10 Best Video Game Movies Of All Time, According To Ranker
When it comes to movies adapted from popular video games, the prevailing wisdom is that very few live up to their potential. For example, the 1993 film version of Super Mario Bros.. is a misrepresentation of what makes the games so exciting, something Nintendo and Illumination will seek to rectify when the new anime Super Mario Bros. the film was released in 2023.
While most video game movies often leave a lot to be desired, Ranker voters feel quite passionate about the creme de la creme, which includes game franchises as big as Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Tomb Raiderand more.
ten Detective Pikachu (2019)
Thanks to the amusing comedic charms of Ryan Reynolds in the title role, Detective Pikachu turned out much better than even fans of the game franchise expected. In what works like a familiar buddy-cop dynamic, the story involves Tim (Justice Smith), a young man searching for his father, a notorious detective. To help him do so, Tim teams up with prankster Detective Pikachu.
With fast pace, engaging action, and a hilarious interaction between Tim and Pikachu, the film honors the spirit of the beloved video game franchise while pushing the material into new territory with an intriguing mix of live action. and facial motion capture technology. .
9 Tomb Raider (2018)
Following in Angelina Jolie’s footsteps, fellow Oscar winner Alicia Vikander did pretty well as Lara Croft in the 2018 reboot of grave robber, one of Vikander’s best films to date. Stripping away the camp and kitsch of the original for a much more serious action affair, the gripping adventure film managed to capture the essence of the popular video game franchise.
Cut from Indiana Jones and Nathan Drake fabric, grave robber is a giant globe-trotting production full of exotic locations, following Croft as she searches for her famous missing father. Norwegian director Roar Uthaug brings his talents as a visceral filmmaker to The wave to really up the dramatic stakes and add a sense of realism that the original film eschewed.
8 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022)
While most review aggregators slightly favor sonic the hedgehog 2 compared to his predecessor, Ranker voters feel the opposite. However, since Sonic 2 only a few weeks old, the numbers could change in due course. The sequel marks the return of the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who brings iconic video game characters Knuckles (Idris Elba) and the Echidna to battle Sonic (Ben Schwartz) and Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey).
Bigger, longer, more action-packed, and featuring a seamless blend of live-action and CGI, the well-received sequel rectified many complaints about Sonic’s image in the original. Thus, a third sonic the hedgehog the film is already in preparation.
7 Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Surpassing his sequel by a notch, sonic the hedgehog is a fun but mediocre video game movie in the eyes of most Ranker voters. The film probably would have done better at the box office, but not for COVID-19, but still holds a special place among fans of the mega-popular Sega game.
After making Earth his permanent home, the blue hedgehog running at supersonic speeds meets Tom (James Marsden), a local town sheriff who helps the adorable mammal thwart the mad scientist’s global takeover of power, Dr. Robotnik. Escape family entertainment at its finest, the game managed to recreate the frenetic, hyperkinetic energy that made games so fun to play.
6 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Just like Alicia Vikander, Angelina Jolie took Lara Croft’s place shortly after winning an Oscar. Co-starring alongside her father Jon Voight, the beautiful international production follows Croft as she travels the world in search of the two halves of an ancient artifact before the Illuminati can find it. Campy, silly, but fun enough nonetheless, the film was favored by gamers over film critics.
Although it failed to resonate with critics, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider became a major box office hit and led to the 2003 sequel with Jolie reprising the role. Most agree, including Ranker, that the sequel is inferior.
5 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005)
The 2005 computer-animated action-adventure Final Fantasy VII: Children of Advent has a ton of backing as one of the most memorable video game movies. Directed by Tetsuya Nomura, the story takes place two years after the events of the RPG Final Fantasy VII, where a trio of mysterious kidnappers begin taking in children with an unknown illness. Grieving himself, Cloud Strife sets out to save the children.
By animating the entire film, Nomura was able to simulate the video game as accurately and with as few limitations as possible, providing a highly immersive and engaging video game experience despite being a passive viewer.
4 Silent Hill (2006)
Written by pulp Fictionby Roger Avary and directed by brotherhood of the wolfby Christophe Gans, silent Hill remains one of the most brooding and ghastly video game movies ever recorded. The simple story follows Rose (Radha Mitchell), a woman desperate to find her adopted daughter in the eerily ashen and fog-shrouded town of Silent Hill after being in a car accident.
Loaded with effective jump scares and psychological unease around every monster-filled corner, silent Hill remains one of the scariest video games around thanks to a visually awe-inspiring recreation of a beloved horror setting that, despite flat dialogue and confusing plot points, remains hugely popular among gamers and fans alike horror movies.
3 Resident Evil (2002)
With Milla Jovovich playing the indelible role of Alice, the original resident Evil The film is the best of the franchise as well as the first horror video game film of all time. The brilliant real-world replica of Raccoon City and its deadly hordes of mutated zombie ghouls is as harrowing and horrifying as the video game adaptations, which is why the film did so well and led to countless sequels.
Much of the film’s appeal comes from the refreshing newness of the premise, which finds Alice waking up with amnesia to battle a mob of enraged zombies in a secret underground bunker. Beyond the premise, the way the film aptly reflects the relentlessly spooky survival gameplay is second to none.
2 Pokemon: The First Movie (1998)
Of all cutscenes Pokemon adjustments, Pokemon: The First Movie is way above the rest. The entertaining revenge story follows Mewtew, a genetically cloned new Pokémon that rises, rebels, and plans to assassinate its creators as if it were Frankenstein’s monster.
After dispatching its creators, Mewtew challenges the world to open a fighting competition to prove world dominance, where Ash, Misty, and Brock prepare to battle Mewtew and uncover a sinister plot. With valuable messages for kids, a nostalgic connection to the original games, and a surprisingly emotional ending, the bizarre ’90s animated film is only surpassed by another video game adaptation.
1 Mortal Kombat (1995)
According to Ranker, the 1995 version of mortal combat remains the best video game movie to date. Also helmed by Paul WS Anderson, that means the English director is responsible for making two of the top three video game movies in history. No wonder he just did Freak Hunter.
While games like street fighter and Dual Dragon tried and failed, mortal combat was able to faithfully honor the mythologies and visual aesthetics of popular fighting games, doing so much more convincingly than the much more expensive 2021 adaptation. Tournament-style fight sequences continue to age like fine wine 30 years later.
