Minecraft and other movies based on video games

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Hollywood has tried to cash in on the enormous popularity of video games for around three decades, but almost every attempt has resulted in a major flop... Until, recently!

Image: Warner Bros/ Youtube

The recipe for flops...

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

The New Yorker magazine published a long article explaining the ingredients that tend to make video game adaptations flop... however, they also suggested that starting in 2023, the "curse" may be over. Here's a history of what didn't work... and what did!

Image: thelastofus / Instagram

Cynical attempts to make a buck

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

The video game industry is hugely popular and profitable. But overly cynical attempts to make money do not usually jive with great art and entertainment.

Image: Still from 'Super Mario Bros' (1993)

Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

This was Hollywood’s first major attempt to cash in on the trend. Mario Bros. was an incredibly popular game, and producers were drooling to get into the venture. But there was a big attempt to distance from the 'silly' game, with the tagline even saying: "this aint no game."

Image: Still from 'Super Mario Bros' (1993)

Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

In the film, Mario and Luigi were actually plumbers from Brooklyn. The Princess was an archeology student at NYU. Then, the writers created an incredibly convoluted reason for why the gang ended up in a parallel universe: the mushroom kingdom.

Image: Still from 'Super Mario Bros' (1993)

Mario: 'The worst thing I’ve ever done… I used to play King Lear'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

There was also disdain for the game from the actors. Bob Hoskins, the British actor who played Mario, said he had no clue about the Nintendo game until his kids told him that he was the little guy jumping around. Later, Hoskins said the movie was "the worst thing I ever did… an efing nightmare… I used to play King Lear."

Image: Still from 'Super Mario Bros' (1993)

Faithful to a fault

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

On the flip side, the New Yorker says other Hollywood adaptations respond to that criticism by prioritizing faithfulness to a game without considering how it might translate to film. This can result in contrived inside jokes and nonsensical lore, which can alienate both fans and new viewers.

Image: Still from 'Doom' (2005)

The prime example: Doom (2005)

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

'Doom' was the first-ever first-person shooter video game. In the climax of the film adaptation, starring Dwayne Johnson, for a whole five minutes, all the action even unfolded through the eyes of the protagonist, just like in the game. All the audience sees of the protagonist are his hands and gun.

Image: Still from 'Doom' (2005)

'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

New Yorker writer Alex Barasch described that 'Doom' scene as "dizzying and dull… what felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible to a passive viewer." The film has an impressively low 18% approval rating by critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Image: Doom, CuteFloor, Youtube

Some videogames are already inspired by movies

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Video games can be inspired by movies, so turning a movie into a video game and then back into a movie is like “running text through Google Translate and back: each iteration came out more garbled than the last,” writes Barasch. One example is ‘Halo,’ which was heavily influenced by ‘Aliens.’

Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Interviewees in the article say the video game ‘Tomb Raider’ was little more than a "gender-flipped Indiana Jones." While the 2001 film, starring Angelina Jolie, saw some commercial success, Rotten Tomatoes gives it 20%, saying the plot is "senseless" and with "no emotional impact."

Lack of character development

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Another issue with video game adaptations is the lack of character development. Main characters in video games are often defined by their abilities and objectives, which don’t always translate well to the big screen. Other characters are sometimes just there for players to kill violently.

Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Although the video game-inspired horror flick had enough fans to become a seven-film franchise, critics slammed the first movie (and most that came after). The Rotten Tomatoes consensus is that it’s loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy... and with cliché characters.

Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

The 2021 film was based on the incredibly popular franchise that, at its core, is all about the joy of beating up another player. The Guardian called the adaptation “a late-night drunk watch at best,” and any positive reviews mostly just took joy in the film’s graphic violence.

Image: Still from 'Mortal Kombat' (2021) via WarnerBros

Most video games don't use linear storytelling

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

What most people love about video games is exploring a new world and making choices. But when you translate those ideas to the screen, writers have to flatten the story and make those decisions for the viewers. This can alienate players. Meanwhile, odd plot choices that try to contain everything can confuse newcomers.

Photo: Sam Pak / Unsplash

Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

‘Assassin’s Creed’ is an award-winning open-world game where the player roams around carrying out assassinations in the 12th century. The film adaptation was a critical mess, "arguably better made… than most video game adaptations; unfortunately, the CGI-fueled end result is still a joylessly overplotted slog," according to the Rotten Tomatoes consensus.

HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

The new HBO series ‘The Last of Us’ is based on a hit video game series of the same name. It follows two strangers navigating through a zombie-infested post-apocalyptic America. It is HBO's first-ever stab at a videogame adaptation... and so far, it seems to have broken the curse.

Image: HBO

HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

The series got off to an incredible start. With 4.7 million U.S. viewers watching its debut, it became the second-largest HBO debut since "Boardwalk Empire." Social media, regular media and even watercoolers around the world were abuzz after each episode of the first season.

Image: HBO

'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

What worked here? 'The Last of Us' is a video game that bucked the “open world” trend and is based on linear storytelling, which writers say helped adapt it to the screen. Throughout the season, some scenes from the video game and show are almost identical but others took significant detours.

Image: From HBO

Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

It was also co-written by the game’s creator Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, who is best known for writing the award-winning and much loved ‘Chernobyl’ miniseries.

Image: Chernobyl (2019) HBO/ YouTube

The audience and critics love it!

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

After its first season, it has become a rare example of a show that both critics and audiences love. On Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of critics have had positive things to say, while 89% of the audience reviewers were raving about it. One of the other few shows with similar ratings is HBO's equally bleak 'Chernobyl.' Now, it's second season is one of the most highly anticipated shows on the horizon.

Image: thelastofus / Instagram

"Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

"Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is binge-worthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations." That's the critics' consensus, according to the Rotten Tomato aggregator.

Image: HBO 'THe Last of Us' Trailer/ YouTube

2023: The year everything changed

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Rejoice or despair? Beside’s ‘The Last of Us’ there’s a slew of new video game adaptations in the pipeline. According to the New Yorker, Netflix alone has announced more than a dozen, while Paramount+ released ‘Halo' to positive reviews, though it did get cancelled after two seasons.

A second attempt at a Mario

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ is an animated adventure comedy that premiered in April 2023. It was a box office hit, and while only 59% of critics loved it, 88% of audience members did... with many kids becoming totally obsessed.

Still from the trailer via thesupermariobros.movie

'Fallout'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Another major highlight is the 2024 Amazon Prime TV series 'Fallout' based on the role-playing video game franchise. According to Amazon, 'Fallout' got 65 million viewers in its first 16 days of availability, and was the second most-watched title in the history of the platform after 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.'

'Sonic the Hedgehog 3'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

Another major success was 2024's 'Sonic the Hedgehog,'which critics and audiences believe is by far the best of the trilogy. On Rotten Tomatoes it has 85% positive reviews from critics and 95% from audiences. Wow!

'A Minecraft Movie'

Is the Hollywood curse of terrible video game adaptations over?, The recipe for flops..., Cynical attempts to make a buck, Super Mario Bros (1993)- The first of many disappointments, Losing the plot and dismissing the actual game, Faithful to a fault, The prime example: Doom (2005), 'What felt immersive to a player was borderline illegible', Some videogames are already inspired by movies, Tomb Raider (2001): A gender-flipped Indiana Jones?, Lack of character development, Resident Evil (2002): “Loud, violent, formulaic, and cheesy”, Mortal Kombat (2021): 'A late-night d r u n k watch at best', Most video games don't use linear storytelling, Assassin’s Creed (2016): 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’, HBO's biggest debut since 'House of the Dragon', 'The Last of Us' is a linear story with strong characters, Written by the game's creator and the man behind 'Chernobyl', The audience and critics love it!, "Among the all-time greatest video game adaptations..." so far, 2023: The year everything changed, A second attempt at a Mario, 'Fallout', 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3', 'A Minecraft Movie'

This unexpected remake is also taking the box office by storm despite lukewarm reviews. In the film, four misfits are pulled through a portal into a cubic world that thrives on imagination, having no choice but to master the world while embarking on a quest. Critics are split, but the audience is loving it.

Image: Warner Bros/ Youtube

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