@fooflexible - I would agree that development time-constraints are a major factor in movie-games sucking so often. However, the problems caused by that are primarily bugs, under-par graphics, and other mistakes or oversights. That is, when you have less time on a project it usually shows at the end of the development cycle, when the crew is rushing and isn't able to fix all the bugs or add needed polish.
The creative director of these games is an important culprit to point out. If he doesn't take the time and have the inherent skill to look at a movie and say, "This is what's fun in the movie world... how can that be captured and transformed to fit the significantly different medium of a video game?" then it's going to be a bland experience. He really needs to have a personal passion for the project.
Movies are viewed; games are played. Any director who doesn't get this is going to say: "The player is Jack Sparrow... he fights with a sword in the movie. Hmm, the player will need to fight with a sword in the game. Cut. Print." Wait... why does he fight? How? What's his style? How can all this be fun and different from every other sword-fighting game?
But why should the director care: the game's going to sell anyway because Johnny Depp is on the cover. Ah, there's your problem.
"Whenever you find a man who says he doesn't believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later." -C.S. Lewis
"We all make choices... but in the end, our choices... make us." -Andrew Ryan, Bioshock
Prediction: Wii passes 360 in US between July - September 2008. (Wii supply will be the issue to watch, and barring any freak incidents between now and then as well.) - 6/5/08; Wow, came true even earlier. Wii is a monster.
