Video games have been popular for decades now. From the classic "Pong" to the today's shooters like "Call of Duty," video games and consoles have really come a long way. Today's graphics are life-like; it's almost unbelievable how the graphics are made so well and seem so real. Even virtual reality has made a push towards the public, submersing the player into a virtual universe that they could only dream to be a part of. Video games can be compared to books: endless hours of enjoyment, details ranging from big to small and lots of emotions. If you think video games are nothing but heartless killing and shooting, try playing "Kingdom Hearts," "Metal Gear Solid" or even "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask." There are so many emotions built into these games, and they have such amazing storylines.
Most video games are designed to be played for a long time within their campaign/story modes. People do not realize how much work is put into making video games. There are teams in charge of graphics, audio, story-line, character voice-overs and much, much more. For a long time, video games have been made into movies. But how could such a detailed, long storyline be thrown into a movie that will not probably exceed two and a half hours? Is it even plausible to make a video game into a good movie?
Almost everyone knows who the Super Mario Brothers are. However, many people do not know they made a movie! It is best, though, that you did not know, or never attempt to watch it. It is an absolute disaster. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie received a 15% Tomatometer rating, and an average rating of 3.7 out of 10. It is really that bad. Spare yourself the pain, and do not waste almost two hours of your life watching this movie. Here is a trailer for Super Mario Bros for entertainment purposes.
Super Mario Brothers was not the only video game movie to flop. "Mortal Kombat," "Resident Evil" and even the very recent "Warcraft: The Beginning" did not do well. Why and how did the movies crash and burn while the video games did very well? Were the movies made in a period where technology was not good enough to make them look real and similar to the games? Was production rushed without the right staff and production on board, knowing they would make money regardless?
If a video game adaptation wants to do well, the production will need to take time. The creators, writers, designers, everyone in charge will play such a crucial role, the same as when the video game was being made. Good movies, and even good games for that matter, cannot be rushed. I really want to hope that one day, video game movies can be good movies that anyone would want to see. "Metal Gear Solid" would have been a phenomenal movie if it wasn't rushed and was properly staffed. Even though many video game movies have not done well, there is a movie coming out this year that looks promising: "Assassin's Creed." There are multiple video games within the series, and this is the first movie. The games are very action-packed, so it should make for an exciting movie. Here is a trailer: Assassin's Creed.