WATCH ALL YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES AND TV SHOWS FOR FREE WITH THE COSMIC CINEMA WHEEL BELOW!
It’s an interesting time to write about video game adaptations, especially in light of the Borderlands disaster. The entire point was …
The post From Laughing Stock to Emmys: The Rise of Video Game Adaptations appeared first on TV Fanatic.
It’s quite the peculiar moment to dive into the world of video game adaptations, especially with the recent fiasco that is Borderlands. Seriously, if you thought Hollywood had turned a corner, think again!
Look, we all remember the dark age of video game movies, where enterprising filmmakers seemingly thought it was a great idea to take beloved games and smash them into a chaotic mess that would leave fans scratching their heads—yes, I’m looking at you, Bob Hoskins’ version of Super Mario Brothers. Fast forward to today, and we’re basking in the success of Amazon Prime’s Fallout, which has racked up 16 award nominations. Not too shabby!
Meanwhile, the Mario film still lives in infamy, endlessly fodder for memes, gifs, and all-around jokes.
Back in the day, it was all about the quick cash grab, with little thought to actually capturing the magic of the source material—quality be damned, right? Today’s Hollywood can’t just throw a big name on a project and hope for the best; audiences are way too smart for that. It’s like trying to sell toothpaste flavored candy to a dentist; they won’t buy it.
Now, just as I was about to celebrate the progress we’ve made in film adaptations, along comes Borderlands to toss a bucket of water on the parade. It’s like that uninvited guest at a party who spills red wine all over your new carpet. Thanks a lot, Borderlands.
But don’t fret—amidst all this chaos, there’s still a lot to celebrate in the realm of adaptations, especially on the small screen.
### The Good Old Days of Video Game Adaptations
By “good old days,” I mean to say the equivalent of rooting for the bathroom wall at a bad motel. We had absolute gems like House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark—all post-2000 masterpieces that make you wonder who was in charge of casting decisions. Prince of Persia didn’t even get the memo on being at least mediocre; let’s talk about Jake Gyllenhaal covering a prince of Persia. I mean, come on!
For those brave enough to have sat through most of the utter trainwrecks from the last two decades, I salute you. It’s like being asked if you want to be verbally waterboarded—it’s painful but memorable.
And sure, with Resident Evil getting countless sequels, you’d think they were trying out a new form of physical therapy with those. But let’s be real, the original Super Mario Bros. is still a benchmark for what not to do in terms of adaptations.
### Hollywood vs. Video Games: An Odd Couple
Here’s the kicker—games and films develop completely differently. The video game world thrives on teamwork. Designers, developers, and artists pull together to create an immersive experience, while movies churn out linear narratives. One’s like a rich, multi-layered lasagna, and the other—a single slice of bland cardboard.
When you think about it, translating an interactive experience into a passive watch is like teaching a cat to fetch. You can give it treats all day, but it’s just gonna stare at you like you’re nuts. This is where adaptations really trip over their own shoelaces!
### Ah-Ha! The Turning Point
Eventually, folks started to figure it out, and we can point to The Witcher as a pretty good example—even though it’s a blend of book and game adaptation. Castlevania, for instance, knocked it out of the park, prompting Netflix to green-light season after season. They all show that episodic formats are just, well, smarter; there’s space to expand on expansive storylines and rich characters.
I mean, let’s talk about Amazon’s Fallout again! What a hit! Dropping new characters into this vast universe has proven a winning strategy. They really managed to avoid the pitfall of awkward cameos that could sour fans.
### But Wait—The Borderlands Situation
And here we are again, with Borderlands showing us what happens when you try to force a round peg into a square hole. I mean, if the 10% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes is any indication, we’ve got another beauty of a disaster on our hands…
Director Eli Roth sums it perfectly when he says he didn’t want to be “too slavish” to the game but instead wanted to create a standalone tale peppered with Easter eggs. Well, kudos for trying, Eli. It’s like admitting you wore the wrong shoes to a marathon but insisting you’re just ‘taking it slow.’
### What’s Next for Video Games on Screen?
On a more optimistic note, let’s applaud shows like Arcane, which crushed expectations and is already gearing up for a second season! Plus, with fallout’s success, Season 2 is already in the works. And an animated Tomb Raider is on the horizon. Can you
){kind=link}