Summary
- Super Mario Bros. Set the trend for video game adaptations, balancing campy fun with success.
- Lara Croft: Tomb Raider & Prince of Persia were high-grossing & action-packed adaptations.
- Mortal Kombat & Resident Evil brought impressive FX & a nostalgic atmosphere to video game adaptations.
In the early '90s, the first-ever live-action video game adaptation was released in the form of Super Mario Bros., which wisely capitalized on Nintendo's immense success with the Super Mario franchise. It was ridiculously campy, but immensely fun, and kick-started the trend of bringing video games to the big screen. There have been glorious hits and woeful misses, the latter of which contributed to the origin of the "video game curse," and the best of the bunch have since tried to break it.
14 Of The Best Tabletop RPG Video Game Adaptations
Over the years, some tabletop RPGs translated their exciting mechanics into the video game world. Here are some of their best adaptations.
Over the last few decades, some movies have managed to take audiences by surprise and tick off all the boxes for a faithful adaptation. They have since made history as some of the more memorable and enjoyable instances whereby a video game was translated into a fully realized cinematic experience.
8 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Jolie's Croft Does The Character Justice
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- June 15, 2001
- Runtime
- 100 Minutes
- Director
- Simon West
In the early 2000s, Simon West—director of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" music video—took on the demanding task of bringing archaeologist Lara Croft to life for the first time. Angelina Jolie was cast as the titular character, who reprised the role in a sequel, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life.
Although the sequel paled in comparison to its predecessor, Jolie's first outing as Croft became one of the highest-grossing video game adaptations of all time. Despite Lara Croft: Tomb Raider being criticized for a senseless plot and overuse of inconsequential action sequences, fans and critics alike have always praised Jolie for doing Croft justice.
7 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
The Movie Breeds Nostalgia For '90s & 2000s Kids
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- May 19, 2010
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, Steve Toussaint
- Runtime
- 116 Minutes
- Director
- Mike Newell
At the time of its release, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was the highest-grossing video game adaptation, overtaking Pokemon: The First Movie, but it was knocked off its pedestal by Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time almost a decade later. Although it isn't considered groundbreaking by critics' standards, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time became a hit among fans, which solidified its status as an immensely enjoyable swashbuckling adventure.
Many defenders of Prince of Persia were also likely young when they first watched it, so it retains an air of nostalgia, as many projects from the early 2000s and early 2010s often tend to. There may have been some grievances with how certain elements from the game were translated, but audiences still had a blast.
6 Mortal Kombat
Utilized Impressive FX And Stunts Ahead Of Its Time
Mortal Kombat
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- August 18, 1995
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Christophe Lambert, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Talisa Soto, Trevor Goddard, Chris Casamassa, François Petit, Keith Cooke, Tom Woodruff Jr., Gregory McKinney, Steven Ho, Lloyd Kino, Kenneth Edwards, Leo Lee, John Fujioka, Peter Jason, Gerald Okamura, T.J. Storm, Jeff Wolfe, Hakim Alston, Sandy Helberg, Daniel Haggard, Ed Boon
- Runtime
- 101 minutes
- Director
- Paul W. S. Anderson
Paul W. S. Anderson's Mortal Kombat was undoubtedly a relic of its time, cemented as one of the director's more memorable projects alongside the Resident Evil franchise. Many video game adaptations before the 2010s are considered B-movies by definition, as this was before the industry truly found its footing with modern-day special effects.
However, Mortal Kombat stands on its own two feet with impressive FX and stunt coordination for the fight sequences that were well ahead of their time. It's cheesy, but in the best possible way.
5 Resident Evil
An Entertaining Adaptation
Resident Evil
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- March 15, 2002
- Cast
- Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, James Purefoy, Martin Crewes, Colin Salmon
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
- Director
- Paul W. S. Anderson
Resident Evil is another passion project of Anderson's, which places Milla Jovovich's Alice—an original character outside the traditional lore—at the heart of the zombie outbreak orchestrated by Umbrella. Some of the sequels received mixed reviews, but Jovovich's debut as Alice has always been lauded as a genuinely fun and engaging adaptation of Capcom's best-selling franchise.
All in all, Resident Evil successfully captures some of the vibes of the original game, even if it isn't a conventionally "well-made" movie by the industry's standards, and there's always an established space for effortlessly entertaining flicks that allow audiences to switch off their brains for a while.
4 Detective Pikachu
Serves As A Love Letter To The Fanbase
Detective Pikachu
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- May 10, 2019
- Runtime
- 104 minutes
- Director
- Rob Letterman
- Cast
- Ryan Reynolds, Suki Waterhouse, Bill Nighy, Chris Geere, Omar Chaparro, Ken Watanabe, Kadiff Kirwan, Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Rita Ora, Bernardo Santos
As one of the newer Pokemon spin-offs, Detective Pikachu earned a cult following as a Nintendo 3DS release. Four years after it hit the shelves in 2016, it received a live-action adaptation starring none other than Justice Smith as Tim Goodman and Ryan Reynolds as the titular crime-solver. It was the first live-action Pokemon movie, which secured it a special place in the hearts of the community.
Besides that, it's chock-full of references and callbacks to the games, and it feels like a love letter to a fanbase that has been unwaveringly loyal since the '90s. Detective Pikachu doesn't need to try hard to be anything more than it is, which is a faithful action-adventure romp with engaging worldbuilding.
3 Sonic The Hedgehog
A High-Octane Preamble To A Memorable Trilogy
Sonic the Hedgehog
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- February 12, 2020
- Cast
- Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Neal McDonough, Tika Sumpter, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally
- Runtime
- 99 minutes
- Director
- Jeff Fowler
Although it fumbled right out of the starting gate with Sonic's blasphemous design, the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog pulled out all the stops to ensure the fans were satisfied. After an uproar denouncing Sonic's inaccurate appearance, Paramount made amends by taking the feedback and reworking Sonic's final design in time for the movie's release.
It's immediately clear that Sonic the Hedgehog was made with a deep love and respect for the source material, but it's also just a high-octane flick that's bundles of fun for all ages. It serves as a nice preamble for the Sonic trilogy, which also defied expectations by bringing back some memorable characters with top-notch performances.
2 Silent Hill
Nailed Its Atmosphere
Silent Hill
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- April 21, 2006
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates, Tanya Allen
- Runtime
- 127 minutes
- Director
- Christophe Gans
While the opinions on Silent Hill are divisive, the movie captures the vibe of the games to an uncanny degree, succeeding in bringing the world and its inhabitants to life in the most eerily unsettling way possible. Critics found it middling due to its weak plot points, but the atmosphere is nailed so well that some of its transgressions can be forgiven. The monster designs were scarily accurate, particularly Pyramid Head, and the sense of dread that builds throughout truly takes Silent Hill to the next level.
It works as a standalone horror flick as well, since the music, characters, and kills are all reliable in line with the genre's tropes and ideals. Maybe it loses its ties to the Silent Hill lore at times, but it's an all-round solid movie regardless.
1 The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Introduced A New Generation To A Beloved Franchise
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget
- Release Date
- April 5, 2023
- Cast
- Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Charles Martinet, Kevin Michael Richardson, Khary Payton, Rino Romano, John DiMaggio, Jessica DiCicco, Eric Bauza, Scott Menville, Carlos Alazraqui, Jason Broad, Ashly Burch, Rachel Butera, Cathy Cavadini, Will Collyer, Django Craig, Willow Geer, Aaron Hendry
- Runtime
- 93 minutes
- Director
- Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath
A lot of fans can afford to have shameless fun with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, particularly if they are familiar with the many easter eggs hidden throughout. One of the biggest gripes would be the misplaced pop songs during montages, which may have benefited from a remix of the Super Mario theme. First and foremost, it's a kids movie that appeals to kids with its simple story, dialogue, and character arcs.
However, there are enough "remember that" moments to keep the adults thoroughly invested as well. The references and nostalgia bait are the biggest wins, alongside the fact that it introduces a whole new generation to the Super Mario franchise.
The 6 Best Video Game Adaptations, Ranked
Plenty have tried to adapt popular video game series into movies or television shows, but only a handful have been able to find success when doing so.