Movies - Films based on video games

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	Movies - Films based on video games

Films based on video games is a fairly new genre, mainly gaining popularity (to some extent) in the mid-1990s. Movies closely related to the computer and video game industries have been done previously (such as Tron and The Wizard) but only after the release of several movies based on well-known brands has this genre become well known in its own right.

Films based on video games tend to carry with them a reputation of being lower budgeted b-movies and rarely receive the appreciation of either critics or the fans of the games on which they are based. However, a number of films have become successful with general audiences (such as in the case of Mortal Kombat
and Resident Evil
). Deviations from the source material is always inevitable as a strict adaption of a game to the silver screen will often work against the film. However, drastic deviation from the source material has also been known to cause a failure of a video game movie (such as with Super Mario Bros.
).

In Japan, however, video game movies are already much more common due to the popularity of animation, which allows certain games to be adapted more cheaply and faithfully than in live action. Many films and anime OVAs based on popular games such as Final Fantasy, Sonic the Hedgehog and Pokémon have been released this way. The anime adaptations of Street Fighter II are considered by fans to be vastly superior to the live action movie.

Comparison of success of video game film adaptations

Super Mario Bros.
- Failed at the box office and considered by many to be a mediocre movie, though it does have a cult following. A complaint is deviation from the source in conjunction with an excessively dark tone to the film.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $20,915,465

Street Fighter
- Movie failed on one level to find a market amongst more general audiences while having enough deviations from the games to anger fans.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $33,423,521

Double Dragon - Another box office bomb, it has been largely forgotten by audiences.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $2,341,309

Mortal Kombat
- The first movie was well received by fans and was very successful at the box-office. However, the second movie
only did half as well, and is very much hated by fans of both the game and original film.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $70,454,098 (Mortal Kombat), $35,927,406 (Mortal Kombat: Annihilation)

Pokémon - Supported by the successful anime series, the first Pokémon movie is still the highest grossing anime film at the United States Box Office as of 2005.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $85,744,662 (Pokémon: The First Movie), $43,758,684 {Pokémon: The Movie 2000), $1,727,447 {Pokémon 4ever), $746,381 (Pokémon Heroes)

Wing Commander
- Made with a low budget, the film was reviled by fans and was unsuccessful at the box office.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $11,578,059

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
- A flop receiving mixed reactions. It failed, primarily, to appeal to western audiences and thus a let down in expectations was also seen as factor.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $32,131,830

Resident Evil
- Although it carried some fan hatred due to the involvement of Paul W.S. Anderson, it has proven to be a successful franchise with a sequel released
and two more on the way. So far one of the strongest on-going video game film series.

:U.S. Box Office Gross: $40,119,709 (Resident Evil), $51,201,453 (Resident Evil: Apocalypse)

House of the Dead - Intentionally created by Uwe Boll
as an attempt at a cult film, it garnered hostile reaction by fans though it did make money through video sales.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Films based on video games ]

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