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Videogame Movies

Started by Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth, May 21, 2010, 07:45:36 PM

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Santa's Boyfriend

The film is OK as a throwaway film.  I guess it's just frustrating when you compare it to the source.  The film is the antithesis of what the book set out to achieve - rather like making a movie of Animal Farm that showed the clear benefits of living under communism.  (Or, for that matter, making War of the Worlds and ending the film by saying God stopped the Aliens.  Damn you George Pal!)

Phil_A

I'm surprised the Broken Sword series has never been tapped for a film franchise, as it had all the ingredients for a decent action-adventure movie. In fact I'd be amazed if it hadn't even been considered, especially with the Da Vinci Code covering much of the same ground.

Oh hang on, looks like they tried to get a movie off the ground in 2007. But no progress since, so I guess that project's got lost in development hell somewhere. IMDB has no production details, except for a rather optimistic release date of 2012, which I think is a polite way of saying "not a chance in hell".

VegaLA

Whjats the latest word on the 'Mass effect' project?
I know there are some fans of the game here and wondered how you all felt about it being made into a movie.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: VegaLA on June 03, 2010, 08:24:08 PM
Whjats the latest word on the 'Mass effect' project?
I know there are some fans of the game here and wondered how you all felt about it being made into a movie.
It was only announced the other week, that the film rights had been acquired - http://www.edge-online.com/news/mass-effect-film-rights-acquired - I think i had heard that there was some talk about it, but wasn't sure if it was going to come to anything

Legendary have done one or two rather successful films, like the last two Batman films... and less successfully, the Clash of the Titans remake. Can't say I'm overly pleased by I am Legend writer connection, but it's early days.

There's certainly potential, but one could say that about an awful lot of games that could have made a great film, but which were awful.


My main feelings are that I have very low expectations, but if it's a good 'un, then great – pretty much as if it was something else (e.g. a novel) that I quite like being adapted.

Although I did enjoy Mass Effect 1 & 2 and will be playing the next one, I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan – it good, but could be better, but even if I was a rabid fan, I wouldn't be too bothered about the film being dire. Invariably, it's the source material that the real work.

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on May 21, 2010, 07:45:36 PM
...This weekend sees the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of   Time, the latest film to be based on a sucessful videogame. The   reviews (that I've read - all two of them) have been lukewarm at best.   It's hardly a surprise: Even ignoring the continuing career of Uwe Boll,   games have got a pretty shoddy reputation at the cinema and not without   good reason. I watched Resident Evil the other day, which you would   think couldn't fail, but it was guff.
It is a Jerry Bruckheimer production – Prince of Persia: The Sands of   Time is the kind of high concept film that he and his deceased partner, Don Simpson, really made their name with. Its failings, I feel probably have more to do with that that the source material medium. It's not setting the world alight critically and has a lot of middling reviews, but a fair bit I've read suggested it's pretty entertaining romp – expectations should be tempered accordingly.

Personally, I actually enjoyed Resident Evil.
Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on May 21, 2010, 07:45:36 PM
Is adapting a videogame for the big screen an inherently doomed venture?
No. But like video games adapted from films, the omens aren't good.

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on May 21, 2010, 07:45:36 PM
..In his review of Silent Hill, Mark Kermode stopped being sniffy   just long enough to explain his theory that games don't make good films   because games have plot but no narrative. It seems to me that it's the   screenwriter's job to adapt the plot and give it a coherent narrative
Are Kermode's reviews really there to give insight into films or provide entertainment? I should say, I don't mind him but the people I know who really dig him, do so because they find him funny. It being so opinionated, rather than being on the money all the time, which makes him in demand as a critic. Sorry, tangent only....

That point Kermode has been used by quite a few people and it's wrong, quite frankly. You hit the nail on the head about how to adopt the plot. I've mentioned this here before, Bertolucci's The Spider's Stratagem is based on the four-page short story by Borges' "Theme of the Traitor and the Hero – it's great; both the film and the prose work wonderfully together. The plot is rather different and the narrative completely different, so under Kermode's logic, this would be a weakness... but it's not.

Also, the view that games don't have a narrative is quaintly old-fashioned – often snobbish – and wrong, which I think most of us would would.

If you asked Kermode are you saying non-linear, time-based media (which many games are) can't have a narrative? In doubt, he would say yes.

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on May 21, 2010, 07:45:36 PM
...He also forgets that a   game of the non-video category, Cluedo was made into a movie...
Not a successful one, though. Personally, I'm fond of it – and it was on recently, by the by. However, I've read more than once, that it didn't do well because American audiences hated the different endings.

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on May 21, 2010, 07:45:36 PM
...Is the problem simply because of gaming's status as the current bete   noire of popular culture? Time was, comics were the whipping boy of the   critical establishment ..
In a word, no.

There have been plenty of awful adaptations of brilliant novels, held in tremendous esteem. Day of the Locust, although I wouldn't say is a terrible film (actually, it's rather interesting and I rather like it) but it certainly isn't a great adaptation. It was a book that everyone in Hollywood wanted to adapt and one that has a reputation as being an 'important' American novel – the film had money behind it and a talented cast, but as an adaptation, not a good 'un.

The reasons an adaptation doesn't work can be many.

Quote from: mobias on May 23, 2010, 06:15:08 PM
....My hat goes off to Rockstar for not caving into massive financial offers from Hollywood to do a GTA movie. You just don't make a movie based on a game which is itself just a huge homage to other movies.
It's been claimed that that the main reason was the rights issue over using the title Grand Theft Auto, as it had already been used for a film.

dr_christian_troy

I'd like to see a Toejam & Earl movie, although I have no idea how they would do it. Not that this has made a difference before.


Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Ignatius_S on June 04, 2010, 03:09:04 PM
It is a Jerry Bruckheimer production – Prince of Persia: The Sands of   Time is the kind of high concept film that he and his deceased partner, Don Simpson, really made their name with. Its failings, I feel probably have more to do with that that the source material medium. It's not setting the world alight critically and has a lot of middling reviews, but a fair bit I've read suggested it's pretty entertaining romp – expectations should be tempered accordingly.
I saw it the other day and this is pretty much bang on. My heart did sink early on when a description of a battle plan is accompanied by some distinctly videogame style camerawork illustrating the objective, but otherwise it's a perfectly enjoyable bit of action blockbuster fun, very much in the Pirates of the Caribbean mould. Both I and the friend I saw it with agreed that any shortcomings had nothing to do with the source material and, in fact, the most nonsensical part of the script doesn't really have a basis in the game.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on June 06, 2010, 06:00:53 PM
I saw it the other day and this is pretty much bang on. My heart did sink early on when a description of a battle plan is accompanied by some distinctly videogame style camerawork illustrating the objective, but otherwise it's a perfectly enjoyable bit of action blockbuster fun, very much in the Pirates of the Caribbean mould. Both I and the friend I saw it with agreed that any shortcomings had nothing to do with the source material and, in fact, the most nonsensical part of the script doesn't really have a basis in the game.
Ah, that's good to know. I was on holiday in the States (well, a state) very recently and the film was being very heavily promoted and although I wasn't expecting much from the look because of Bruckheimer's connection, I thought that hardly art, it should be rather more entertaining (and better) than most game tie-ins.

Santa's Boyfriend

Quote from: Ignatius_S on June 04, 2010, 03:09:04 PM
The reasons an adaptation doesn't work can be many.
It's been claimed that that the main reason was the rights issue over using the title Grand Theft Auto, as it had already been used for a film.

Amusingly, the film Grand Theft Auto was released on DVD a few years ago, and the cover looked a hell of a lot like the Rockstar games...  :-)

Ignatius_S

Has The Legend of Chun-Li - http://uk.rottentomatoes.com/m/street_fighter_the_legend_of_chun_li/ - been mentioned?

Quote from: Santa's Boyfriend on June 08, 2010, 09:16:11 AM
Amusingly, the film Grand Theft Auto was released on DVD a few years ago, and the cover looked a hell of a lot like the Rockstar games...  :-)

All accidental I'm sure!

VegaLA

Capcom have built up such a solid storyline for most of the main characters making a decent true to the game movie should be a breeze.
I hate how they changed the storyline of Chun Li's father in that film, they should have stuck to the Anime movie which came out the same time as the camp movie starring Danni Minogue's sister. Of the two efforts I know which one i'll be watching again soon.
But yeah, TLOCL could have been so much more, and leaves me hungry for a definitive StreetFighter movie.

Mr Colossal

I hadnt even heard about it but this mortal kombat rebirth trailer doing the rounds doesn't actually look half bad y'know...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_MqZn7E-mk



Looks like they've gone all gotham city.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

#41
That looks like it could be trashy fun but, again, giving it all some real world veneer seems completely out of step with the games.

Apparently it's not a proper trailer, but a pitch to drum up interest with investors.

Spiteface

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth  on June 09, 2010, 03:39:18 PM
That looks   like it could be trashy fun but, again, giving it all some real world   veneer seems completely out of step with the games.

  MK was looking like it was always gonna be rebooted.  MK: Armageddon was   planned to be the end of the current MK universe.  I'm definitely intrigued by where this leads.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

I have compiled a short list of computer games that deserve their day on the big screen:

1. Pong
2. SimHealth
3. Great Britain Ltd
4. Antz Racing
5. Lemmings
6. Catz 6
7. PGA Tour 96
8. Blinx The Timesweeper
9. Vanguard Ace
10. Reaction Test

samadriel

Quote from: VegaLA on June 08, 2010, 03:43:21 PM
Capcom have built up such a solid storyline for most of the main characters making a decent true to the game movie should be a breeze.
I hate how they changed the storyline of Chun Li's father in that film, they should have stuck to the Anime movie which came out the same time as the camp movie starring Danni Minogue's sister. Of the two efforts I know which one i'll be watching again soon.
But yeah, TLOCL could have been so much more, and leaves me hungry for a definitive StreetFighter movie.
The Street Fighter story is something you'd piece together from the back of GI Joe boxes, but just make an Enter the Dragon/Bloodsport type thing with some fire FX and "you killed my father" stuff chucked in, and you're set!

El Unicornio, mang

Quote from: Ignatius_S on June 04, 2010, 03:09:04 PM

It's been claimed that that the main reason was the rights issue over using the title Grand Theft Auto, as it had already been used for a film.

That can't be true, as film titles (or titles of anything that use words or phrases that haven't been invented) can't be copyrighted. I could make a film called The Empire Strikes Back and be fine, but if I tried to make one called Return of the Jedi I'd be in trouble as 'Jedi' isn't a real word (as far as I know).

I'd like the next Indy film to be based on the fabulous Fate of Atlantis game, if possible. In fact, any Lucasarts games could work well as films in the right hands.

Santa's Boyfriend

Did anyone play Full Throttle when that came out?  That was an excellent game, and was essentially a movie in which you moved the character from one plot point to the next.  Really well-developed ideas as well, I thought - well thought through but didn't take itself too seriously.

EDIT: Actually is it available for free anywhere?  It'd be fun to play again.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: Santa's Boyfriend on June 11, 2010, 10:19:27 AM
Did anyone play Full Throttle when that came out?  That was an excellent game, and was essentially a movie in which you moved the character from one plot point to the next.  Really well-developed ideas as well, I thought - well thought through but didn't take itself too seriously.

EDIT: Actually is it available for free anywhere?  It'd be fun to play again.

I had it for DOS, but it was a bit old when I got to it, and being about 11, snobby, and not really aware of what the fuck was supposed to be happening in the game, I didn't think much of it as I wasn't familiar with the genre. I was aware it was supposed to be great fun, and wish I could have another go now.

Ignatius_S

I enjoyed DOA, but I had very very low expectations.

Quote from: El Unicornio, mang on June 11, 2010, 04:25:29 AM
That can't be true, as film titles (or titles of anything that use words or phrases that haven't been invented) can't be copyrighted. I could make a film called The Empire Strikes Back and be fine, but if I tried to make one called Return of the Jedi I'd be in trouble as 'Jedi' isn't a real word (as far as I know).

I'd like the next Indy film to be based on the fabulous Fate of Atlantis game, if possible. In fact, any Lucasarts games could work well as films in the right hands.
Well, I did say claim – although I don't think it likely that Rockstar would simply turn down lots of money just for aesthetic reasons, as according to the previous post.

Although you're quite right that you can't normally copyright a title, there are exceptions but these would normally also qualify trademark status. 'Star' and 'Wars' weren't words invented by Lucas and although you could use the phrase 'Star Wars', because it has that protection, you wouldn't be able to it use in the marketing your product.

In the States, companies usually protect their titles using the MPAA's title registration service – whether that film is going to be made or not. As you mention Indy, the following names were registered for the fourth:

Indiana Jones and the City of Gods
Indiana Jones and the Destroyer of Worlds
Indiana Jones and the Fourth Corner of the Earth
Indiana Jones and the Lost City of Gold
Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Covenant
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

With the computer game thing, I've read that Fate of Atlantis was based on a proposed script for one of the films.

Going back to the CTA/title thing, in practical terms, a big studio will always be able to use the title of a film by a small one, but vice versa isn't going to happen. The Ron Howard GTA film was for Corman and it would surprise me if, for sake of argument they did do a film based on the game, that he didn't get anything out of the deal. The film was re-released and tarted up a couple of years or so ago, which might have more of an impact on rights if it was unavailable.

I've dug out the claim I mentioned in case of people are interested - http://www.gameculture.com/2010/02/03/gameculture-exclusive-mark-neveldine-how-gamer-started-gta-movie - there's probably more to it than this, but I suspect that this might have played a part/made it more of a nightmare that it need be. There was something else I read where someone at Rockstar saying, not too long ago, they would be willing to do a film, but they would insist on complete creative control, which is a sticking point.

El Unicornio, mang

Also, there's already been a film (from 1977) and a fairly recent TV series called Grand Theft Auto

Mister Six

Just saw Prince of Persia and it's probably the best video game adaptation of all time, which is to say it's got a comprehensible plot, well-sketched characters and would stand up as its own film if it were completely divorced from the source material. As as film in of itself it's still utterly average, though. If they'd run the script by Joss Whedon or Clement and La Frenais to make the jokes funnier then it could have been a minor classic.

Kermode's remark about video games having a plot but no narrative is nonsense, based around a poorly educated understanding of what video games are actually like these days. It's just unfortunate that they're not choosing the more unusual and interesting properties.

Psychonauts, for example, would make a brilliant kids' movie and already has most of the plot beats down - all it would need is a little bit of restructuring to get rid of the excess characters and you could easily turn it into a rollicking two-hour flick.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Mister Six on June 20, 2010, 12:13:10 PM
Just saw Prince of Persia and it's probably the best video game adaptation of all time, which is to say it's got a comprehensible plot, well-sketched characters and would stand up as its own film if it were completely divorced from the source material. As as film in of itself it's still utterly average, though. If they'd run the script by Joss Whedon or Clement and La Frenais to make the jokes funnier then it could have been a minor classic.
I'd go along with that. It definitely jumped up a notch or two when when Alfred Molina was onscreen.

Quote from: Mister Six on June 20, 2010, 12:13:10 PM
Kermode's remark about video games having a plot but no narrative is nonsense, based around a poorly educated understanding of what video games are actually like these days.
Certainly when he said that in reference to Silent Hill, I got the feeling that he had no idea that games now include cut scenes with acting and such - a level of ignorance which, given his smug dismissal of television, doesn't seem remotely far fetched. However, he revealed in his PoP review that he knows about them now. Again though, this was just use as a stick to beat the film with, because by including scenes of dialogue in between the all the running and fighting, it was just being like a game.

One thing that both amused and annoyed me in the reviews I read was that they all criticised the fact that the dagger was activated by a button, because joypads also have buttons.