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Sonic the Hedgehog
Despite poor reviews , the film adaptation of Sega’s hit platforming series has already made an impressive total of approximately $100m (£77m) worldwide, and $57m (£44m) in the US, beating the record of $54m (£41m) set in 2019 by Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
Starring Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation ) as the voice of Sega’s iconic blue hedgehog, the film represents the first time the character has been brought to the big screen.
Sonic the Hedgehog also features Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr Robotnik, and James Marsden as the benevolent Green Hills sheriff, Tom Wachowski.
Fans had been unsure what to expect from the film, after a tumultuous development process saw the character of Sonic undergo an expensive redesign because people found the first iteration “creepy”.
Show all 10 1 /1010 worst films based on video games, ranked 10 worst films based on video games, ranked 10. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) The film that turned Angelina Jolie into a household name, Tomb Raider took the popular 1996 treasure-hunting action game and gave it a high-octane Hollywood spin. Jon Voight and a pre-Bond Daniel Craig also star in this insipid thriller that places Croft at the heart of a mystical Illuminati conspiracy. Time has not done this film, or its ropey CGI, any favours.
United International Pictures
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 9. Rampage (2018) The largely forgotten arcade-based monster franchise Rampage was the basis for this puerile action blockbuster. In it, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays a primate specialist who must save the city of Chicago from an onslaught of super-sized animal foes; on his side is George, a hulking albino super-gorilla. Skyfall’s Naomie Harris also features in this charmless Godzilla knockoff.
© 2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 8. Warcraft (2016) World of Warcraft was a veritable global sensation: an online multiplayer fantasy game that managed to generate a massive worldwide following. The 2016 film adaptation failed to do it justice, reducing the universe to a clunky tale of man versus orc. It’s a testament to the game’s name recognition and the enthusiastic international market that Warcraft managed to become the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever.
Universal Pictures
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 7. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), this adaptation of the seminal Prince of Persia games features one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s flattest performances, in spite of the extensive physical training the actor undertook for the role. A few swashbuckling action scenes pass muster, but it’s hard to treat this Persia-set fantasy epic as anything other than another game-to-film letdown.
Walt Disney Pictures
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 6. Hitman (2007) Timothy Olyphant played the nameless assassin Agent 47 in this adaptation of the hit stealth game series. With his distinctive appearance (bald head, black suit, red tie) and his silent, inscrutable personality, Agent 47 ticks a lot of boxes for a classic video game protagonist, but he never seems remotely credible – or interesting – on the big screen.
FOX
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 5. Mortal Kombat (1995) Gruesome fighting game Mortal Kombat struck a raw nerve with video game violence activists in the early 1990s, so this tame film adaptation, rated PG13 in the US, took many fans by surprise. The lack of classic Mortal Kombat violence wasn't the only problem, however, as passable martial arts choreography failed to make up for the movie’s vapid storyline and weak performances.
Warner Brothers Pictures
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 4. Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) This live-action adaptation of Sega's classic fast-paced platformer stirred up controversy online when the first trailer dropped, with people claiming the design of the iconic blue hedgehog looked much too creepy. After a hugely expensive redesign, the nifty critter, voiced by Ben Schwartz, looked a lot closer to his familiar game incarnation. Maybe the studio would have been better saving their money; the opening reviews were damning.
Paramount Pictures
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 3. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) Beloved horror game franchise Resident Evil has spawned a whole series of films, all of which are poor, to varying degrees. None are quite so bone-chillingly terrible as Apocalypse, however, which sees Milla Jovovich’s Alice try to escape the worsening zombie plague after the events of the first Resident Evil. And the less said about this film’s racial and sexual politics, the better.
© 2004 Davis Films/Impact (Canada) Inc. and Constantin Film (UK) Limited
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 2. Assassin's Creed (2017) People were intrigued when it was announced that Ubisoft’s narratively ambitious, pseudo-historical Assassin’s Creed series was to be made into a film, with a first-rate cast that included Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard. Even with a glut of talent on screen, however, this film is manically, drastically bad: a convoluted time-travel plot peppered with dismal action set pieces.
Twentieth Century Fox
10 worst films based on video games, ranked 1. Super Mario Bros. (1993) The Citizen Kane of bad video game films, this adaptation of Nintendo's classic platform game almost finished the genre before it began. Despite a talented cast that includes Bob Hoskins and Dennis Hopper, some truly baffling creative decisions – such as the choice to transpose the action from the colourful Mushroom Kingdom to a dank urban dystopia – make this a hideous, unenjoyable mess.
Snap/Rex
In the UK, Sonic has already grossed £4.8m.
The global box office take is especially impressive given that cinemas in China have been closed in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
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