Video games based on movies are nothing new. Studios have been churning them out and cashing in on a film’s popularity. You only need to look at Atari’s widely-criticised ET cash-grab to see the problems. Most games based on films are rush jobs, designed for marketing purposes than for gaming. Now, with the average gamer aged 34-years-old, and a pretty even split between men and women, the trend has reversed, with movies based on games. …And the only thing worse than a poor video game is a poor movie based on one. They offend gamers and movie-goers alike. Here are the absolute worst…
Alone in the Dark
Director Uwe Boll hates you. Yes, you. And me. And all the babies in the world. That’s the only way to explain his grotesquely bad Alone in the Dark. The original survival horror game gets literally none of the respect it deserves in this car crash starring Christian Slater and a power-house performance from Academy Award attendee, Tara Reid.
Super Mario Bros
Ah Super Mario, he’s a colourful chap. Bouncing on the bonces of cartoonish mushrooms, saving Princess Peach… And how much of the game was reflected in the Super Mario Bros. film? None. Too dark for the kids who love the game; too bland for the adults forced to take them. Bob Hoskins, who plays Mario, called it the worst movie of his career. And this is from the guy who starred in Son of the Mask.
Resident Evil
You remember the first time you played Resident Evil on the PlayStation? That creeping dread as you face the unknown, the fear of running out of ammo – truly terrifying! So what better way to depict that on screen by… making it an action movie. The CGI was obviously done by the work-experience kid on his lunch-break. And the plot is only loosely based on the actual game, in as much as they both have people in them.
Street Fighter
Street Fighter is an actual classic of gaming; a landmark right up there with Space Invaders and Pong. And with that kind of heritage and prestige comes the inevitable bad movie. When you think of Street Fighter characters, don’t you just always think of mulleted macho-man Jean Claude-Van Damme and songstress Kylie Minogue? No, us either. Only Raul Julia, who plays supervillain M. Bison, looks like he knows just how bad this film is. And he’s loving every second of hamming it up. Which is precisely as villainous as you wouldn’t want.
But enough of the bad. Next time we’ll look at the best. And in the mean time, whether you’re enjoying games, movies, or movies based on games, you’ll want a great television to watch it on. That’s why we offer an awesome selection of cheap TVs. For more info on our great range of sets, browse our site or contact us on 0121 327 3273 and our friendly, whippet-smart staff will be happy to help.
