Video game adaptations have brought about some of the most popular blockbuster movies of the last few decades. Some of these movies have been good, some merely okay, and some really quite forgettable, but there is no doubting the power of video games to draw an audience in other mediums like film, television, books, comics and more. Generally speaking, only the top video games draw the attention of the moviemakers, so in this article take a look at some of the famous video games that have been brought to the big screen!
The success of Pokemon in popular culture means there are many people who aren’t aware it began as a fantastic RPG developed by Nintendo. Players ventured around a fantasy world trying to ‘catch ’em all’, and this inspired a television series, many other spin-off games and several brilliant movies. The films have been mostly animated features, but the surprise hit ‘Detective Pikachu’ starred Ryan Reynolds, Bill Nighy, Ken Watanabe and more. The Rob Letterman-directed film was popular even among Pokemon fans, really doing justice to the franchise in a strange and imaginative way, and it is a genuine romp if you’re after a good time.
Wreck-It Ralph is a huge part of the online game arcade world and has appeared in two animated films – one in 2012 and one in 2018. While not based on an old video game title, a game of the same name was released alongside the first film and was available on the Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Wii. With the power of Disney behind them, these games always had a strong chance of living up to the characters. However, the films may have been arguably more popular than the games themselves. Later, a mobile game was also released for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8. While the games might not have been as popular as some of the other best video game franchises in the past, Ralph proved quite a popular character in his two films.
The games started out with a zombie virus that turned out to also produce many other terrifying monsters, starring stalwarts like Chris and Claire Redfield, Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker and more. The emphasis was generally on horror with a touch of action, but the movie series that rose from it really emphasised the action. There were no less than 6 movies in the franchise starting in 2002, all starring Milla Jovovich as Alice with appearances from all the above-named characters from the games. The reception for the films varied, but the franchise is generally liked by action fans. There has even been a 2021 reboot starring Kaya Scodelario titled ‘Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’, focusing more on the horror genre, showing that this is a gaming and movie franchise that is still very much alive.
The concept of the adventuring Lara Croft and her richness as a character made Tomb Raider prime stock for a movie. The first actress to take on the character was Angelina Jolie, with two movies back in the 00s before the game was given a makeover and the 2018 Alicia Vikander-driven movie reboot came about. None of the films has really done justice to what is one of the greatest franchises in video game history, but they are solid action flicks and show the cultural phenomenon that Lara Croft has become.