Back in the day, I wrote about video game films and games converted into movies. With a few sparing exceptions to the rule, video game movies have received poor critical and fan reaction.
The likes of Uwe Boll’s: Alone in the Dark, Far Cry, House of the Dead, Postal and Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil films come to mind as shining examples of how not to make a video game film adaptation. But there are short films that exist, for free on YouTube, and magnify the filmmaker’s passion for the franchise it’s based on.
Allow me to draw your attention to Exhibit A, Half: Life: Escape from City 17. Released in October 2009, Escape from City 17 detailed the events running parallel to Half-Life 2 where the player must escape City 17 but the film asks: What about the citizens?
If you take the time to click the link you will see very advanced production values for a film that was on a $500 budget. The filmmakers, The Purchase Brothers, went through Half-Life 2’s audio and made the guns and enemies sound identical. Barry White, of Citizen Game said that “considering the comparatively [sic] paltry resources […] at [the Purchase Brothers] disposal this short manages to be better than every video game movie currently in existence.”
Exhibit B entails the story of the main character of Assassin’s Creed 2’s father who belongs to a secret society of assassins tasked with maintaining order and fighting the Templars seeking to upset the balance for their own agenda. It is very much in the spirit of the franchise with the elegant combat, the parkour and the historical authenticity. From a film standpoint, Assassin’s Creed: Lineage is a bit convoluted when it comes to the antagonist and the number of characters on display. I think — and I’m not alone apparently — this type of subject matter would be better in a two hour film. But please be the judge for yourself.
The last example came about recently: “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.” “Forward Unto Dawn,” taking place 25 years before the first Halo game, details a trainee that disobeys his superior’s orders at a military academy. If I have only one complaint about it is that it is only painted with Halo rather than integrated into the story. The story could be happening in someone’s backyard and stay the same. Executive Producer Lydia Antonini, said that, “343 [Industries] (Halo 4’s developer) is more than just a tech company; they’re an entertainment company.” The director, Stewart Hendler, said that Microsoft and 343 Industries “were clear in wanting a high-production-value, Hollywood-style thing from the get-go.”
So what works best? Full-featured films with less passionate directors or short films with adoring directors behind them? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Follow me on Twitter @MaroonandGamer or send me an email to shfawcet@asu.edu
