Video game movie adaptations have long been a challenge for filmmakers, with some adaptations being downright dreadful. From *Super Mario Bros.* to *Max Payne*, the gaming world has seen its fair share of disappointments. Here’s a look at the top 7 worst video game movie adaptations.
1. Super Mario Bros. (1993)
The *Super Mario Bros.* movie is notorious for its bizarre departure from the beloved game franchise. It took liberties with the characters and story, introducing elements that made it nearly unrecognizable from the original game.
Super Mario Bros. is sort of the video game equivalent of 1987’s Master of the Universe, in that it’s a very flimsy adaptation of the source material and spends far too much time on Earth. We’re not sure what offends us more – the ridiculous take on King Koopa and his Goombas or the fact that Mario and Luigi needed gadgets to help them jump and stomp.
2. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
Following the success of the first *Mortal Kombat* movie, *Annihilation* was a major letdown. The rushed production, poor CGI, and overstuffed plot made this a disaster for fans of the franchise.
After a string of bad adaptations, 1995’s Mortal Kombat proved it is possible for a game franchise to survive the transition to the big screen. Sadly, that success was not at all replicated the second time around. Mortal Kombat Annihilation is a colorful train wreck that crams in every character from the games for no other reason than because it can. The CG effects were abysmal even by 1997 standards. At least the late-’90s techno soundtrack still holds up.
3. Wing Commander (1999)
Despite the high-profile cast, including Mark Hamill, *Wing Commander* missed the mark. The movie failed to capture the intensity and excitement of the original game, instead opting for a predictable and underwhelming plot.
Wing Commander must have seemed like a logical game franchise to adapt, given that the PC games were already notable for their use of FMV cutscenes. Yet somewhere between trading series veteran Mark Hamill for Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard and botching the look of the alien Killrathi, Wing Commander completely lost touch with the appeal of the games. What was left amounted to little more than a low-budget bundle of sci-fi tropes.
4. House of the Dead (2003)
Director Uwe Boll’s *House of the Dead* was an attempt to bring the popular zombie arcade game to the screen. However, its low budget and poor execution made it a painfully bad experience.
Director Uwe Boll became synonymous with bad video game movies in the early 2000s, and House of the Dead was the first of many misfires. There’s no doubt a good movie to made out of the games and their combination of violent zombie gore and B-movie cheese. House of the Dead, sadly, didn’t come even close to realizing that potential.
5. BloodRayne (2005)
Another Boll disaster, *BloodRayne* is a mess of terrible acting, a lackluster plot, and over-the-top violence. The film turned a cult game into a forgettable, oversexed vampire story.
2005 may just be the worst year ever for video game movies, as Boll also unleashed BloodRayne upon unsuspecting audiences. There was precious little to salvage here, and we’re still not sure how Boll roped in actors like Ben Kingsley and Michael Madsen for this schlocky, oversexed vampire movie.
6. Max Payne (2008)
On paper, 2008’s Max Payne sounded pretty swell. It adapted a well-liked shooter franchise, featured a bankable star in Mark Wahlberg and combined the stylish gunplay of The Matrix with the visual sensibilities of Sin City. Sadly, a bloated script and lousy acting ensured that Max Payne became yet another adaptation that failed to live up to its potential.
7. Monster Hunter (2020)
Paul W.S. Anderson’s *Monster Hunter* is a slow, confusing adaptation that fails to deliver on the game’s promise. With weak CGI and a muddled plot, it struggles to appeal to both new viewers and fans of the game.
There’s a case to be made for including any of the six (!) Paul W.S. Anderson-directed Resident Evil movies on this list. But we’ll spare that series in favor of spotlighting Anderson’s even more disappointing follow-up project, 2020’s Monster Hunter. This 90-minute film feels at least twice as long thanks to its badly meandering plot, lousy CGI, and an endless series of storytelling snafus. It’s an adaptation that can’t seem to decide if it’s aimed at Monster Hunter newcomers or hardcore series fans, and so it ultimately serves neiter group.
Conclusion
While some video game adaptations have found success, many have failed miserably. These seven films are prime examples of how difficult it is to turn a beloved video game into a successful movie. Let’s hope the future brings better results!
