Ready to raid some tombs? (Photo: USA TODAY/Paramount Pictures)
Video game movies may be Hollywood’s Achilles heel.
The film industry has been churning out adaptations of games like World of Warcraft and Assassin’s Creed for years, but there’s something about turning these popular games into two-hour narratives that almost always fails. The things that often make video games successful — generic characters, simple plots, lots of violence — often make movies dull and frustrating. And yet, filmmakers keep trying, most recently with a new Tomb Raider film and an adaptation of Rampage.
But a few films stand out from the pack. We rounded up the five best video-game films available to rent or stream. And no, we did not include Angry Birds.
If you love Angelina Jolie: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Alicia Vikander did her best in a poorly constructed film in the recent Tomb Raider adaptation, but there’s no replacing Jolie’s version of the character, which became a pop culture touchstone in the early 2000s. Sure, the movie is hammy and the costume is, shall we say, less than practical, but Jolie is a magnetic presence and sells every inch of the two movies.
Stream it on Netflix.
If you want a marathon: The Resident Evil franchise
Milla Jovovich in a scene from “Resident Evil.” (Photo: ROLF KONOW, SCREEN GEMS)
Resident Evil is probably the most successful video game adaptation franchise, spawning six movies (so far) and turning Milla Jovovich into a star. The first of the series feels almost tame compared with the wild heights the later films would reach (in both story and CGI), but it remains one of the best-written video-game films, which is saying something.
Rent or buy them on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.
If you like great martial arts: Mortal Kombat
A scene from “Mortal Kombat” with Robin Show. (Photo: R.E. AARON, NEW LINE CINEMA)
This 1995 film’s biggest strength is in its simplicity. The film doesn’t try to be more than the premise of the game: A group of different fighters battling for the fate of the world. There’s action, great costumes and hokey lines that don’t feel too hokey.
Stream it on Netflix.
If you want to feel like you’re watching a video game: Doom
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Karl Urban in “Doom.” (Photo: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS)
There’s no mistaking this 2005 film for anything but a video-game adaptation. It revels in using aspects of video game storytelling in its visuals, including a scene that feels like a “first-person-shooter” game. It also gets bonus points for being one of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first feature films.
Stream it on Crackle.
If you enjoy the more ridiculous side of the genre: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Jake Gyllenhaal in a scene from the motion picture “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.” (Photo: Andrew Cooper/Disney)
OK, here’s the thing. The Prince of Persia is not a great movie. It also came under criticism for whitewashing the cast. But it does have lush visuals, and it plays less like a video-game adaptation and more like a straight adventure film.
Rent or buy it on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.
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