Top 5 Video Games That Were Made Into Movies

The video-game-to-movie pipeline is a well-worn path at this point. For years, Hollywood has attempted to get a piece of the video-game pie, and results have been mixed to say the least. Far too often adaptations come to fruition without an understanding of what made the original game great. There are some exceptions, however. Among admittedly slim-pickings, here are the top video games that were made into movies and broke the video-game movie curse.

Sonic The Hedgehog

Sonic The Hedgehog went through development hell before its early-2020 release. When the first trailer for the movie released, fans immediately panned the design of the iconic blue hedgehog. Paramount reacted almost-instantly, going as far as to redo Sonic’s design in post-production, a move that certainly would cost the studio millions of dollars.

The film itself was positively received, with particular praise saved for Jim Carrey’s performance as Dr. Robotnik. Carrey was able to recapture the wild energy that defined his early career in a film that had just enough for the whole family to enjoy.

The Angry Birds Movie

Yes, you’re reading that right. The Angry Birds Movie. A movie that precisely nobody asked for, a movie that on a conceptual level sounds cynical even for Hollywood. And yet… it’s actually quite good? Released in 2016, The Angry Birds Movie missed the peak of the mobile franchise by a couple of years, after the indie game became a worldwide hit in 2009. Perhaps then this is why the movie works – there was almost no expectation to live up to, with simple game mechanics and next-to-no story giving filmmakers free reign to create whatever they wanted.

With some solid messages for children and more jokes for adults landing than we’d care to admit, there’s something to be said for this bizarre piece of both film and video-game history. The film also has a 2019 sequel, which found even more critical and commercial success. Both are (somehow) worth a watch.

Ratchet & Clank

Did you even know a Ratchet & Clank movie exists? Most people don’t, as the film released to zero-fanfare in 2016, grossing a measly $14.4m at the worldwide box-office. This figure wasn’t helped by tepid-at-best reception from fans and critics. But you know what – we disagree.

Ratchet & Clank takes the admirable route for animated adaptations, and continues to use the series’ voice actors rather than casting celebrity voices. James Arnold Taylor and David Kaye reprise theirs roles as Ratchet and Clank respectively, giving the film a real feeling of authenticity. It also avoids another traditional pitfall of video-game movies – it tells an original story. Too often when adapting directly, there’s simply too much story to fit into a two hour movie, and they often feel cramped as a result.

The film is clearly made with children in mind – but that doesn’t inherently make it bad. Ratchet & Clank taps into the essence of one of gaming’s greatest bromances, and brings it to screen with style.

Uncharted

Uncharted faced plenty of criticism prior to releasing in February of 2022. Most of the criticism was levelled towards the casting, with baby-faced superstar Tom Holland cast as protagonist Nathan Drake. Drake had previously only been portrayed as an almost middle-aged man in the games, and the stark contrast between the two had fans in quite the tizzy.

Ironically, Uncharted became known as a crowd-pleaser, with a divide between fans and critics forming after release. Many critics felt it was generic action schlock, and to some degree, fans agreed. But the Uncharted games are action schlock, with fans feeling the movie was simply living up to it’s game roots. With two of the biggest action stars in the world steering the ship in Holland and Mark Wahlberg, it’s easy to see why fans were drawn to Sony’s adaptation.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

There’s only one option for the top spot here. Pokémon Detective Pikachu is comfortably the best video-game adaptation to ever hit the big screen, telling a completely original story in one of gaming’s most iconic settings.

Backed by the undeniable charm of Ryan Reynolds, Pokémon Detective Pikachu manages to seamlessly weave the series’ heart with an earnest and endearing tale that wears the weird and wonderful world of Pokémon on it’s sleeve. There’s an emphasis on the weird, here (a Rita Ora cameo as a scientist isn’t even in the five weirdest things that happen). But it never shies away from it, and it’s all the better as a result.

We love Pokémon Detective Pikachu as a love-letter to a franchise that means so much to so many. The film stands as the shining example of how to create a video-game movie, and why a genuine love of the source material is the only starting point for filmmakers on the road to success.

What Next For Video Games Movies?

The market for the video-game movie has never been stronger. Plenty of games are taking their stories to television, but Hollywood remains the gold standard for those wanting to adapt their stories for a wider audience. So what are the video game movies that next get a crack at breaking the video-game movie curse?

The most notable film coming up is The Super Mario Bros. Movie. With multiple trailers already released, the Illumination film looks great (borderline-offensive Chris Pratt accent aside). The passion and attention to detail oozes from each frame, with Mario’s world recreated in a level-of-detail never seen before for the franchise. If anyone can capture the world of Mario and Luigi right, it’s the creators of Minions.

Also upcoming is Gears of War at Netflix. It isn’t very ‘cozy-vibes’ of us, but Gears of War has the potential to be a cult-classic for better or for worse. Done right, it could tell a touching story about brotherhood in the face of impossible odds. Done wrong and you’re potentially entering so-bad-it’s-good territory, an Expendables-esque, steroid-fuelled toxic masculinity-fest. A trainwreck you couldn’t look away from. Either way, we’re all in.

Despite being stuck in development hell for almost a decade, we can’t help but hope puzzle-platformer Portal makes it to screens one day. As of last year, seasoned sci-fi director J.J Abrams claimed the film was still in active-development, so hope isn’t lost. The series’ unique concept would make for some incredible visuals, and the comedy focus would surely make Portal a crowd pleaser.

There are plenty more video games that were made into movies than we’ve covered here. Yes, they get a bad rep. But give them a chance. Like we did with The Angry Birds Movie, we’re sure there’s some out there that’ll pleasantly surprise you.