8 Failed Video Game Movie Adaptations That Deserve Another Try

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is 2026’s first billion-dollar hit, making it clear that video game adaptations are now the most popular they have ever been, which is all the more reason why several video games derserve another shot at success on the big screen. While the best video game movies have been stellar adaptations of popular stories, to date, more have done a disservice to their source material.

Sometimes this takes time to fix. The best Super Mario Bros. movies only came after a legacy of weaker adaptations that differentiated significantly from the games. The 1993 Super Mario Bros. live-action film was unsuccessful, and this is at least partially because it shies away from the iconography established in the video games to instead tell an original story.

Balancing lore and respecting the source material while also making a strong film that works on its own merits is a more challenging task than it might initially seem. Stoking engagement through the interaction of rapid button inputs is a visceral thrill that does not directly translate to the more passive experience of watching a film. Adaptations need thoughtful balance.

Fortunately, Hollywood has become much better at this in recent years. Mortal Kombat II set a Rotten Tomatoes franchise record, and the Sonic the Hedgehog films have only grown more successful and beloved with each installment. Amidst a slew of video game films, from A Minecraft Movie Squared to The Angry Birds Movie 3, these adaptations deserve another shot.

Max Payne

The 2001 video game Max Payne was one of the most exciting third-person shooters of its era and seemed like a natural fit for an adaptation. Unfortunately, the 2008 Max Payne movie failed to live up to its potential, with clunky visuals and a weak script bogging down the unsuccessful film.

The game Max Payne was a neo-noir that contained a great deal of introspection through monologues as the titular character attempted to solve the murder of his family. The game depended on graphic novel-style narration and the use of a bullet-time mechanic that channeled the visuals from The Matrix.

What should have been a natural adaptation was instead taken only as a loose guideline for the Mark Wahlberg-starring film. A new attempt, with updated effects and greater faith in the source material, could become a huge success.

Monster Hunter

A more recent adaptation on this list, Paul W. S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich collaborated once again after the success of their Resident Evil movie franchise on another Capcom video game adaptation. 2020’s Monster Hunter, however, failed to live up to the potential of the games.

While the visuals were often strong and the action was sometimes compelling, the film failed to make a mark at the box office. Worse, the movie added a military component, along with interdimensional travel, which took away from the more grounded fantasy storytelling of the games.

Monster Hunter continues to be effective as a video game, and the potential is there for a great film or series based on the property. With strong monster designs, an adaptation that more effectively embodies the feel of the video game could go on to be a major success.

Silent Hill

Silent Hill has received three films to date, and none of them have been especially effective. Director Christophe Gans, who helmed the first and third films, clearly has a love for the horror game series, but has failed to capture the haunting atmosphere of the series in his films.

Much of what makes Silent Hill so terrifying is the experience of being slowly steeped in its haunting atmosphere. The films in the series, which had other failings in their effects and their scripts, attempted to cram too much in, often making them feel disjointed and not allowing the opportunity to feel the slow terror of the games.

With games like Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall, the world of Silent Hill is continuing to expand. Finding a better way into a smaller part of the story, rather than attempting to capture all of it, could allow for a hauntingly atmospheric adaptation.

Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed has tremendous potential for a brilliant adaptation. The video games explore historical periods through the present-day channeling of ancestral memories, placing characters in settings as diverse and exciting as ancient Rome or the golden age of piracy.

Unfortunately, the 2016 movie spent far too much of its runtime examining the present-day. Michael Fassbender led the film, which spent some time during the Spanish Inquisition, but focused much more on the technological components and how they integrate with the conflict between the Assassins and the Templars.

Another Assassin’s Creed adaptation that has a greater focus on the feeling of the game could still work. Applying a soft Westworld-like edge to incredible period examinations could allow a film or series based on the property to do incredibly well.

Borderlands

Borderlands did not work as a movie, but it could have. The film made a valiant attempt to make something compelling by assembling an ill-suited but still powerful cast, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black. Unfortunately, it failed to tell a compelling and effective story.

The games are much wilder than what was attempted with the film, with irreverent humor and incredible violence. Watering down the adaptation made it feel misdirected, and behind-the-scenes troubles with the production only added to this, resulting in a project that was messy and poorly focused.

The Borderlands games could be well adapted, but this would need to be done by someone who genuinely cares about the source material. While changes are necessary in adaptation, this film went too far, and missed the point of the series.

Far Cry

The Far Cry games are excellent and have the potential to make great films. While the premise of a man surviving in the wild, taking out ruthless villains in an enormous open world is fairly generic, the storytelling drawn from the games and the visuals themselves are atmospheric and strong.

The 2008 movie adaptation, helmed by Citizen Vigilante director Uwe Boll, was a massive failure. Underfunded and poorly executed, the film failed to capture anything that made the video games work, trading in beautiful natural visuals for generic violent action.

A new adaptation of Far Cry could be a massive hit. Channeling John Wick in an island setting, and even capturing some of the shades of adventure seen in Uncharted, the film could connect with a wide audience. Fortunately, a Far Cry show is currently in development at FX, and will hopefully come together soon.

Rampage

Movies like Dwayne Johnson’s Rampage are rare. While the film was not a perfect adaptation of the video game, it is among the strongest movies discussed on this list, telling a mostly generic story about corporate greed wrapped up in the trappings of a Kaiju action movie. Much of this was enjoyable enough.

However, the film failed to capture the sillier feel of the video games. Dating back to 1982, the Rampage games see giant monsters being controlled by players as they storm through a city, destroying buildings and snacking on people. It is absurd and hilarious, with none of this tone being captured in the movie.

Rampage is not a bad film, but an adaptation that better understands the appeal of the games could go a long way. Rather than a surprisingly grounded disaster film, Rampage could use a more faithful and much sillier adaptation.

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy is a vast series of disconnected games telling thrilling original stories. The video games trace back to 1987, when the Warriors of Light embarked on a quest to defeat the Elemental Fiends. Since then, the franchise has told some incredible tales, and many consider Final Fantasy VII to be the best.

The series has received two films, with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within being a major failure. Directed by franchise creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, the 2001 film only had tenuous links to the game series and failed to connect commercially or critically. Another film, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, was better, but still felt more like an extended cutscene.

Final Fantasy could really benefit from another adaptation. Whether that’s making a live-action adaptation of VII, or animating a feature film from Final Fantasy X, or VI, or XII, Final Fantasy has the potential to be a film franchise that competes even with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.