Which Video Game Adaptation Reigns Supreme? Ranking the Best and Worst in Film and Television

Since A Minecraft Movie released this month, I thought it would be fun to share my thoughts on some video game adaptions. There are quite a few different video game adaptions out there in movies and TV. A lot of them are pretty bad. There was a point that people thought a video game adaption could never be good because of the consistently poor quality. However in the past 5 or so years, these types of movies and TV shows have made a bit of a comeback. So because of that, I wanted to share my thoughts and ranking of many of the video game movies and TV shows that have come out in the past 5 years. I can't say all because there are some that I have not seen. I also included a few movies that came out prior to 2020 as well but it is my list so I can do what I want.

14. Borderlands

Borderlands was easily one of the worst video game movies I have seen. As a point of perspective, I have never played any of the Borderlands games so have no context as to whether the movie is accurate. However, from just a general viewer's perspective, this movie is just not good. The trailers sold this movie as Mad Max meets Guardians of the Galaxy but in reality, it ends up being an incredibly bland version of this. None of the characters have any sort of charm or chemistry with each other. My guess is that the studio decided to throw a bunch of big-name actors into the movie and hoped they could work well together. They did not. That is nothing against any of the actors, they just didn't have much to work with. Several story elements really didn't work especially in the final act which essentially turns into Captain Marvel. While the movie is not good, it is never boring. It isn't the type of movie that is a slog to get through but there still isn't anything about it really worth watching. In the end, this is just a forgettable summer blockbuster that tries to be like Guardians of the Galaxy but ultimately fails.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

13. Knuckles

Knuckles is easily the worst video game TV show I have seen and was overall just a big miss. The show centers around Knuckles as he attempts to find his place in the world. There are some fun elements here. Knuckles as a character has this Drax the Destroyer vibe to him where he takes things too literally that was a lot of fun. We also got more of Wade who was a humorous character in the show. The weird thing about this show is while it is called Knuckles, it is really about Wade and his father's issues. This goes so far to where there are whole episodes that Knuckles is hardly in. If you call a show Knuckles, it should be about Knuckles. I also felt that the show had no driving force to the plot. Many of the episodes meander so much and the finale is just so lackluster and rushed. The final fight was cut away to instead show Wade's bowling match against his Dad. I was hoping this show would be fun but it just didn't have much of anything going for it. Overall, this was a show that had the potential to be entertaining but ended up a huge disappointment.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C

12. Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat is probably one of the more forgettable video game movies I have seen. The ones below on this list are at least memorable because of how bad they are. This film is just kind of meh and doesn't leave much of a taste, good or bad. While I have never played the games, it seems like they included most of the popular characters, except Johnny Cage. I liked that each character had their own little gimmick and fight style. The movie also seems to deliver on the gory action sequences that the game is known for. There were a few choices that were a bit odd about this movie. The movie talks a lot about the Mortal Kombat Tournament but then doesn't actually feature it in the movie. I feel like that is what fans of the games were looking for but it couldn't even deliver that. I also thought it was a bit odd that the movie had the main character be someone not in the games. The games had all of these cool characters and the studio chose to make a new one for the protagonist. In the end, while Mortal Kombat has both some good and bad moments, the overall product is just so mediocre that it's tough to put it very high on any list.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

11. A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie is the newest video game movie I saw and was a lot funnier than I was expecting. Jason Mamoa and Jack Black steal the show in this movie. They are both playing over-the-top stereotypes of themselves and it is really funny. The two had a lot more chemistry together than I was expecting. The movie also does a good job of embracing the Minecraft lore and incorporating it into the storytelling. The movie doesn't feel like a generic blockbuster but is a story catered to Minecraft. The movie has this dumb high-energy humor to it which works well for its target audience of 5-13 year olds. Even so, I felt the movie could have put a bit more effort into things. All of the characters aside from the two above felt pointless and dull. The movie is also very surface-level, opting for more low-brow humor than any sweet or emotional moments. I get that the movie is for kids, but kids' movies can have something for adults too. Take a look at any Pixar movie. Overall, I'm not the target audience for this movie and did have my issues with but any kid who plays Minecraft is going to love this movie.

Score: 6/10 Grade: C+

10. Five Nights at Freddy’s 

Five Nights at Freddy's is a small horror movie streaming on Peacock based on a video game series of the same name. For fans of the video games, it seemed like this movie was a lot of fun. It delivered on the setting and characters from the game and had some solid moments from the game. For someone like me who hasn't played the games, I just thought the movie was okay. I thought the basic premise was interesting as essentially being Chuck E Cheese coming alive and trying to kill people. I also thought it had some solid horror action and some quite terrifying moments. I also thought it was fun to see Josh Hutcherson in something new as he hasn't been in a lot since The Hunger Games. Finally, I thought this movie had a surprising amount of emotion as its core is about the relationship between a man and his little sister. The biggest thing holding this movie back for me is just that it had too much backstory and too many side plots bogging it down. I was there to see killer animatronic action, not custody battles and missing siblings. I also thought that the action was a bit light until the second half. In the end, while it gave the fans some of what they wanted, I thought it was a bit too bogged down with backstory to be truly exciting.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

9. Rampage

Rampage is a Dwayne Johnson junkie action movie loosely based on the video game of the same name. This movie is a typical junk food movie. It doesn't have much in terms of plot or characters but it does have Dwayne Johnson and a gorilla fighting a giant lizard and flying wolf. There are some fun moments between Dwayne Johnson and the Gorilla. They make fun of each other and have a brotherly type of bond. While it is fun, the movie is full of nonsense. Jeffery Dean Morgan has a pretty bad Southern accent. There isn't too much to say about this movie as there isn't much substance to it at all. It has also been a while since I have seen it. Overall, this is a fun, yet very dumb, video game adaptation.

Score: 6.5/10 Grade: B-

8. Uncharted

Uncharted is one of the more generic video game blockbusters on this list. This movie is more a prequel of the game series than a direct adaption of the games. Uncharted does have some good moments. Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland have great chemistry together. There is a fun heist aspect to certain parts of the film and there are few moments in the second half that feel like sequences you would play through in the games which makes the movie a bit more fun for Uncharted fans. In general, while still entertaining, this movie feels more like a generic adventure blockbuster than an adaption of the games. While two main actors are fun together, I don't think Tom Holland was the right pick for Nathan Drake. In the games, Nathan Drake has more of an Indiana Jones personality to him and Tom Holland does not have the ability to convey that. Mark Wahlberg would have probably been better as Nathan Drake. I also thought the Chloe character didn't go anywhere. She looks to create a bond with Nate but then is just oddly absent from the third act of the film. In the end, as an adventure movie, Uncharted is a pretty fun time. However, as an Uncharted movie, I don't this movie does the game justice.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B

7. Pokémon: Detective Pikachu

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was one of the more surprising films on the list. I was not expecting it to be as fun as it was. This movie was just a fun little detective story set in the world of Pokémon. It was fun to see a world where Pokémon live with real people. There has been quite a bit of this with the animated show and movies but it is cool to see a live-action version. I also thought all the CGU Pokémon looked good. Justice Smith was pretty good in the lead role. The movie also does a pretty good job of building out the world of Pokémon. We get to see both the good and bad of this world from Pokémon doing normal jobs to them being forced to fight in an underground ring. The biggest thing holding the movie back for me was that Ryan Reynolds was a bit distracting as the voice of Pikachu. He is fine doing his typical Ryan Reynolds thing but it is just weird hearing his voice coming out of Pikachu's body. Overall, this was a fun film in the world of Pokémon but just had a bit of a distracting voice cast.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

6. Sonic the Hedgehog

This was the film that kickstarted the whole Sonic franchise and proved that video game movies can actually be good. The history of the movie started a bit rough with the original look of Sonic upsetting so many fans that the studio delayed the film just to redo the appearance of Sonic. In general, I found this movie to be very entertaining. Sonic is so much a fan as a character. He brings a high energy to the film but doesn't overdo it. Jim Carey is as great as Dr. Robotnik. Somehow he manages to match the tone and energy of the CGI Sonic, but somehow it still works. The main thing holding this film back was the direction the story went. The whole premise with Sonic is that he is extremely fast, so naturally, the movie has to be a road trip story with Sonic unable to use his powers. It seems like a really weird idea to take the first story of this character. People want to see Sonic run fast in Green Hills, not ride in a car with James Marsden. In the end, while the story is a really weird choice, I think the fun of the movie outweighs any of the story issues.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B

5. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 built on the fun energy of the first film and included more characters that people love. I found this movie to be a lot more fun than the first film as well as had a better story. While the first movie makes the weird decision to be a road trip movie, this movie goes with the better option of being a treasure-hunting movie. The movie is focused on finding the emerald gem which is a major part of the Sonic games. This movie also introduces Knuckles and Tails, both of whom are a lot of fun. Knuckles' Drax the Destroyer vibe plays well with Sonic's high energy and makes for some very funny moments. Seeing all of these characters together makes the movie great for me. The movie also does a good job of building out the Sonic world with all of these new characters and ideas. The big issue with this film was the whole human subplot. The whole wedding plot lot feels unnecessary and just slows the movie down. The movie thought James Marsden needed something to do, so it sent him on a trip to Hawaii. They could have cut that part out of the movie and it would have made no difference. Overall, this is a very fun sequel that continues to build out the world but has an unnecessary subplot that keeps it from being better.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

4. Fallout

Fallout is a hit video game adaption from Amazon Video. This show does a great job of building out the world in this post-nuclear war society. We see all of these different factions from the soldiers trying to maintain order to the wandering criminals to the vault dwellers. Each faction is so different and showcases a different area of life in this world. I like how the show gives us a POV character from each character and has them interact and learn from each other so that they can all grow in this world. Walton Goggins is as fun as The Ghoul as he just takes life as it is and has no faith or care for other people. Lucy was a lot of fun character. She starts as this naive vault dweller and slowly changes as she is more exposed to this world. This show also has this fun 50s vibe with the music and the way people talk.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

3. The Super Mario Bros Movie

The Super Mario Bros Movie is one of the most fun films on this list. It was just really fun to spend all of this time in the world of Mario. I thought it was cool that the movie managed to tie aspects from many different games such as Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Luigi's Mansion as well as the original Mario Game. It was also really fun to hear the video game music at the right times throughout the movie. When we are at the mushroom kingdom, we hear that music. When Mario gets a certain power-up, we hear the music associated with that. It is all there. The movie also doesn't just shove aspects of the game in for no reason. Everything is there for a purpose and adds to the story. I also really enjoyed the hero's journey that Mario goes on. We get to see him grow and change and the overall arc for his character is really effective. The main issue I had with the film is that it wasn't long enough. I felt like we were rushing through various places and never got a chance to explore the world. I also wasn't a big fan of the direction they took Bowser. It almost verges on a parody version of him. Finally, I didn't like that they shoehorned a bunch of pop songs into the movie. With so many iconic sounds and songs in Mario, there really isn't a reason to have pop songs. In the end, this was a very good fun movie that I wish would have been a bit longer.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+

2. Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is easily the video game movie I have seen. This movie has all of the stuff that worked for the previous films and none of the things that didn't. I thought that Shadow was a solid addition to the franchise and story. He is the one character in the franchise that isn't written to be funny. Because of this, he makes the movie have a much darker tone which works well for the story the movie is trying to tell. I also thought that Shadow had a very emotional story and helped cement the ideas of grief and revenge as the main topics of the movie. Jim Carey is also a lot of fun in this movie. He plays two characters in this movie and somehow can have a great energy playing off of himself. I also liked how this movie had a very streamlined plot. It doesn't get bogged down with human subplots like the previous films do. It starts right away with Sonic and his friends on their adventure and doesn't stray from that for the entire runtime. Finally, I liked how much emotion was in the film. Shadow is key to most of the emotional scenes but Robotnik and Sonic both get in there some too. In the end, this was a great third film in the Sonic trilogy that delivered on everything people love about the franchise.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

1. The Last of Us

The Last of Us is the best video game adaption I have seen. This was also easily one of the best TV shows I have seen in a while. It has a great story from beginning to end. The relationship between Joel and Ellie is so well done. I like how the show takes us on this journey of their relationship as it grows from being bitter with each other to growing to be more like a father and daughter. I also like how the zombies were handled in the show. They are definitely present but they don't overshadow the story and let the main purpose of the show be about Joel and Ellie and their journey across the country. I also thought that the show did a great job of giving backstory to all of the characters. Even with the side characters, we get to see a bit of their history and why they are the way that they are. I don't have very much wrong with the show. The only issue I have is that some of the side tangents go on for a bit too long. Other than that, it is a very good, near-perfect show. 

Score: 9.5/10 Grade: A

A Minecraft Movie