Game-based films show Hollywood's desperate side
Many movie genres have seen dark days, but only one genre hasn't seen a single bright day.
Video game movies: not only are they a great example of how Hollywood has been lacking in the creativity department, but they also show how desperate they are to make money in the box office. And it's a mystery why they insist on continuing the trend since none of them contain any substance whatsoever.
Video game films are made for one purpose only: length advertising. These films are often set in motion at the peak of their inspiration's popularity, giving producers the chance to rake in the money.
Recently, there has been talk that Michael Fassbender may star in a movie adaptation of the popular video game franchise Assassin's Creed. Fassbender is a great actor so his casting as the series' lead protagonist Desmond Miles may be the very thing that can break the "video game curse." Then again, there is a long list of movies based on video games that have tried and failed to do just that.
"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (2010)
Prince of Persia was one of the most recent video game films, this one developed by Disney. The result was a somewhat entertaining piece filled with swash-buckling action, but was mainly a B-level action film with uninspired acting and poor dialogue.
"Max Payne" (2008)
"Max Payne" worked out like a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel: it was completely true to its source material and pleased its fans but was no fun for newcomers. If the filmmakers were attempting to attract fans unfamiliar with the source material, presenting a film with clunky action, illogical plotting, sloppy editing and embarrassing dialogue wasn't great way to impress them. Plus, it was "payneful" to see a promising actor from "The Departed" embarrass himself. Between this movie and "The Happening," 2008 was not a great year for Mark Wahlberg.
"Doom" (2005)
Remember this movie. No? Well, it was made back when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was just stepping out of his wrestling shadow and into the start of what would eventually be a successful acting career. But Johnson's action star appeal couldn't save this film from terrible performances all around, gratuitous violence and action sequences that are as impossible to follow as the plot.
"Street Fighter" (1994)
It's one thing for a video game film to contain overly-campy action because Jean-Claude Van Damme has a leading role. It's another thing for filmmakers to put the desire to please the established fan base over presenting something with narrative cohesiveness, character development and an interesting plot. And that is not even what's sad about this film. What's sad about the film is that it was one of actor Raul Julia's final performances before his untimely death.
The films of Uwe Boll
In today's world of terrible video game films, Uwe Boll is king. Not only does he express little professionalism in his work, he also really doesn't have much professionalism as a director. I mean, this is a man who openly calls his harshest critics "retards" and challenged them to boxing matches. He receives such harsh criticisms for a good reason. Watch his movies and you will see why. Here's a list: "House of the Dead," "Alone in the Dark," "Bloodrayne," "Postal," "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale" and "Far Cry."