The Best Video Game Movies

Look. I'll be the first to admit that we are still yet to encounter our first 'great' video game movie. Every time a film come out I eagerly buy my ticket and sit in anticipation, wondering if this'll be the one, if this'll be the film that finally proves the cynics wrong.

I'm still waiting.

However, that's not to say that every video game movie that has came out has been terrible. In fact, amongst the growing heap of video game movies that cinephiles sprint away from, there are some genuine gems if you want to look for them. And with a Gears of War movie just announced, and an Assassin's Creed movie on the way, there's no better time than the present to look back upon the troubled, but fruitful history of video game movies.

(in no particular order)

Warcraft (2016)

I will defend this movie to my dying breath. When it came out, it was getting slammed by critics left, right and centre. I honestly was wondering how it could be so terrible. Surely a movie directed by Duncan Jones, the man who directed modern classics like Moon and Source Code couldn't make such a severe blunder?

Well, I was right. At least I think I was. Warcraft is a well tuned, impressive and marvellous moral tale spanning continents, parallel dimensions and every convention of high fantasy you can think of. The CG employed to animate the Orc characters is nothing less of astonishing. Small but lifelike gestures captured down to the minutiae bring these lumbering giants to life. Often, the story lines involving the Orcs are far more interesting than that of the humans.

Warcraft was created from a place of love, and it shows in every frame. I've never played the game personally, but from talking to those that have, each scene holds a delightful easter egg to the wider world of Warcraft. Epic battles, intimate allegories to race relations and character dynamics that shift depending on societal pressures, Warcraft truly didn't get the audience it deserved.

Pokemon: The First Movie (1999)

Ok, I'll be the first to admit that a lot of the Pokemon movies aren't exactly what I'd classify as 'good', however, if any of them are worth watching, then the very first is likely the best contender.

Diverging of the incredibly popular anime, this first movie was an absolute sensation when it was initially released in the West. Poke-fever had thoroughly gripped the pre-teens of the time in it's addictive, cutesy fervor, and the movie capitalised upon everything that made both the games and the base anime brilliant. By focusing on what everyone likes the most, the Pokemon, the film managed to bring a world that no one expected to blow up quite like it did, to the big screen.

Besides, if any of the films that I list here are going to make you cry, then this one certainly well. Oil up those tear ducts, because a major shipment of emotional attachment you didn't know you had to these characters is on it's way. Nobody likes to see a sad Pikachu, least of all me.

Silent Hill (2006)

I was never a massive fan of the original Silent Hill game. It didn't really strike much of a chord with me in terms of horror gameplay, but it did do an amazing job at creating a genuinely terrifying world. The tangible location of Silent Hill is brilliantly realized in the games, and the film has enough sense to tap into that element of the games.

Starring the likes of Sean Bean, when Silent Hill was released in 2006 it was a pretty big deal. After the 90's ended, all we really had in terms of video game movies are dreary, and quite frankly, awful Uwe Boll movies. Silent Hill had major potential, and for some it didn't live up to it, but for many others, the film nailed what was most important to Silent Hill, the terrifying visceral visuals.

There's nothing quite like seeing some of gaming's biggest icons on screen, and I'll never forget the moment I was glued to my seat in the cinema when Pyramid Head made his triumphant appearance on screen. The film nailed the trippy, psychotic visuals, and had a decent enough story to tell while it was there. If you're looking for a horror movie to stick on when a few friends are around, you can't go wrong with Silent Hill.

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

Here's what's important to remember about the Resident Evil movies: They're not to be taken seriously. One day we'll get a video game movie that will be considered true art, this is not that movie. Now, on any other day, I am not the biggest fan of Paul W.S Anderson, however, say what you will about how the man directs his films, if nothing else they're a whole boat load of fun, and Resident Evil: Retribution is no different.

Elevating the B-Movie from being low budget cheese fest to actually being legitimately technically impressive is no easy feat, but the latter Resident Evil films perfect the art in spades. Impressively shot with some action scenes that'll get even the snottiest of film snobs to sit up in their seats, Resident Evil: Retribution harkens back to a time when we didn't have to rigorously analyse films to pass an arbitary judgement.

Resident Evil: Retribution wants you to have fun. And if that's it's only goal, then it did a damned fine job.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Just like Warcraft, I truly believe that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was unjustly slaughtered by the critics. The film, based off the action games set in an interesting Arabic setting, capitalised upon the lush artistic direction that you can take from when it comes to a world such as this.

The film even stars Jake Gyllenhaal who is a brilliant leading man. This films had the star power, and even had some delightful action set pieces which made use of the monster budget that Disney can throw at a film. Mix a high budget action movie with a plot device that involves the manipulation of time travel and you've got yourself some damnded entertaining fight scenes.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time didn't reinvent the wheel. But for what it's worth, I don't think it needed to. The bigger brother of the Prince of Persia franchise, Assassin's Creed, is getting it's own move this December, so we'll soon see whether a second attempt will humour the critics better than before.