My question of today is: "why is it so hard to adapt a video game to a film and keep some of the feeling or at least make it a half way decent experience?"

Granted things have become a lot better in recent future, but there really hasn't been anything reasonably good as far as video game adaptations. I am thankful that Uwe Boll hasnt been doing anything lately, but it still seems like there is room for improvement. It just seems like plenty could be done if story lines were kept intact. Lately I have been playing resident evil 1 (I missed out in my youth) and I am impressed with the cinematic feel of it. I feel Chris and Jill in the Spencer Mansion would have been a perfectly good film.

What do you feel is missing from all the adaptations made so far (as from interactivity)

alternatively, how would you have liked to see films already made be closer to their game counter parts.

Mostly what's missing is a good script or real reason (other than trying to cash in on an existing IP) to make the movie of a videogame in the first place.

Expanding a little:

1 - many games that are made into films are in fact weak rip-offs of films and/or novels in the first place, and therefore make really poor frameworks for a movie

2 - many games, quite naturally, don't have any real narrative or framework to support a film at all, yet that doesn't stop the money men

3 - sad to say, but for the most part game adaptions are being made with low level talent, which is hardly ideal

4 - most of the time the videogame adaption is releasing alongside a market with better films in the same genre, highlighting their weakness

5 - due to the different nature of the two mediums, I'd say trying to keep movie adaptions closer to the games would for the most part be a bad idea


So actually, unless the IP Universe is potentially strong enough, I'd take the view we could do without cash in videogame adaptions. If a film must be made, I'd argue it would be better to discard the game narrative / plot as it will almost certainly be weak, use the game Universe as the setting and start from scratch with a decent scriptwriter.

In the end I say choose the medium that best suits the material. If you're making a game make a great game but don't bend it into a weak film. If you want to make a great film do so, don't try and make a videogame.

Why say all that when you could simply say:  Uwe Boll

Uwe Boll... mainly.

Video Game plots don't translate well to movies. They're either too long with a very linear progression of events, or something like Mario where it's pretty much just A to B with a few boss fights. What's very compelling and fun in a game is boring in a noninteractive medium.

On a related note, George A Romero wrote a script for the Resident Evil movie, that was actually faithful to the game, and then they went with the other guy. I lie awake a night imagining how much better that movie could have been.

It's because video games are not taken seriously as a story telling device by most film makers. Most film makers only take them seriously as a money making device.

That and Uwe Boll.

i think that in a lot of games the experience is different for various players, whereas a movie is pretty linear.. i might complete a game and have my own impression and interpretation of it, and you could play the same game and at the end of it feel something entirely different about it.

other games are pretty much story-less except for the fights, like burgerstein said.

so the consensus here is that video games just aren't very good for narrative to begin with. That may be the case but it seems like video game directors are at least trying. while it is a valid point, to me it seems like the film counter points to the games are even worse than the games themselves. Most likely its a tie in cash cow thing. Not only that, the reverse is also true when there is a game based on a movie.

@burger: personally from what I read, the romero script sounds like it would be have been more interesting to see rather than making just another zombie film

I am hoping the metal gear solid film will be as good as the film but deep down inside I know its not the case especially since they arent using david hayters script.

*can't wait for Prince of Persia* i'l go see it even if it gets dire reviews.

This.  Trying to condense a 30-60 hour video game into 1 1/2 hours of 'action packed amazing acting and graphics'....is nearly impossible.  Heck, hollywood can't even adapt books or even TV series into movies well unless the original writers do the script (and usually directing) themselves.  What makes you think a bunch of hollywood film makers who suddenly obtained the rights to a gaming series they probably played 5 hours of could do better?

All I have to say is, look at the Dragon Ball movie to see the type of 'movie' Hollywood thinks gaming and Anime fans want to see 'adapted'.  And then realize they're trying to do the same thing for Metroid, Metal Gear Solid, Halo and on the Anime side, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell and Naruto.  None of these are going to turn out good....