Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back - Evolution (GUEST Film Review)

Written by my special guest and close friend Joel Coppadge!

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (Film Review)

Alright people, let’s make this clear.  

Ralph Breaks the Internet (Film Review)

No, there are no porn references in Ralph Breaks the Internet.  And no, I do not care for the film either.

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 4 (FINALE): Going Beyond Mere Cameos and References (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 3:

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 3: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Super Smash Bros, and Licensed Cameos (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 2:

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 2: World Building, Level Design, and Strange Thematic Shifts (Film Analysis)

LINK TO PART 1:

A Complete Analysis of Wreck-It Ralph Part 1: The Hypest Trailer (Film Analysis)

On June 6^th, 2012, Disney released its first trailer for Wreck-It Ralph—an upcoming animated feature about a sentient arcade game character who wants to be more than his designated role.  Sounded like the standard Disney story, and it looked that way too…that is until the above scene appeared in the trailer.

5 Reasons to Love the 90s Video Game Film Adaptations

The 1990s was the first decade to bring video games to the big screen, and it failed spectacularly.

Now hold up!  I thought this is about the reasons why I should love the 90s video game films?

Patience, I’m getting there.

There were a total of six video game film adaptations released theatrically throughout May of 1993 to March of 1999: Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and Wing Commander.  Not only were all six films panned by critics, but three of the six ended up being box office bombs.  Fan reactions to the films were polarizing, to say the least.  Mortal Kombat received praise for keeping close to its series storyline and action yet received flak for watering down the iconic gory fatalities.  On the other hand, Super Mario Bros. was near-universally bashed for forgoing its series roots for an entirely different, bizarre experience that bears little resemblance to its source material.

Some shared faults between the films’s creations were uncertainty and half-assed efforts.  Directors were unsure of what they were making and/or who their target audience was, and actors were even more confused about what they had gotten themselves into.  Half the films were cheap cash-ins on the rising video game craze, while the other half were lazy attempts at fanservice.  Even getting the series creator of Wing Commander to direct its film adaptation ended up being a horrible decision—resulting in a generic mess of space clichés, fresh to video games yet old and worn to the cinema.

Wing Commander, however, is the black sheep of the 90s video game adaptations.  The film is everything the other 90s video game adaptations aren’t—a generic, bland trope-fest that’s competently made.  Yeah, Wing Commander is actually a decently-structured story, and here, that’s a bad thing.  For what the other five 90s adaptations share in common are how bizarrely their stories are put together, and how fascinating the results end up.  Yet that’s not all these five features share in common.  They’re comical—whether intentional or not—they each have an actor who gave way more than needed, their villains are memorable, and they are all endearingly cheesy.  No, not all of them are well-made films (some I give a thumbs down to), but flaws withstanding, there are reasons to appreciate and yes, love these five misshapen, misguided attempts at adapting video games into films.

Video Game Film Reviews Directory:

Video Game Film Adaptations:
(Click on Picture to be Directed to Review)

Wing Commander (Film Review)

Director(s): Chris Roberts

Release Date: March 12, 1999

Wing Commander.  Last of the 1990s video game film adaptations.  Unlike the previous adaptations, I knew absolutely nothing about Wing Commander’s video game series.  I didn’t even know it was a video game series until learning about this film.  While there’s nothing wrong going into an adaptation blind (though with adaptations like Mortal Kombat, its best to know the source material) I decided to read up on the series and watch some informative let's plays.  From what I collected, the video game series (at least the early 90s ones) looks really fun and impressive—with clear effort and passion put behind it.  When learning that Wing Commander’s creator also directed its film adaptation, I grew hopeful for a positive experience, followed by my hopes crashing and burning up after seeing the finished product.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (Film Review)

Director(s): John R. Leonetti

Release Date: November 21, 1997

The 1990s video game film adaptations had a habit of ending in a similar way.  The good guys save the day and everything is at peace, yet a looming threat threatens to disrupt such harmony on their next adventure.  Super Mario Bros, Double Dragon, and Street Fighter all end this way, setting up for a theatrical sequel that would never see the light of day.  Mortal Kombat follows the same trend, ending with its victorious protagonists preparing (aka posing) for a sudden new threat.

The only difference here is Mortal Kombat got its sequel.

Mortal Kombat (Film Review)

Director(s): Paul W. S. Anderson
Date Released: August 18, 1995

The film’s CGI has not aged well at all.  Reptile looks especially bad in his creature form and…

…Oh, sorry, is me jumping into the thick of the review without a proper introduction confusing?  Because Mortal Kombat seems to believe that’s the most efficient way to start a film.

Here’s a video game film adaptation that is designed to appeal to the series’s fans, and only them because anyone new to the series will be thoroughly confused throughout.  It’s a film made for those wanting to see their favorite violent characters duke it out on the big screen with all sorts of game references—from the series's kickass theme to signature attacks to iconic phrases like “Flawless Victory” or “Get Over Here!”  Does it succeed at satisfying series fans?  Eh, somewhat.  With certain characters, the film delivers a satisfying recreation and screen time, while other characters get the short end of the stick.  Sometimes the action is fun and engaging, and other times its lackluster and bland.  It all depends on what a fan desires to see.  As a story driven film with characters and development, however, Mortal Kombat fails big time—arguably the messiest video game adaptation made at that point, and that’s including Super Mario Bros.

Street Fighter (Film Review)

Director(s): Steven E. de Souza
Date Released: December 23, 1994 (United States)

Street Fighter released a little over one month after Double Dragon’s poorly received debut.  Like Double Dragon, Street Fighter was most likely created as a cash in on the rising video game craze.  The films even share similarities as video game adaptations, such as both having a wise-cracking, martial arts duo—one of Asian descent and the other Caucasian (though, unlike Double Dragon, Street Fighter's ethnicities are more accurate to their video game counterparts).  Now, I’m not too familiar with Street Fighter’s video game lore, but from what little I do know it’s apparent Street Fighter the film doesn’t stay faithful to its source material aside from names thrown on similar—or not so similar—character designs.  It didn’t come as much surprise then to learn Street Fighter was poorly received by fans of the game, as well as being panned by critics just like Double Dragon and Super Mario Bros. before.

Yet unlike its adapted predecessors, Street Fighter did surprisingly well at the box office—raking in nearly three times its production cost.  This marked the first time a video game film adaptation made a box office profit, but why was that?  Was it because the then popular Jean-Claude Van Damme had a starring role?  Perhaps it was because the film’s action-adventure war setting appealed to a wider audience, as opposed to Double Dragon’s teen-focused angle or Super Mario Bros’ fantasy setting?  These possibilities may have played a part in Street Fighter’s profits, but I like to believe there was another reason for its commercial success—one critics missed and fans were blinded to notice.

Street Fighter is a whole lotta campy fun.

Double Dragon (Film Review)

Director(s): James Yukich
Date Released: November 4, 1994

So, what do you get when you take every 80s to early 90s film craze and cram them into a poorly made adaptation of a beat em’ up video game?

You get a film called Double Dragon.

Super Mario Bros. (Film Review)

Director(s): Rocky Morton & Annabel Jankel
Date Released: May 28, 1993

The Super Mario Bros. film…isn’t that bad.

The Scorch Trials is One, Big Naughty Dog Adaptation (Film Analysis)

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is in every way superior to its predecessor The Maze Runner.  The film is fast-paced, consistently engaging, introduces new, colorful characters with investing dynamics, balances drama with slices of comedic relief, and is chock-full of exciting action within a variety of perilous obstacles.  It’s one of the finest Young Adult film adaptations and a delight to view—yet, believe it or not, The Scorch Trials is also an ideal video game film adaptation.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Film Review)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has been on my radar for quite some time.

The Angry Birds Movie (Quick Review)

You know, I really enjoy angry protagonists.