Why Can’t We Have Good Video Game Movies?
Nintendo’s Cinematic Universe has a chance to reverse a decades old curse that they started.
The relationship between Hollywood and the video game industry bears a remarkable similarity to that of book based movies. Take a franchise with a well-established fan base and create a movie that will bring them into theaters, then hopefully entice non-gamers into purchasing the product.
It’s an easy enough concept on paper, but for years the process has left fans disappointed and mighty AAA video game franchises floundering to regain their momentum.
To date, just one in thirty-two video game movies has above a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, and that’s only after we allow the tangentially related movie Wreck-It Ralph into consideration. Even would-be blockbusters such as Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, and Prince of Persia have escalated hype only to implode as massive commercial failures.
You think public distrust may be at an all time high for the likes of Congress, presidential candidates, and the media, but just try asking gamers what they think of video game based movies.
In a move that seems at least partially inspired by Disney’s recent success in cannibalizing IP’s, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima announced last week that the video game company was looking to self-finance their own movies.
The announcement ends a decades long policy against Nintendo-centric movies and comes during a time in which “movie universes” have become increasingly desirable for their endless profitability.
And while some Nintendo executives are undoubtedly fantasizing about Super Smash Bros: Avengers Edition, history suggests that the company could be headed for a sequel to Super Mario Bros. — their 1993 eyesore of a movie.
Giving a Voice to the Voiceless
Captain America always had a voice. He was loyal to his country, his friends, and willing to do whatever it took to uphold his ideals.
What about Nintendo’s Mario? We know he seems loyal to his country and friends (Mario Party excluded), but beyond that — what motivates the Italian plumber that lives in Mushroom Kingdom?
Addressing how to delicately handle the multitude of silent protagonists is a decision that could haunt Nintendo for years to come. The idea of a voiceless hero makes sense in the video game realm because it doesn’t alienate anyone, allowing gamers to become fully immersed in the pixelated world.
Take the Legend of Zelda series as an example. When playing as the hero, Link, his silence allows us to graft whatever personality traits we want onto him. Cast him in a movie though, and one errant scene where Link hypothetically disses some Goron would completely change the way we think about him.
Granted, some Nintendo franchises will lend themselves better to movies — with the Pokemon universe already proving as much. But automatically assuming fans will respond positively to the personification of characters such as Mario, Samus, and Link is a recipe for disaster.
A Glimpse Into the Future
If there’s any evidence that Nintendo can successfully convert it’s rich collection of characters into a meaningful story, it comes not from the company itself, but from a fan-made work currently residing on Youtube.
A Fox In Space, the brainchild of animator Matthew Gafford, comes after years of tedious work spent animating, voicing, and editing the first twelve minute episode.
For fans of the original Star Fox series, it’s a brilliant homage to a game they grew up with. The series uses a late 70’s/early 80’s animation style to double-down on our nostalgia — a decision that works for a series that has already eclipsed its twentieth anniversary. And while it’s highly likely Nintendo will wield their infamous cease and desist hammer to end this fan work, the show is a testament to what they could accomplish by expanding beyond G-rated territory.
“Kids can handle Pokemon dying but Wolf drinking whiskey crosses the line?”
When it comes to video game movies, Nintendo needs to realize that the key to success lies not with live action, but in animation.
From live-action Pokemon bidding wars to leaked Sony emails with Marvel executives who want to “try and bring back a little plumber” to “use our pipes cleaned” — there are so many things that can and will go wrong if Nintendo carries through on live action interpretations.
Part of what makes this so interesting is that there are a near-infinite number of scenarios on the table for Nintendo. They could carry out the darkest timeline and have Marvel (or Zack Snyder) produce a live-action Master Hand showdown, or just as easily win everything and partner with Studio Ghibli.
Almost all of us want to see another Nintendo movie, but which one are we going to get?
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