Top 5 Video Game Movies That Don't Suck

While not a direct adaptation of “Final Fantasy VII,” “Advent Children” takes place in the same universe and shares the same continuity of the famous game. In the movie, Cloud and company must defeat a mysterious group who has kidnapped various children. While the plot is downright perplexing for those who never played the game, the character development given to its beloved cast is welcomed, and the animation is stunning. The film’s animation even influenced the director of “Final Fantasy XIII,” who wanted to replicate the film’s cinematic action scenes for the game. While it may alienate new viewers, fans of the game will find more than enough to enjoy here.

Loosely based on the video game of the same name, “Resident Evil” was the movie to kickstart the still-going-strong “Resident Evil” franchise, and is arguably its greatest entry. While it doesn’t take place in the Spencer Mansion, “Resident Evil” honors the basic concept of the game, which is shooting scary zombies in the face. It’s not a masterpiece of a movie by any means, but it makes for solid guilty pleasure entertainment. The action sequences can be quite scary, the acting is totally adequate, and the makeup effects are relatively solid. Compared to what we had in the past, seeing a video game movie with actual production values was a breath of fresh air.

The early “Silent Hill” titles are some of the best survival horror games, so it’s understandable that Hollywood wanted to get their hands on the property. While we didn’t quite get the “Silent Hill” we deserved, it was still an entertaining romp. It certainly has its problems – it’s way too long, and it was convoluted as hell, even for those who played the game. That said, it still provided some good scares, the makeup and costumes were solid, and the visuals were tantalizing. It may not stand up as a great horror movie, but it’s still decent entertainment for fans of the game or for viewers who just want a few acceptable frights.

A “Mortal Kombat” movie really shouldn’t work, what with the game’s colorful characters and paper-thin storyline. That said, “Mortal Kombat” the film was surprisingly… decent. Yes, it’s cheesy, the dialogue and acting aren’t award-worthy, and it significantly toned down the violence. However, it’s still an entertaining guilty pleasure with some relatively solid special effects, art direction, and fight scenes. While most video game movies tend to forego basic filmmaking techniques, “Mortal Kombat” at least tries – its production values are marvelous, and it’s clear that the filmmaker made an effort to bring the game to life. While some aspects fall flat, it tends to succeed more than it fails.

No, not THAT “Street Fighter” movie. This is an anime adaptation of the all-time classic “Street Fighter II,” and it’s arguably the greatest video game movie, if we’re including animation. The animation work on display here is simply astonishing. The action sequences are fluid, and they’re all imaginative and beautiful to behold. It’s also faithful to the game, including essentially every character in some form or another, and unlike many video game adaptations, it stands on its own as a solid anime. Many video game adaptations are either a complete mess or simply cater to its core gaming audience – but “Street Fighter II” is an all-around great anime, adaptation or not.