The words "video game movie" are often synonymous with low quality and low effort. Studios often only make video game movies so they can make money off of the famous name alone and don't have to put that much money and effort into them. Good video game movies are almost nonexistent, but which ones actually defied the odds and were actually good (or at least not bad).
Ratchet & Clank (2016)
The animated film "Ratchet & Clank" is a relatively generic kids film. It doesn't really try as hard as it could in the character and story departments which renders the film mostly forgettable. However, the film does feature some pretty decent computer animation, voice acting, some creative weapons and gadgets, and the films plot does faithfully follow the structure of the games plot. This does, unfortunately, make it feel more like a collection of cutscenes from one of their more recent games than a film, but at least it's of sub-par quality. That may sound like "damning with faint praise" to you, but when it comes to films based on video games you've got to take what you can get.
Street Fighter (1994)
The film "Street Fighter" is a goofy over-the-top film that no one would ever call "high art". The plot plays out like a schlocky action "B movie", the costumes are as silly as their game's counterparts, and the acting is as hammy as it can be. However, these are the qualities that actually make the film more endearing. The filmmakers clearly know that they aren't making a masterpiece and at least decided to have some cheesy fun. One performance, however, stands out among the rest; Raul Julia as the villain M. Bison. Julia plays Bison as an intentionally over-the-top world conquering villain, but he gives the character so much intensity and charisma that you can't help but love him. I would never call "Street Fighter" good, but it is definitely entertaining.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
"Mortal Kombat" is a schlocky film focused around colorful and over-the-top characters fighting to the death in a tournament run by a soul stealing immortal wizard for the fate of the Earth. Mortal Kombat the game is focused around colorful and over-the-top characters fighting to the death in a tournament run by a soul stealing immortal wizard for the fate of the Earth.The film version captures the insane trashiness of the game almost perfectly. Yes the plot is dumb, but it's just as dumb as the game's plot. I know many people don't like that this film doesn't feature the over-the-top blood and gore that was the selling point of the games, but I think that's only a mild flaw in an otherwise pitch perfect adaptation of it's source material. "Mortal Kombat" is a trash film, but it was a trash game as well. Thankfully it's the fun kind of trash.
Rampage (2018)
You might be noticing a pattern on this list. Most of the entries are low budget "B movies" that overcome their bad plots by at least being entertaining. Most are also based on goofy fun video games that don't have a lot of plot to begin with. Rampage was an arcade game that let you play as giant monsters destroying cities like a Japanese Kaiju movie. The only logical place to take that premise is to turn it into an actual Kaiju movie when making the film. The creature design and effects are all top notch for a big budget blockbuster and the fight scenes are all pretty spectacular to watch. There isn't much plot other than the bare minimum to get these big creatures to fight each other, but there is a decent amount of heart between the giant gorilla named George and his zookeeper friend played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It's trash that's elevated by the effects and heart, making it a pretty decent action film.
Detective Pikachu (2019)
"Detective Pikachu" beats the odds by not just being "good for a video game movie", but by being a genuinely good film period. Based on the game of the same name, "Detective Pikachu" fully realises the Pokemon and their universe effectively in live action. The Pokemon are all designed and rendered faithfully to their game counterparts and the film is shot extremely well. The cast does an amazing job as well. Ryan Reynolds has always been known for his quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor, but he also lends a lot of genuine heart to the Detective Pikachu role and has great chemistry with his costar Justice Smith. Justice acts as a great comedy foil to Pikachu but also adds a sense of lingering sadness to his character that lets us sympathize with him. The plot is actually a solid kid-friendly noir mystery (even if the plot can be a little predictable at times because of that). "Detective Pikachu" is one of the only movies that beat the "bad video game movie curse" and exists as a genuinely good film.
