To Game or to Watch?

June 08, 2010

With the recent release of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (a movie based on a popular video game), I got to thinking.  Are video games like books? People always say that books are better than the movies made from them. Can the same be said for video games? Most patrons of the library consistently feel that a movie can’t encompass all that a book provides in character development, description, and detail. Does this effect lessen when moving from one visual medium to another? It is common practice these days to turn popular video games into mega hit movies. Prince of Persia is only one of many. Past movies like Resident Evil, Pokemon, Hitman, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (all based on video games) did very well at the box office but were generally panned by critics. Were they true to the video games from which they originated? Did the original fans of these games approve or disapprove? Hollywood plans on releasing a movie version of Halo in 2012. I am not an avid gamer but I do know how important these games, especially Halo, are for many people. Are any true fans concerned about the movie? Can a film do the game justice? Or could it only improve upon the game? Prince of Persia was a great action adventure but I felt some of the characters were lacking. In many video games, the characters never actually speak. This critique seems to be quite a common problem among these films mentioned by many critics and fans alike. Can personality issues ever be surmounted in a film based on a video game? Ultimately, how do the fans feel Hollywood has treated the video game? Your thoughts….