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features /  game column
editor content by: editor
silent hill - the movie
games: movie adaptations
There’s hope on the horizon.

Will anyone ever make a decent film based on a videogame? During 2005, some of us dared to dream that, after the cinematic splendour of Doom 3, making a good Doom film could be within the realm of possibility. It wasn't, although the Doom film did hold its head above the “adaptation” of Alone In The Dark from Uwe Boll, the man who's determined to violate as many games as possible on the big screen.

This year hasn't started promisingly, with Boll’s latest, BloodRayne, getting a similar critical thumbs down (it got an 8% rating on rottentomatoes.com – which is strangely impressive). The only way we can be safe from Boll’s videogame “adaptations” is for him to stop making them. Sadly, he shows no intention of stopping. Instead, he's churning them out so fast you don't even have time to tear your hair out; during 2006 and 2007 he's threatening us with Dungeon Siege, Far Cry, Hunter: The Reckoning, Postal and Fear Effect movies.


Halo 2 is due to be adapted to cinema by Peter Jackson

Furthermore, Paul WS Anderson, the man who took Resident Evil in the wrong direction for its shiny cinematic excursions, has signed on to direct a Castlevania movie. He's also working on another Resident Evil sequel, Afterlife, although it's likely that he isn't directing. Frankly, I'm not confident about either as Anderson seems intent on going the lowest common denominator route, although, it must be said, with a tad more skill than Boll. Crystal Sky, the production company behind Castlevania, is also making a Tekken movie. And, even more bizarrely, they're also planning a Pac-Man film.

So, is there any hope at all for this genre? Well, just maybe. Although the John Woo videogame connection continues to rumble on, with Woo attached to Spy Hunter, Metroid and even Rainbow Six, more definite for 2006 is the arrival of the Silent Hill movie. It’s directed by Christophe Gans and co-scripted by Pulp Fiction Oscar-winner Roger Avary - taking a break from adapting Bret Easton Ellis - and starring Radha Mitchell and the great Sean Bean. Most exciting of all, however, is the attachment of Peter Jackson to the Halo movie, as executive producer.


The videogame of Jackons' Kong

Jackson is a man who, despite getting overindulgent on King Kong, has been at the heart of giving new credibility to genres previously considered of lesser worth. As he said on Oscar night 2004 after The Return Of The King's triumph, “I'm so honoured that the Academy and its members have seen past the trolls and the wizards and the hobbits, and are recognising fantasy this year.”

Will he and the others taking on Halo (Guillermo “Hellboy” Del Toro possibly directing from Alex Garland's script) be able to create a film that gives a similarly smart, respectful treatment to its origins? After years of abuse from hacks like Boll and Anderson, let’s hope so. As Jackson says of the Halo movie (due 2007), “Hopefully it won't suck.”


Daniel Etherington 19 January 06
 comments
Read members' comments related to this game.
Movie adaptations post 36
comment by Blitzbrieg    Mar 8, 2006
there suposidly....sposodly....supposidly well how ever you spell it there supposed to be going to bring out a halo film.
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Movie adaptations post 35
comment by Dazzard    Feb 10, 2006
...
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Movie adaptations post 34
comment by dOnNy YeN    Feb 10, 2006
tron is cool,, family guy is better though
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Movie adaptations post 33
comment by iPad    Feb 10, 2006
Trons interesting in that it was a movie about computer games, that then had computer game spin offs.

Peter Griffin : "Hey what are you doing at the moment?"

Blue Guy : "I'm the blue guy"

Peter Griffin : "Fancy that! I'm the red"
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Movie adaptations post 32
comment by yanjoh    Feb 9, 2006
Pff, that's youth for you; no interest or respect for the past.

biggrin
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Movie adaptations post 31
comment by The Digital Ninja    Feb 9, 2006
'ok... but who or what is Tron?'

every day you surprise me with yet another inane implication of how very ignorant you are.
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Movie adaptations post 30
comment by iPad    Feb 9, 2006
A security program.
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Movie adaptations post 29
comment by Dazzard    Feb 9, 2006
ok... but who or what is Tron?
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Movie adaptations post 28
comment by iPad    Feb 9, 2006
lets all talk about Tron.
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Movie adaptations post 27
comment by Dazzard    Feb 7, 2006
hey wait a minute... if you go then noone will be here... im off too!!!
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