The Limits of Video Game Movies

It’s been said many times before: video game movies suck. But WHY do they suck? It’s not like there’s no material to work with; it’s usually because a game is popular that a movie is made. While they may fail to satisfy gamers, this isn’t the main reason why these movies fail.

Excluding bad directors and bad ideas, the reasons why video game movies don’t work go beyond production.  These are the biggest reasons, obstacles if you will, that cause them to suck.

The Audience

Video game movies are designed to appeal to one of two audiences: those who have played the game or those who haven’t. Meaning the movie’s story can depend greatly on which audience it’s meant for. Prime examples of this are the Final Fantasy movies. Spirits Within was lousy even to those who never played an FF game, while Advent Children was meant for those who had played FFVII, picking up shortly after the original game, and was generally well-received by FFVII fans (US and Japan). While this may make for a better story, it alienates those who haven’t played the game and thus cuts into the movie’s profits. In other cases, the story or material may often be too “heavy” for those unfamiliar with fantasy (the fantasy-impaired) and some aspects may need to be “dumbed down.” This can ruin a good story. This also applies to comic book movies.

POV

'I'm sorry...sorry we made this movie.'

Movies develop characters so the audience will connect with them, while with video games the main character is either the audience themselves or in their control, leaving players to develop the characters. This is especially true with first-person shooters like Doom (the game), but unlike some other video game movies Doom (the movie) tried to bring a little bit of the game experience to the big screen by offering a segment viewed as a FPS. If they had done the movie entirely from this perspective it might have been better, despite the potential for vomiting in The Blair Witch Project-style (I would have said Cloverfield, but it came out later). Until movies become as interactive and personally incorporating as video games, this experience is something only video games and some theme park rides will be able to offer.

Time

Pay up, 60 Minutes, or you'll never see him again.

The average movie lasts 90 minutes, and in stark contrast, the hours gamers can log can be counted in days (weeks). No time constraints allow games more character development, a more complex story, and a higher level of depth, interaction, and experience than a movie can offer. Even if you take away sidequests, I doubt even (the great) Peter Jackson could do, say, a Legend of Zelda movie even as a trilogy. He could come close, but one whole movie could end up dedicated to just the Water Temple.

A significant portion of Hollywood probably doesn’t understand gamers, gaming, or video games, but as you can see, you can’t blame them for everything that makes video game movies suck.