00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for video game films that when
00:11overlooked by critics, audiences or often both, we'll be looking at direct adaptations
00:16of video game stories and films that creatively explore video game culture.
00:30Coming from visionary director Duncan Jones, the film, based on the massively popular Warcraft
00:41franchise, was nothing if not ambitious.
00:44With one of the biggest budgets ever given to a video game adaptation, it was a spectacle
00:48that rivalled similar fantasy epics like the Lord of the Rings trilogy on a purely visual
00:52level.
01:02However, many critics took issue with its script, and despite setting box office records, its
01:07huge price tag meant that it failed to break even financially.
01:10Despite a few issues, its incredible scope, breathtaking worldbuilding and loving attention
01:15to the series' mythology make this one worthy of a second look.
01:31For better or for worse, the craze of films that adapted video game properties started
01:35in earnest with Super Mario Bros.
01:37The film was, to be charitable, loosely based on the game franchise, which was as popular
01:42in the early 90s as it is today.
01:43Aside from character names and a slew of references, it had more in common with Blade Runner than
01:48its source material.
01:53However, it did have a certain charm.
01:57Initially lambasted by Mario fans as well as traditional critics, its truly bizarre plot,
02:02wacky special effects and seemingly unhinged actors have earned it fans over the years.
02:07Despite being such a flop that it scared Nintendo from making further films for decades, it absolutely
02:12earned its spot in the cult classic canon.
02:17As its title suggests, the 1986 arcade game Rampage and its many sequels feature a trio of monsters
02:34wreaking havoc, destroying cities and eating people.
02:37That trio included the giant gorilla George, a lizard monster Lizzie, and a freakishly huge
02:42werewolf creature Ralph.
02:44While the film changed the origins of the kaiju and added sufficient plot, the destruction
02:52and disaster from the games were perfectly represented, thanks in large part to the use of effects.
02:58George is now a protagonist, fighting alongside humans led by a perfectly utilised Dwayne Johnson.
03:03While it may not be high art, neither was the incredibly fun original game, both instead
03:07providing a metric ton of smashing stuff.
03:14Rather than being a direct adaptation of a particular plot from the vast array of Assassin's
03:27Creed games, the film told an original story focusing on a new central character, Kal.
03:31That story fits seamlessly into the overarching plot of the games, with the shadowy organisation
03:37and their conflict with the assassins once again taking centre stage.
03:49As both Kal and his ancestor Iguala, Michael Fassbender anchors the film as it shifts between
03:5415th century Spain and the present day.
03:57Both periods are beautifully realised as Fassbender re-teamed with director Justin Kerzel and cinematographer
04:03Adam Arkaport, who had made one of the most gorgeous films of all time just a year prior
04:07with their adaptation of Macbeth.
04:25Released five years before Super Mario Bros., this little-known film, which never received
04:29a theatrical release in North America, was the first ever feature-length video game film.
04:33Based on the side-scrolling arcade game of the same name, Mirai Ninja followed a cybernetic
04:38ninja in a quest for vengeance.
04:40Falling firmly into the genre of tokusatsu, it combined sci-fi elements with those reminiscent
04:45of feudal Japan, yielding spectacular results.
04:55The film wouldn't be released at all in the West until a VHS dub in 1995, when it was
05:00retitled as Cyber Ninja in the US and Warlord in Canada.
05:05Even today, the film and its piece of video game history remain largely unknown.
05:13With a small budget and a limited release, few saw Werewolves Within.
05:29Even fewer were aware that it was based on a VR game for the PlayStation 4.
05:33Those who did see it were impressed as it quickly set the record for best-reviewed video game
05:36film, based on aggregators Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes.
05:47While the film shifted its setting from medieval Europe to the Pacific Northwest, it retained
05:51the mystery involved, as a group of people attempt to suss out which of them is secretly
05:56a creature of the night.
05:57Like any good mystery, it's full of twists and turns, courtesy of a clever script from
06:01Mishnah Wolf.
06:22Much like the 2013 game that it was primarily based on, the 2018 reboot of the Tomb Raider
06:27film franchise brought a more realistic take to Lara Croft.
06:30A survival thriller set on a mysterious island, the film contained enough gun-toting adventure
06:35in the jungle as well as puzzle-solving to satisfy hardcore fans and newcomers alike.
06:47Alicia Vikander was absolutely shredded for the role, while also providing the title character
06:51with much-needed charm.
06:53However, the film hardly scratched together a net profit, and reviews, while better than
06:57most video game films released to that point, were mixed.
07:01This, along with a right lapse from the studio, killed the planned sequel, with yet another
07:05reboot in its place.
07:24How exactly does one turn a racing simulator with no plot to speak of into a feature-length
07:28film?
07:29The intention was to loosely base it on the real-life events surrounding Jan Mardenborough,
07:34a Gran Turismo player who used his gaming skills to become a professional racecar driver.
07:39The film challenges the perception that gamers are basement-dwelling nerds, presenting Jan
07:43and other gamers as real athletes, fighting for respect and victory in a system that despises
07:48them.
07:55Only receiving a lukewarm critical reception and box office return, the film fizzled out.
07:59Considering its strong direction from Oscar nominee Neil Blomkamp, and strong supporting performances
08:04from David Harbour, Orlando Bloom and Jim O'Nunsu, that's quite a shame.
08:23Faithfully adapting the first entry in the Phoenix Wright series of courtroom drama video games,
08:28right down to the over-the-top hairstyles, Takeshi Miike's adaptation was well-received
08:32in Japan upon release.
08:34However, it's gone largely unknown in North America, as another film that never received
08:38a proper release, and one that was largely ignored altogether by Western critics.
08:52As of writing, it hasn't received enough reviews to even register a score on Rotten Tomatoes.
08:56Those who did manage to see it, however, were rewarded with the same zany antics and twists
09:01that were beloved in the original visual novel.
09:04Even those not immediately familiar with the franchise are sure to find a lot to love in
09:08this off-the-wall legal thriller.
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09:32Silent Hill.
09:39Upon release, Silent Hill received the usual criticisms aimed at both video game adaptations
09:43and horror films, leading to an abysmal reception from critics.
09:47However, even its harshest critics could not deny the incredible visuals alternating between
09:52a foggy, oppressive landscape and absolutely nightmarish scenes.
10:06Much of the film was shot on Super 35 film, helping to add to the grainy, lived-in feeling
10:11of the forgotten town.
10:13Darker scenes were shot digitally, meaning it was never difficult to see.
10:16The sound design was equally unnerving, and often directly lifted from its source material.
10:21Ultimately, many of the criticisms laid against the film by critics, including its less-than-straight-forward
10:26story, oppressive world and bleak and ambiguous ending, are precisely what make the film truly
10:31special.
10:36So, what video game film do you think deserved to level up with audiences and critics?
10:40Let us know in the comments below!
10:48Thanks.
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