Top 20 Worst Movies Based on Video Games

Top 20 Worst Movies Based on Video Games

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Worst Movies Based on Video Games.

For this list, we’ll be looking at films based on games that were panned by audiences and critics alike. We’re excluding straight-to-DVD films, and sticking to major releases only.

Did we miss any of your least favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

#20: “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2010)

In another case of what might have been, “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” had the potential to be a thoroughly enjoyable film. Critic Brian Tallerico summed up our disappointment best, though, writing, quote “Imagine watching someone else play a video game while another guy narrates it.” The characters, despite their decent casting, are stereotypical, the plot is confusing and ridiculous, and the ending is highly predictable. It’s a watchable film, however, so at least there’s that. Coming off the vastly superior “Sands of Time” game, however, it could’ve been so much more.

#19: “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” (2017)

The “Resident Evil” film series contains six entries, none of which were well-received critically. The final film isn’t an exception and they didn’t exactly save best for last. As critic Donald Clarke put it, quote “The film comprises 20 per cent boring plot talk and 80 per cent even more boring action.” The film itself was widely panned for being dull and sloppy while the action often proved too dark to make out. Unfortunately, more than one critic theorized that this would most likely be a never-ending franchise, despite the word “final” in the title.

#18: “DOA: Dead or Alive” (2006)

Making a movie out of an arena fighting game is difficult and “DOA” is a prime example. The games were praised for their environments, gameplay, and impressive graphics. The movie was not... to put it generously. Cited by many critics as an excuse to show hot girls doing martial arts, the film was not much more than that. We suppose watching this on mute would be a good idea... if babes and kung fu are your thing. For anyone who wants something of substance, though, “Dead on Arrival” would’ve been a more appropriate title.

#17: “Need for Speed” (2014)

Racing is fun. Cars are cool. These were the two things that spawned the film adaptation of “Need for Speed.” Making a feature film out of a racing game is essentially about as practical as making one out of a classic board game. Critics were generally displeased with the film, calling it boring and lacking in character development, some going as far as to say the cars are its strongest point. It’s not surprising that a decent movie couldn’t be made out of a “car go fast” video game. On the heels of “Breaking Bad,” Aaron Paul’s big-screen vehicle sadly turned out to be a lemon.

#16: “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life” (2003)

What to do when the first installment of a film gets a lackluster Rotten Tomatoes score? Make a sequel, of course! “The Cradle of Life” wasn’t much of an improvement, which is a shame. The “Tomb Raider” games are beloved by players, and the anticipation for film adaptations was surely high. It’s becoming a bit of a pattern at this point: the characters in “The Cradle of Life” were underdeveloped, leading to a lack of engagement in the plot. Also, Lara Croft literally punches a badly CGI-ed shark in the film. Insert your own “jumping the shark” references here.

#15: “Assassin’s Creed” (2016)

The “Assassin’s Creed” game franchise is massive, rich in history and narrative, and contains many beloved, interesting characters. The film is none of these things. It switches back and forth from past to present (much like the games), yet makes a muddled mess of plots (or non-plots). It is very well-cast, but it seems that the A-list actors were bored and uninvested in the parts. One possible issue is that the film strayed too far from the source material and got lost. The games are so rich and ripe to be farmed, yet nothing other than a couple of nods to the main gameplay staples were seen in the film. And what the heck did you do to the Animus?!

#14: “Max Payne” (2008)

We’ll try to avoid the obvious puns with the movie title here. Another video game adaptation attempt, 2008’s “Max Payne” provided its audience with a painful experience (sorry, it’s too easy). The film was fairly dull, focusing entirely on the visuals rather than the dialogue and acting. Think “Sin City,” but not good. Critic David Hogan went as far as to say the character of Max was better acted in the video game. It’s probably easy to get carried away with visuals in these projects, as players expect to see frequent nods to their favorite games. “Max Payne” did impress with photography and general ambiance, but failed everywhere else.

#13: “Street Fighter” (1994)

Fans of the classic game were not pleased with the multiple character changes in this adaptation. “Street Fighter” the movie is filled with cheesy one-liners, a muddled storyline, and takes way too many liberties with character deviations. We’re talking entire character backstories thrown out and rewritten. One example is that Van Damme’s character is supposed to be quintessentially “All-American.” The issue here is obvious. The film’s one redeeming quality is the late Raul Julia’s over-the-top performance as villain General M. Bison. Despite the campy source material, Julia delivered a professional and theatrically acclaimed performance. The film was his last, unfortunately.

#12: “Silent Hill: Revelation” (2012)

Film critic Marc Savlov, giving the film a 0 out of 5, sums up this film quite nicely: quote “enduring this botched (video game-based) nightmare is like sleepwalking into the world's dullest Halloween party.” The film’s first installment had more than twice the budget of its sequel, and a far less convoluted plot to follow, yet it still didn’t earn high praise. Thus, why not make a sequel and introduce a confusing “cult” subplot? We have a theory. This film and its predecessor did badly because Sean Bean survived both films. In order for a film to be canonized in the Hollywood ranks, should it boast Sean Bean in the cast, Sean Bean must die in the film. It’s a scientific fact.

#11: “Warcraft” (2016)

Though this film was praised for its visual beauty and performances, it was panned for its lack of an interesting plot (we’re beginning to see a pattern here). Fans of the games were awestruck by the scenery and likeness to the general atmosphere of the playable version. The orcs are very well-rendered, and the lands beautifully displayed. But there was room for far more character and story development to be had from the games of origin. What “Warcraft” did have going for it is the fact that those unfamiliar with the games could still enjoy the film. That, however, doesn’t mean they did.

#10: “Doom” (2005)

The “Doom” series has been a staple of gaming since 1993. With a long-running collection of games, you’d think the film would stick to the source material. For example, the creatures in the game “Doom” were simply demons from Hell, and not genetically transformed humans. The wormhole idea is also one of the filmmakers’ and just adds unnecessary complexity to an otherwise simple concept. The film’s one redeeming quality is the first-person shooter sequence - a direct homage to the games. The scene took 3 months of careful planning, and 14 days of shooting. With that much meticulous attention to one scene, perhaps the filmmakers overlooked everything else. The second “Doom” film is lucky it was sent direct-to-video. Otherwise, it’d be another strong contender for this list.

#9: “Hitman: Agent 47” (2015)

2007’s “Hitman” film was a flop, garnering less than 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. So, let’s try again… change up the cast, etc. Aaaand now it’s less than 10%. At least the original film was deemed terrible but watchable. This film was a collage of mindless, trashy action sequences, not to mention a bore. It’s unfortunate because lead actor Rupert Friend did all his homework for the role. He studied more than one fighting style, knife fighting skills, and judo, as well as performed most of his own stunts. It’s a shame the rest of the crew couldn’t put in as dedicated an effort to produce a quality film to compliment Friend’s talents.

#8: “Double Dragon” (1994)

Despite it being in many 90s kids’ memories, Variety’s critic Brian Lowry referred to “Double Dragon” as a quote “high-energy, low-IQ futuristic slugfest.” It depicts the story of two brothers… who share zero resemblance. You know, they were twins in the game, right? The film did feature some decent special effects, but the actors’ performances were really amateurish, the dialogue campy, and the story too simplistic. Another problem is that the director intended it to be for kids, although it was still given a PG-13 rating. Expectations are different in the older audience category. Keep this one in your childhood memories. Don’t watch it now.

#7: “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” (2009)

It seems exceedingly difficult to make a decent “Street Fighter” film. The 2009 film made viewers wish Van Damme had made a sequel. Famed film critic Leonard Maltin claimed that “Legend of Chun-Li” made the original “Street Fighter” film seem like “Citizen Kane.” Oof. Contrary to some of the entries on our list, this film has no redeeming qualities. Even the fight scenes, which are often of primary focus in these movies, are poorly choreographed. As is seemingly custom in the films on our list, the screenplay is also subject to ridicule. If you’re a fan of the “Street Fighter” franchise, stick to the games.

#6: “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” (2008)

Based on the popular “Dungeon Siege” games, this film boasts an abysmal rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Believe it or not, that’s not even the worst score for the notoriously terrible director, Uwe Boll, who typically finances his own films. This film stars Jason Statham as the farmer protagonist and a slew of desperate-for-work actors of 1990s fame. But whom, you may ask, plays the titular king? Why Burt Reynolds, of course! Yes, Burt Reynolds. You’ll regret watching this forgettable, campy pile of garbage. So maybe read a book or something instead.

#5: “Super Mario Bros.” (1993)

Come one, now, you didn’t think we’d leave this one out, right? The “Super Mario Bros.” film is infamously terrible, with a production wrought with hardships, unhappy actors, and inexperienced directors. The studio demanded so many changes in the script that the end result was an almost non-existent plot, flashy nonsensical scenes, and an overall experience that made us wish we were watching the TV show again. The film strays much too far from the game, and is bound to disappoint any Mario-phile. Celebrated thespian Bob Hoskins called it “the worst thing [he] ever did”, claiming that he and John Leguizamo would drink before and during the job in order to endure the torture.

#4: “BloodRayne” (2005)

2006’s “BloodRayne” is another disaster from Uwe Boll, but still somehow not his worst. By this point, it becomes clear that adapting a simple shooter video game to the screen is a bad idea. The fight scenes are basically editing nightmares, with clearly untrained actors being cut and pasted into oblivion. Boll’s decisions are most likely the problem here - the man hired actual prostitutes for one scene to save on money. The standards for this one were obviously quite low. Wait, is that Ben Kingsley?! What are you doing here?

#3: “House of the Dead” (2003)

This film was directed by Uwe Boll… again?! And there’s still one on this list that ranks even higher?! It never ends with this guy! “House of the Dead” doesn’t actually feature any known actors, contrary to some of Boll’s others. It’s a zombie film, with some young, reckless people fighting the undead on an island and a boat. That is all, there is no plot to be had, so fans of actual narrative in films beware. Critic David Keyes claimed that the film made him quote “weeping for the future of the industry.” Honestly, we can’t really expect much from a film based on a Sega arcade game.

#2: “Alone in the Dark” (2005)

This is it, Uwe Boll’s absolute worst video game adaptation. Honestly, we think we’re being generous by only ranking it #2. The film was intended to be released at the same time as Eden Games’ “Alone in the Dark 5.” However, the studio drew back and delayed the release of the game, reworking the entire thing. Hmm… suspicious. No one likes this film. It is a braindead, unintentionally funny mess. The game, at least, had some scary moments. The film is just an empty waste of time. It’s usually a good indication that the film will be subpar when actors you haven’t really seen since the 90s headline the performances, and you say, “oh yeah, that guy.” But still, Christian Slater deserves better than this.

#1: “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” (1997)

The original “Mortal Kombat” film set a fairly low bar for its sequel. But the filmmakers seem to have misunderstood that you need to go above the bar, not win a limbo championship. The original film at least seemed badass - probably mostly due to the theme song. The sequel is… a thing. This film has it all: terrible acting, unnecessary and also inexplicably awful special effects, kicks and punches and punches and kicks. That pretty much sums it up. The franchise was supposed to produce 3 films, but this film was so bad that the third installment was canceled.