Every time a beloved video game gets a film or television adaptation, the curse of game adaptations ported to a different screen is highlighted. But while some attempts to port games to the big screen or small screen have failed, is there really a curse?
It’s true that some attempted adaptations have given video game films a bad name, and critics seem to be rating these adaptations to stricter standards. First to hit the market was the daring live-action Super Mario Bros. since 1993, which has since garnered a cult following, though it was so poorly received that it poisoned the discourse of video game adaptations forever.
Since then there have been over 50 video game adaptations, but the titles to this day still ask if The Last of Us “will break the curse of video game adaptations”. It is difficult to understand what stigma is being referred to, whether in terms of financial gain, critical acclaim or public appreciation. The thing is, “all video game movies are bad” is a very outdated line of logic.
If we’re talking about box office returns on video game movies, how can there be a stigma when the franchise resident Evil by Paul WS Anderson spans 6 films thanks to box office success? Even rounding down, movies by resident Evil grossed $1.2 billion worldwide off a $313 million production budget for Sony, and that doesn’t include physical media sales.
Apocalypse, The extinction, new beginning And Salary opened at No. 1 at the North American box office, with The final chapter generating $314 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. The infection began to spread in 2002, when Anderson’s patient zero, resident Evilgrossed $100 million on a $33 million budget, harking back to the early 2000s for a studio-approved stigma buster.
resident Evil it’s also not the only blockbuster video game film in theaters. The adaptation of Mortal combat Anderson dominated the competition in 1995 with $122 million in earnings for $20 million in production costs. Lara Croft: Tomb RaiderSimon West’s 2001 film harnessed Angelina Jolie’s star power as the titular explorer to raise $274 million. We still have street fighter Steven E. de Souza’s 1999 film, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, which grossed $99 million on a $35 million budget.
So if the curse was about the money being raised, that doesn’t make much sense. Television doesn’t have box office reports, but it does have ratings that measure viewership the same way ticket sales are tracked. Arcane: League of Legends of Netflix has emerged as a surprisingly popular series that has become the No. 1 on Netflix in its first week.
the beloved anime castlevania, also from Netflix, has turned into a sequel series after the great success of four highly regarded original seasons. Streaming platforms have opened the door to television adaptations of video games based on a wide variety of properties. Also, similar cartoons cannot be ignored Sonic, donkey kong, Mario And Connection.
Now, if the metric of the discussion is critical reaction, it is also possible to disprove this curse. Rotten Tomatoes released a recent Tomatometer scale that maps 49 theatrically released video game adaptations with 20 or more reviews and only 5 are considered new. From fifth to first place, you have the movies Sonic: the movieafter Detective Pikachufollowed by Angry Birds 2: The Movie And A wolf among us as video game adaptations with the Certified Fresh seal.
Television animations are often left out of the conversation when it comes to video game adaptations due to stigma. But how can we say The Last of Us can be an unattainable high point like Arcane: League of Legends shocked everyone in 2021 by being heralded as the first major video game adaptation for television? Or acknowledging the successes of various television cartoons of Sonic?
So again, we are creating a stigma based on personal preferences and critical values if we say these are the highest levels of quality. Audiences have long appreciated cinematic retellings deemed “unapproachable” by critics who may not be video game aficionados or horror connoisseurs, putting them in a predisposition to distort the negative.
You may have never loved a video game adaptation in your life, but that doesn’t negate the countless others who have found their success where others are mocked and criticized. fans of prince of Persiaor supporters of silent Hillor supporters of Assassin’s Creed. Personal preference cannot be reported as a generalized fact. Providing incomplete feelings is just lazy clickbait.
Then no. The Last of Us it won’t break the curse of video game adaptations because there’s no stigma to break. The Last of Us it will apparently be a major event that further legitimizes video game adaptations as their highlights evolve.
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Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
