The general consensus is that only a small percentage of movies based on successful video games ever live up to their potential. The 1993 film adaptation of Super Mario Bros., for example, is a terrible representation of what makes the games so exciting, something Nintendo and Illumination will strive to correct when the new animated Super Mario Bros. film is released in 2023.
While most video game movies leave a lot to be desired, Ranker’s voters are quite enthusiastic about the best of the bunch, which includes such well-known gaming brands as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Tomb Raider, and others.
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Detective Pikachu (2019)
Detective Pikachu turned been much better than even fans of the gaming brand imagined, thanks to Ryan Reynolds’ charming comedic charms in the titular character. The tale revolves around Tim (Justice Smith), a young guy on the lookout for his father, a famed investigator, in a familiar buddy-cop dynamic. Tim links up with the detective jokester Detective Pikachu to assist him in this endeavor.
The film honors the essence of the beloved video game brand while simultaneously pushing the material into new ground with a captivating blend of live-action and facial motion-capture technology, with a rapid pace, engaging action, and humorous interplay between Tim and Pikachu.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, a computer-animated action-adventure film released in 2005, has a strong following as one of the most memorable video game films. The film is directed by Tetsuya Nomura and takes set two years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, in which a trio of mystery kidnappers begin abducting youngsters suffering from an unexplained ailment. Cloud Strife, who has been afflicted, goes out to save the children.
Nomura was able to recreate the video game as exactly as possible by animating the entire film, resulting in a highly realistic and compelling video game experience while being a passive observer.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Angelina Jolie, like Alicia Vikander, stepped into the daring shoes of Lara Croft after winning an Academy Award. The gorgeous international production follows Croft as she searches the globe for two parts of an ancient item before the Illuminati uncover it. The film was appreciated by gamers over film reviewers because it was campy, ridiculous, but nonetheless pretty humorous.
Despite critical acclaim, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was a movie office success, leading to a 2003 sequel with Jolie repeating her role. The sequel, according to most, is inferior, including Ranker.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
According to Ranker, the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie is still the best video game film ever made. Paul W.S. Anderson also directed the film, making him the director of two of the best video game films ever made. It’s no surprise he just released Monster Hunter.
Unlike the much more expensive 2021 adaptation, Mortal Kombat was able to faithfully follow the mythologies and visual aesthetic of the popular fighting games, whereas titles like Street Fighter and Double Dragon tried and failed. The film’s beautiful production qualities, immersive set pieces, eerie mood, and tournament-style action sequences have aged beautifully for the past 30 years.
Pokémon: The First Movie (1998)
Pokémon: The First Movie stands out among all the cinematic Pokémon adaptations. Mewtew, a new genetically cloned Pokémon, rises up, rebels, and plots to murder his creators as if he were Frankenstein’s monster in this amusing vengeance story.
Mewtew challenges the world to an open battling tournament to show world domination after slaying his creators, and Ash, Misty, and Brock prepare to battle Mewtew and uncover a hidden scheme. The bizarre animated ’90s movie is only bested by one other video game adaptation, with vital messaging for youngsters, a nostalgic relationship to the original games, and a very emotional ending.
Resident Evil (2002)
The original Resident Evil film, starring Milla Jovovich in the iconic character of Alice, is the best of the franchise and the best horror video game film of all time. The film’s stunning real-world recreation of Raccoon City and its deadly swarms of mutant zombie ghouls is as frightening and terrifying as video game adaptations get, which is why it did so well and spawned a slew of sequels.
The film’s appeal stems in part from the unique idea, which sees Alice awakened with amnesia to face a swarm of ravenous zombies in a secret underground bunker. Beyond the premise, the film’s ability to accurately reflect the endlessly terrifying survival gameplay is unparalleled.
Silent Hill (2006)
Silent Hill, written by Roger Avary of Pulp Fiction and directed by Christophe Gans of Brotherhood of the Wolf, is one of the most moody and atmospherically dreadful video game movies ever made. After getting into a vehicle accident, Rose (Radha Mitchell) becomes frantic to find her adoptive daughter in the disturbingly ashen and fog-drenched town of Silent Hill.
Silent Hill is one of the scariest video games thanks to a graphically amazing replication of a classic horror environment that, despite the bland speech and perplexing plot aspects, remains immensely popular among gamers and horror movie enthusiasts alike.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)
While the majority of review aggregators prefer Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to its predecessor, Ranker voters disagree. However, as Sonic 2 is still a few weeks old, these figures may alter in the future. The wicked Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) reappears in the sequel, bringing with him the iconic video game characters Knuckles (Idris Elba) and the Echidna to battle Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey).
The well-received sequel addressed many of the issues about Sonic’s image in the original by being bigger, longer, and more action-packed, with a seamless combination of live-action and CGI. As a result, a third Sonic The Hedgehog film is currently under development.
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020)
Sonic the Hedgehog outranks its sequel by one notch, and most Ranker voters think it’s a fun but average video game film. The film would have done better at the box office if it hadn’t been for COVID-19, but it still has a particular place in the hearts of fans of the mega-popular Sega game.
When the blue hedgehog who races at supersonic speeds decides to make Earth his permanent home, he meets Tom (James Marsden), a minor town sheriff who assists the loving mammal in thwarting the global conquest by the power-crazed scientist Dr. Robotnik. The game succeeded to reproduce the frenzied, hyperkinetic spirit that made the predecessors so delightful to play, making it escapist family entertainment at its best.
Tomb Raider (2018)
Following in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie, Alicia Vikander performed admirably as Lara Croft in the 2018 reboot of Tomb Raider, which is one of Vikander’s best films to date. The compelling adventure film did a fantastic job of recreating the heart of the iconic video game franchise, stripping away the humor and kitsch of the original for a much more serious action event.
Tomb Raider is a massive globetrotting production full of exotic places that follows Croft as she seeks for her legendary lost father, inspired by Indiana Jones and Nathan Drake. Roar Uthaug, the director of The Wave, returns his visceral filmmaking skills to the sequel to heighten the dramatic stakes and provide a sense of realism that the initial picture lacked.
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