scrappy
Floormaster
- Mar 9, 2011
- 610
I like writing articles sometimes just for the heck of it called Scrappy's Corner. A way for me to get my thoughts down on paper. And since this one is about video game movies I thought I would post it here just to get some opinions on my ideas.
When people talk of possible video game movies they always think of the blockbuster titles: Mass Effect, Halo, Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, Gears of War. Those are just some titles that rumors have arose of possible film adaptations. And while video game movies are often viewed as abominations, most fail simply because the filmmakers aren’t fans who can do the games justice. But that’s not what this Scrappy’s Corner is about. Instead of talking about how I would bring some of the big games to life, I’m going to focus on some lesser know titles which might not be a studio’s first choice for a game-to-film adaptation.
Darksiders:
I’m going to cheat for this first one. When it was released there were rumors of Darksiders having a film adaptation. I haven’t really heard anything since, but I think if handled right the story would make a fine movie. For those who don’t know, Darksiders is similar to Zelda (and other games) in that its very task oriented. Meaning, the game plays around numbered tasks objectives. For example, there are demons in the seven temples you have to kill in order to free the princess. While that makes for a fine game, no movie can survive like that. So instead, a Darksiders film should not be a direct adaptation in that regards but instead keep the same elements that would make it an adrenaline and testosterone filled action/fantasy. The movie should have a badass horseman of the apocolypse, his fiery steed, ruthless angels, cunning demons and Earth as a wasteland. Take some minor story elements, make the film about the main character, don’t get sidetracked with Hollywood BS and Darksiders would be one hell of a flick.
Advent Rising:
For those who have played AR you know where this is coming from. Written by Orson Scott Card, AR has blockbuster trilogy written all over it. In fact, in many regards it might be one of the few games I could see being better in the film medium than as a video game. To put it short, the game was basically Mass Effect before Mass Effect even existed. A space opera placing humanity in the center of an ancient war? Please. It’s a winner. And compared to ME, AR has more emotional and human-centric character arcs and themes. The game was originally planned to be a trilogy and maybe as a movie it will finally see its completion.
Mega Man:
My vision of Mega Man is of an animated tale similar in style and tone to TMNT or Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Behind Mega Man lies a story with the potential to be a serious and heartfelt action/drama. This is one of those where I’m sure some of you might think I’m off my rocker, but hear me out. Mega Man is the story of a regular robot who despite his programming continues to fight and protect those around him. Add in a father creator, the father’s evil rival responsible for a robot takeover and a mysterious badass named ProtoMan and you have the making for an entertaining CGI feature that would rack in 20 times its cost at the box office easy.
Legend of Dragoon:
I’m going to take some creative liberty with LoD and completely change what the story is about. For those who don’t know, LoD is about a fictional Middle Earth type land where humans once waged a huge war with a mystical race called Winglies. The humans won that war with the help of dragons who allowed themselves to be controlled by special humans called Dragoons. Thousands of years later, the Winglies are all but a myth and dragons are thought to be extinct. But some Winglies still live and are planning a takeover. My version? Put it in modern times on Earth. I know what you’re thinking. “Scrappy you’re insane. That’s stupid.” And after seeing Dragon Wars I might agree with you. But LoD has many elements of a great action story and characters. Putting it in a modern skyscraper setting will up the ante. People have seen Middle Earth. Its time to go a little crazy in this super hero and Transformers age.
Saints Row:
At first glance Saints Row might seem like a GTA ripoff, but while playing the game I got drawn in by its focus on a single gang fighting a war on multiple fronts. The characters were in various storylines all at the same time and since the narrative plays out in a non-linear fashion one film came to mind: Pulp Fiction. I picture Saints Row to play out similarly in that the wars The Saints fight with each of the gangs can be spliced into different segments playing non-chronologically. For instance, a character could be seen with an injury early in the movie then later on we can see how he got that injury. Combine that with an ending that culminates with all the separate storylines combining into one and I think Saints Row has the making for a cult classic.
I have a couple I wanted to do but decided to leave them out for next time.
When people talk of possible video game movies they always think of the blockbuster titles: Mass Effect, Halo, Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, Gears of War. Those are just some titles that rumors have arose of possible film adaptations. And while video game movies are often viewed as abominations, most fail simply because the filmmakers aren’t fans who can do the games justice. But that’s not what this Scrappy’s Corner is about. Instead of talking about how I would bring some of the big games to life, I’m going to focus on some lesser know titles which might not be a studio’s first choice for a game-to-film adaptation.
Darksiders:
I’m going to cheat for this first one. When it was released there were rumors of Darksiders having a film adaptation. I haven’t really heard anything since, but I think if handled right the story would make a fine movie. For those who don’t know, Darksiders is similar to Zelda (and other games) in that its very task oriented. Meaning, the game plays around numbered tasks objectives. For example, there are demons in the seven temples you have to kill in order to free the princess. While that makes for a fine game, no movie can survive like that. So instead, a Darksiders film should not be a direct adaptation in that regards but instead keep the same elements that would make it an adrenaline and testosterone filled action/fantasy. The movie should have a badass horseman of the apocolypse, his fiery steed, ruthless angels, cunning demons and Earth as a wasteland. Take some minor story elements, make the film about the main character, don’t get sidetracked with Hollywood BS and Darksiders would be one hell of a flick.
Advent Rising:
For those who have played AR you know where this is coming from. Written by Orson Scott Card, AR has blockbuster trilogy written all over it. In fact, in many regards it might be one of the few games I could see being better in the film medium than as a video game. To put it short, the game was basically Mass Effect before Mass Effect even existed. A space opera placing humanity in the center of an ancient war? Please. It’s a winner. And compared to ME, AR has more emotional and human-centric character arcs and themes. The game was originally planned to be a trilogy and maybe as a movie it will finally see its completion.
Mega Man:
My vision of Mega Man is of an animated tale similar in style and tone to TMNT or Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Behind Mega Man lies a story with the potential to be a serious and heartfelt action/drama. This is one of those where I’m sure some of you might think I’m off my rocker, but hear me out. Mega Man is the story of a regular robot who despite his programming continues to fight and protect those around him. Add in a father creator, the father’s evil rival responsible for a robot takeover and a mysterious badass named ProtoMan and you have the making for an entertaining CGI feature that would rack in 20 times its cost at the box office easy.
Legend of Dragoon:
I’m going to take some creative liberty with LoD and completely change what the story is about. For those who don’t know, LoD is about a fictional Middle Earth type land where humans once waged a huge war with a mystical race called Winglies. The humans won that war with the help of dragons who allowed themselves to be controlled by special humans called Dragoons. Thousands of years later, the Winglies are all but a myth and dragons are thought to be extinct. But some Winglies still live and are planning a takeover. My version? Put it in modern times on Earth. I know what you’re thinking. “Scrappy you’re insane. That’s stupid.” And after seeing Dragon Wars I might agree with you. But LoD has many elements of a great action story and characters. Putting it in a modern skyscraper setting will up the ante. People have seen Middle Earth. Its time to go a little crazy in this super hero and Transformers age.
Saints Row:
At first glance Saints Row might seem like a GTA ripoff, but while playing the game I got drawn in by its focus on a single gang fighting a war on multiple fronts. The characters were in various storylines all at the same time and since the narrative plays out in a non-linear fashion one film came to mind: Pulp Fiction. I picture Saints Row to play out similarly in that the wars The Saints fight with each of the gangs can be spliced into different segments playing non-chronologically. For instance, a character could be seen with an injury early in the movie then later on we can see how he got that injury. Combine that with an ending that culminates with all the separate storylines combining into one and I think Saints Row has the making for a cult classic.
I have a couple I wanted to do but decided to leave them out for next time.
