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Entertainment6 most disappointing film adaptations of iconic video games

6 most disappointing film adaptations of iconic video games

Many film directors have tried adapting video games into movies and have done well—for example, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned over a billion dollars at the global box office. But there have also been instances where filmmakers have miserably failed to turn a game plot into an interesting screenplay. Bad casting choices, poor character development, and an inability to balance drama and action are a few things that left fans disappointed.

House of the Dead (2003)

Director Uwe Boll has carved an unenviable reputation for himself with several underwhelming video game adaptations featuring poorly written characters and plot holes. House of the Dead (2003) remains arguably the director’s most poorly-received effort. The film is based on the arcade game of the same name where players need to shoot down endless hordes of zombies to score points.

Uwe Boll’s House of the Dead tells the story of a group of friends who attend a party on an isolated island, only to discover the place is infested with zombies. Critics and audiences panned almost every aspect of this fast-paced survival drama, from the eardrum-splitting techno score to the caricaturish performances by the cast and the excessive use of slow motion in the action set pieces.

Low point: The film’s poorly thought-out dialogues have been ridiculed by audiences online. For example, when the main antagonist Castillo Sermano captures the lead character Rudolph “Rudy” Curien, the latter asks the former, “You created it all so you could be immortal, why?”, referencing an immortality potion concocted by the villain. Without a hint of levity, Sermano replies, “To live forever.” 

Doom (2005)

Based on a famous First-Person Shooter (FPS) game, Doom starred accomplished actors like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Karl Urban. The movie’s central plot revolves around a team of marines sent to a facility on Mars for a rescue mission. During their quest, the crew, led by Sgt. Asher “Sarge” Mahonin (Johnson) and John “Reaper” Grimm (Urban), must resist attacks from zombies.

The movie adaptation of Doom was heavily criticized for its lack of originality. Critics suggested many plot points, dialogues, and character motivations were based on scenes from iconic extra-terrestrial-themed films like Aliens (1986) and Predator (1987). Audiences were also underwhelmed by the poorly handled exposition and contrived character conflicts. Moreover, the film’s poor lighting made it difficult to follow much of the action on the big screen.

Low point: Sarge’s poor character development was a key reason behind the film’s critical and commercial failure. Towards the end, he turns into a werewolf-like mutant and fights his own crew members.

Alone in the Dark (2005)

Directed by Uwe Boll, Alone in the Dark featured one of the most poorly-received casting decisions of all time: the renowned dramatic actor Christian Slater playing the paranormal investigator Edward Carnby. The film has the dubious distinction of having a Metacritic score of 9 out of 100 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 1%.

Like House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark featured hammy performances, poorly rendered CGI, and slow-motion fight sequences supposedly ripped off from iconic movies such as The Matrix. Critics also panned the poorly handled exposition throughout the film’s runtime. An example is the ten-minute opening backstory scroll of the characters that felt patronizing to the viewers.

Low point: Beyond the opening scroll, which does not contribute much to the film, Carnby’s opening fight scene with a mysterious man, during which both characters use their superhuman abilities, was poorly received.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

The movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider tells the tale of the protagonist Croft, played by Angelina Jolie, who tries to obtain an ancient artifact while competing with a mysterious cabal called the Illuminati. Croft has to stop the artifact known as “The Triangle” from falling into the hands of the Illuminati, who will use it to control time and wreak havoc on mankind.

While this first Tomb Raider movie, featuring Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig, was a financial success, audiences were critical of the over-the-top action scenes and wirework. Some set-pieces and stunts have not aged well two decades after the film’s release.

Low point: The opening fight scene between Croft and a large robot has several unintentionally hilarious moments. Daniel Craig’s American accent in the film was also uneven and subject to some ridicule among critics and audiences.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

The Prince of Persia games have been well-received among the gaming community. Set in ancient and medieval Persia, players navigate the central character, the eponymous Prince, across a series of adventures while fending off adversaries and unlocking treasures. But the film adaptation was a box office disappointment, featuring some of the most questionable casting decisions. Actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, and Alfred Molina were inexplicably cast as local Persian men Dastan, Nizam, and Sheik Amar, respectively. Critics also panned its loud sound design, which featured several ear-splitting scenes involving clashing swords throughout the runtime.

Many years after the release of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Gyllenhaal implied in an interview that opting to sign for this film may have been a creative error. The film received several negative reviews from critics and had a lukewarm response from audiences.

Low point: The poorly rendered CGI was noticeable in many scenes, including the ones where Dastan uses a time-altering dagger to save the world. The dialogues were also incredibly wordy and exposition-heavy.

Assassin’s Creed (2016)

Fans of the iconic Assassin’s Creed game were furious with this middling film adaptation that did not adequately capitalize on the performances of talented actors like Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and Michael K. Williams. The main issue viewers had was that the movie was set in the present time, unlike the games that were set mainly in the past.

Although some action scenes were engaging, the plodding plot and undercooked character development made the film boring for the legions of fans of the action-packed game.

Low point: The dull story and poor pacing of the film meant that audiences ironically sided with the villain Alan Rikkin (played by Irons) when he mouthed cheesy dialogues like, “It is time we purge the world of the Assassin’s Creed.”

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