed one missing from the list.

Angry birds 2. I actually really liked this loose tie-in made by sony. It was a pretty funny undercover parody.
 

Vandole

Member
How the hell can you group the first two Mortal Kombat movies together?? The first was cheesey but still managed to be extremely fun (plus that soundtrack). Annihilation on the other hand had nothing redeeming in it.

It was so bad most of the original cast didn't even return for it. Think about that for a second.... Christopher Lambert returned for Highlander 2, but not for Mortal Kombat 2. That pretty much sums up how bad it was.
 

Kev Kev

Member
sonic and its not even close. just came from sonic 2 at the theatre and not only was it an all aorund good flick, it was legitimately a good video game movie. it just felt right, i dunno how to explain it. the scenery they used, the rings, the emeralds, the little gadgets tails used, the robot minions and robotnic himself, and more. it just felt very reminiscent of the game.

i still have faith that video games can get great adaptions, they just need to be int he hands of the right people. and i think the older we get, the more industry vets will be calling the shots, industry vets who are closer in age to 80s and 90s kids who grew up playing games now and have kids who also play games.

im pretty hopeful for the future of video game movies and TV, tbqh
 
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Banjo64

cumsessed
Genuinely, only Sonic is a good movie. Not seen the sequel yet. Really funny film.

Detective Pikachu is ok.

OG Mario Bros for the memes is a laugh.

OG Mortal Kombat 1&2 for the song and also for the memes ‘now it’s you, who will die!’.

Overall most video games movies are pure shit.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
Tron was the goat back in the early 80's. One of my favorite movies. The more recent one was ok.

Pixels wasn't a great movie but it was a lot of fun. It didn't take itself too seriously. I really enjoyed it.

The only movie actually based on a video game that I ever kind of liked was Prince of Persia. But it wasn't all that good. It would have been better with a different lead I think.

The one i really like but isn't on the list is Ender's Game. I guess it's not really a video game movie but he thought he was playing a video game so maybe it counts.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
I don't think any of the ones I've seen are actually good movies. Haven't seen the Sonics or Uncharted yet.

Edit: Forgot about Silent Hill, that one was maybe alright? Don't remember anything about it.
 
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The_hunter

Member
The only ones I've liked were detective pikachu and warcraft. Tron is really good, but it's not a videogame adaptation movie.

If you guys haven't seen it, the anime High Score Girl is amazing.
 
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Javthusiast

Banned
Silent Hill.

Prince of Persia. Genuinely like it and wish they made sequels.

First Tomb Raider. What can I say Jolie in that movie.
sexy angelina jolie GIF


Still need to see the Sonic movies.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
Op totally forgot Free Guy and Scott Pilgrim which may well be the top two. Can we close the thread and start again?

Free Guy isn't based on any specific game though (but then neither is Tron, Ready Player One, etc). IMO that doesn't really count as a video game movie.

It's also just awful.

And Scott Pilgrim is based on a comic, which they made a movie and a game from. The movie is not based on the game (but is obviously "gamey").
 
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jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Where my Mario Bro lovers at?
 

Laptop1991

Member
I've only seen Doom 2005 and the 1st Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie, they were ok film's, i slightly remember Doom more so i chose that.
 

MrA

Banned
professor layton and the eternal diva is so far beyond the rest of video game movies it's not funny, so why isn't it an option?
otherwise, it is mortal kombat 1995 by a large margin, an okay martial arts movie, not much else, but it is something,
or street fighter if you skip any scene raul julia isn't in
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
I'd rather compare my bowel movements from last week. All videogame movies are shit. That said Silent Hill was alright.
 

Marvel14

Banned
Free Guy isn't based on any specific game though (but then neither is Tron, Ready Player One, etc). IMO that doesn't really count as a video game movie.

It's also just awful.

And Scott Pilgrim is based on a comic, which they made a movie and a game from. The movie is not based on the game (but is obviously "gamey").

You may not like Free Guy...doesn't make the movie awful. I know several gamers who saw it and really liked it including me. Whether you like it or not, it's much better than Pixels and Super Mario Bros on multiple objective levels and both those rancid efforts made the list.

And not sure what your Scott Pilgrim point is...
 
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Markio128

Member
Been to the cinema to watch these with my daughter and we genuinely enjoyed all 3:

1 Wreck-it-Ralph - easy no. 1.
2 Sonic - fun films.
3 Uncharted - certainly no Indy, but still pretty good fun.
 

RoboFu

One of the green rats
I watched uncharted the other day and it really wasn’t a good movie. I think it was to do with the games being better story telling. The cameo was a funny surprise though.
 

Jaybe

Member
Alas the topic is movies, but I hear the Arcane animated show based on League of Legends is excellent.
 

Camreezie

Member
Dead Space Downfall was fantastic . Also have a soft spot for the original Resident Evil, have watched most of the movies listed and insulted me less then those listed
 

MrA

Banned
I will die on this hill






He even ad libbed the following gesture to Sagat saying "I bet you didn't see that, did you?"
LvRHuTf.jpg


Raul Julia gave one of the best performances knowing he was terminally ill. A treasure.
Street Fighter Of Course GIF


Rewatch Street Fighter.

everything you showed there is glorious, the finest ham, served with a side of the entire set, unfortunately, there is the rest of the movie
 

Blayzedblue

Neo Member
I just bought the two Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider DVD’s today for a buck each at Goodwill. Gonna watch them tonight. Hopefully they aren’t too bad
 

TidusYuna

Member
I will die on this hill






He even ad libbed the following gesture to Sagat saying "I bet you didn't see that, did you?"
LvRHuTf.jpg


Raul Julia gave one of the best performances knowing he was terminally ill. A treasure.
Street Fighter Of Course GIF


Rewatch Street Fighter.

facaa3d38c0bb8524581c2a7cb422e67.jpg


I just want to be clear, I'm not saying this is the best. I just posted a gif, that is all. Dick Jones Dick Jones is the one you're after.
 
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S0ULZB0URNE

Member
Tron 1 and 2.
Street fighter 2 the animated movie

A movie that isn't based on a game BUT many games are influenced by it.....
Big Trouble In Little China
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
You may not like Free Guy...doesn't make the movie awful. I know several gamers who saw it and really liked it including me. Whether you like it or not, it's much better than Pixels and Super Mario Bros on multiple objective levels and both those rancid efforts made the list.

And not sure what your Scott Pilgrim point is...

My Scott Pilgrim point is what I said, that it's not based on any game.
 
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