The world of cinema and TV has often peeked into the universe of video games and vice versa. The latest TV series based on a successful video game, actually the attempt to bring beloved characters back to the big screen in front of an old coin-op, a console or a PC was born in the nineties. In the beginning it was Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, then came Resident Evil, Tomb Rider and Uncharted.
Mortal Kombat (1995/2021)
It is one of the first film adaptations. Fans went crazy to see the likes of Sub-Zero, the four-armed villainous Goro and Raiden, played by Christopher Lambert, on the big screen. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as violent as the video game. Various sequels and reboots have been released, including a very recent one from 2021 that you can rent on Prime Video.
Lara Croft – Tomb Rider (2001/2018)
It is one of the most loved frenchies, maybe because he plays with a heroine full of curves and action. Angelina Jolie was the first to play Lara Croft. In 2018 it was Alicia Vikander ‘s turn to take on the role of the famous archaeologist, but her character is very detached from the origin of the video game that she held court in the nineties.
Resident Evil (2002)
It is the longest-running film saga based on a video game. Resident Evil has also had good luck on the big screen. There are 6 survival horror titles starring Milla Jovovich as Alice who has to deal with hordes of undead and mutant monsters. In 2022, the series based on the video game also arrived on Netflix.
Max Payne (2008)
It is one of the most successful films, too bad there wasn’t a sequel. Mark Wahlberg plays Detective Max Payne who, after finding his wife and daughter dead at home, decides to investigate their deaths. A vengeance that takes the style of Sin City.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Another game from the nineties made inroads into cinema. Playing one of the sons of the Prince of Persia is Jake Gyllenhaal grappling with a magical dagger that has the power to rewind time. He has the task of protecting it. The film was a great success at the box office. For those who want to dust it off, it’s available on Disney+.
Assassin’s Creed (2016)
We expected much more from a saga that made history, so mythological, full of conspiracies, sects, scientific experiments and a hero (Michael Fassbender) who relives the deeds of an ancestor who died 500 years earlier. In fact, he finds himself reliving the Spanish Inquisition. The action is guaranteed. On Disney+.
Pixels (2015)
Chris Columbus’ film Home Alone pays homage to 80s arcade games such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Tetris, Arkanoid and many others. A team of hardened gamers led by Adam Sandler must avert an invasion of aliens who have the features of the little monsters of old video games.
Warcraft (2016)
It is the most successful film based on a video game, it has grossed over 400 million dollars worldwide, a pity that it has not satisfied many aficionados. The adaptation of the 2004 strategy game by Duncan Jones, director son of Bowie, has divided critics and fans. It took years to hit theatres and the fans were already exhausted. A fantasy was full of special effects, son of the success resulting from The Lord of the Rings, which will probably never have a sequel.
Rampage (2018)
What Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock touches, often turns into gold. This title, which is inspired by the 80s video game of the same name starring the giant ape George, the lizard Lizzie and Wolf Ralph, also becomes a great success, it is the third film based on a video game with the highest grossing ever, almost $430 million.
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (2019)
Another title that brought good luck to the genre. In 2019 comes the film about Pikachu, in the role of a yellow-furred detective who helps a boy find his father, and grossing more than 430 million dollars.
Read more from the source GQ (Italian Edition)
