The Top 10 Worst Video Game Movies

Video Game Movies Are A Geeks Kryptonite.

Hollywood just can’t figure out how to do video game movies. Even the good ones are “good” relatively speaking. Most of the adaptations of our favorite games over the years have left many nerds sobbing in anger long after the credits have rolled. So much so, that even those big-budget flicks like Assassin’s Creed and Prince of Persia are “meh” at best. So, why can’t Hollywood make decent video game movies? To be honest, it’s pretty perplexing, especially because there have been some pretty decent YouTube series based on video games out there. Originally, this list was going to be a “Best of”, but there honestly aren’t 10 good video game movies, so instead this is going to take a hard look at some of the most horrifying adaptations we’ve gotten.

What makes this list different from all the others? Well, I’m tying one hand behind my back and banning Uwe Bol movies from it. So that means no Postal, no Bloodrayne, no House of the Dead, and no Alone in the Dark. The man’s pretty much got a top 10 in his filmography alone, so it didn’t seem fair to actually acknowledge him on any top 10 list at all. Better luck next time, Uwe.

10. Max Payne

I wasn’t going to make a joke about “what a pain it was to watch Max Payne,” but this is a 10 Worst Video Game Movies list, so you knew what you were in for when you clicked the link. The Max Payne video game fancied itself a sort of noir-action tale, so the adaptation ripped off Sin City in its tone and visuals. Somewhere along the line, it was decided the best way to make this neo-noir thriller pop was by forcing demons into the plot. Not even the addition of an A-list actor like Mark Wahlberg could save this piece of garbage. As far as the games go, there weren’t too many supernatural baddies running around. So, this movie definitely took some liberties there.

9. Warcraft

This probably wasn’t the worst of the video game movies ever made, but it was one of the most disappointing. First, I have no idea how you would even go about adapting Warcraft into a film, especially since it’s blown up into one of the biggest MMPO games of all time. The lore is extensive, to say the least, and there are people who have burned their lives away playing these games. The bar was so high that not even a director like Duncan Jones could reach it. Then again, I’ve never played the games and even I thought it sucked. For me, the movie was boring and a lot goofier than awe-inspiring. I can’t imagine how fans of the game must have felt.

8. Hitman: Agent 47

Years ago I would have put the first Hitman on a worst video game movies list. Luckily, this time around Timothy Olyphant gets a pass. Taking his place is Rupert Friend who you might remember from… Hold on, give me a minute… Well, he’s the new Agent 47. Apparently, the movie turned him into some sort of super soldier, which might be true to the lore, but anyone who has played the games knows it would be a lot easier if 47 was a super soldier. The Hitman video games were fairly down to earth with the premise of them. The movie though made Agent 47 so OP that he had to face off against a bulletproof Zachary Quinto just to make things interesting.

7. Need for Speed

How didn’t love Jesse in Breaking Bad? The first big thing for Aaron Paul after the series turned out to be one of the worst video game movies of all time. The thing about making a Need for Speed movie is that it’s already been done and it was called The Fast and The Furious. The adaptation of the game tries to inject a revenge tale into street racing where Paul has to avenge the death of his best friend at the hands of another racer. In other words, in this movie, the revenge for murder is winning a street race. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but then again neither does turning a game that’s only about street racing into a major motion picture.

6. Silent Hill: Revelation

Now, this might not be the popular opinion, but I really liked the first Silent Hill movie. It was dark, with creepy visuals, and a story that made your skin crawl. The sequel… Well, it had Kit Harrington in it. It never lives up to the nightmarish, yet awe-inspiring world the original created though and turns out to be nothing more than a pale imitation. Personally, I felt like it relied too heavily on digital effects when the first Silent Hill used a lot of practical effects combined with CGI to create the nightmarish world the hero had to struggle through. It also felt a little off to continue the story, rather than create new heroes and villains, and let them loose in Silent Hill. Still, I wouldn’t be upset if they tried a third time. You know what they say about third tries.