The Problem(s) with Video Game Movies

Hollywood has tried (and mostly failed) to adapt a video game to the silver screen several times now…34 times in fact, since 1993. The results have not been promising, ranging from just okay (this year’s Rampage and Tomb Raider) to mediocre (Warcraft, Assassin’s Creed) to just atrocious (Postal, Alone in the Dark). As an enthusiast of both video games and films, I want to explore the factors contributing to the shocking lack of quality in the genre, and what challenges are standing in the way of our first truly great video game adaptation.