In 1993, the “Super Mario Bros.” movie set a precedent that would echo for years to come, convincing the world that video game movies just couldn’t work. It’s been 30 years since then, and with the improvements in technology and storytelling, one could presume that movies, even ones about games, could become good. With the release of the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” movie in late 2023 and “A Minecraft Movie” last weekend, it’s clear that whatever lesson they should have learned 30 years ago passed them by.
With about 44 video game movies having been released since 1993, and almost all of them being widely considered disappointing, it’s no wonder fans are often pessimistic about new movies being released. The question is, where did these movies go wrong? Why do they keep repeating the same mistakes? Most importantly, what makes a good adaptation?
When looking at video game movies, mistakes are the most noticeable thing. It’s often difficult to transition the ideas from a game into a movie because they are either very different, or very similar.
In this day and age, many video games are simply interactive movies, so making a feature film out of them isn’t reasonable. Games like “Until Dawn” and “The Last of Us” already use well-animated cutscenes to tell a story, so a movie or T.V. adaptation doesn’t make sense.
Video games that aren’t similar to movies are often so far removed that deriving a plot that pays homage can be rough for writers, especially if they aren’t very in touch with the video game and its community. Games are interactive, and the plot often takes a backseat to the gameplay, so turning that plot into a movie can be hard, if not impossible at times.
Getting good writers and having enough time to make a plot that works requires money and an impressive team. Finding a producer or director willing to make a movie about video games knowing the potential bad publicity can be a challenge, and finding one who knows enough about the game to make a faithful adaptation is even harder.
This being said, there are some video game movies that have impressive ratings and are widely considered to be mediocre, or even pretty good. A recent success story is the 2023 animated “Mario” movie.
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” while having mixed reviews among critics, earned an impressive 95% Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, and that’s because it did what a video game movie should do.
Unlike most other video game movies, it stuck to the plot of the game where it could, and was filled with easter eggs for fans, while still making an enjoyable movie for those not initiated. That being said, the massive $100 million budget was a huge help, and because the entire movie was well animated, whether the movie would be a hit wasn’t a question of plot anyway.
The most successful video game movies reward fans not just with easter eggs, but with a movie that feels like a love letter to its source material, not just a shadow of it.
The 2020 movie “Sonic the Hedgehog” had poor advertisements that gave it a rocky start. The final product was impressive and marked the start of a franchise that is ongoing to this day. The movie succeeded because the original game characters were depicted accurately. By properly showing love to the franchise, the Sonic movie succeeded where most video game movies couldn’t.
In contrast, the 2023 movie “Five Nights At Freddy’s” did the exact opposite. While the games were dark and gritty, mysterious and scary, the movie was anything but, barely earning its place in the horror genre. The characters and plot were not even close to its source material, and in a game where storytelling made it what it was, the movie fell short.
Video game movies can be given large budgets and famous voice actors, but throwing money at the problem won't fix it. The movies that succeed do so because there’s a love and respect for what made them, and that’s shown in the movie.
The arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
