Surprising as it is, we’re in a pretty good place when it comes to video game movies. In fact, just last year, I wrote about how 2023 was one of the best years for video game movies ever!
And it was! The Super Mario Bros. Movie made over a billion dollars, and we also got a relatively faithful adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s (Which I hated the first time, but really like now), as well as a fascinating Gran Turismo movie.
However, I don’t want to talk about those films today. Instead, I want to discuss the super obscure video game movies. I’m talking about the ones that you probably didn’t even know existed, or maybe forgot about. Those movies deserve to be remembered, too! So, here are 10 such films.
Double Dragon (1994)
The second live-action video game movie ever (the first being Super Mario Bros.) Double Dragon came out at a time when Hollywood still had no idea what they were doing with video game adaptations. Starring Scott Wolf, Mark Dacascos, Robert Patrick, and Charmed’s Alyssa Milano, the plot is needlessly complicated.
Taking place in a post-apocalyptic California, (Why?) the story concerns Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they protect a mystical medallion from a blond-haired, Van Dyke-rocking Robert Patrick, who plays a criminal overlord. There’s martial arts in the movie, sure, but also boat chases, and Andy Dick as a weatherman for some reason.
But, is the movie actually any good? Well…no, which is why it’s mostly forgotten and on this list.
Stream Double Dragon on Pluto TV
Wing Commander (1999)
Directed by the creator of the video game series, Chris Roberts, and starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Saffron Burrows, and Matthew Lilliard, Wing Commander is about space pilots fighting alien cats. I mean, there’s more to it than just that, but that’s pretty much the thrust of it. Space pilots. Fighting alien cats. For a little over an hour and a half.
What kills Wing Commander, though, is that it looks cheesy, and the storyline feels silly. Prinze Jr. and Lilliard have good chemistry together as buddy space pilots, but everything else is pretty pedestrian.
But, if it’s a rainy day, you could do a lot worse than watch Wing Commander.
Rent or buy Wing Commander: The Movie on Amazon Prime
House Of The Dead (2003)
Oh, boy. Here we go. The early 2000s were long enough ago that I’m pretty sure that most people have forgotten about German director, Uwe Boll, but I haven’t. Never forget. House of the Dead was Boll’s first major movie in the states, and boy, did it create an impact. Though, not in a positive way.
Starring Tyron Leitso, Will Sanderson, and many others, House of the Dead, which is based off of a light gun shooter series, is about a group of people heading out to a rave on an island, only to find that it’s overrun by zombies. Now, in theory, this plot sounds pretty basic, but Boll’s vision as a filmmaker is what kicks this film into overdrive.
The action is so over-the-top that it’s honestly quite impressive, which is why House of the Dead is a lot of fun if you can turn your brain off for a little while.
Rent or buy House of the Dead on Amazon Prime
BloodRayne (2006)
Following the release of the disaterous Alone in the Dark was Uwe Boll’s third video game movie, BloodRayne. The film’s about a vampire hybrid (played by Kristanna Loken) who bands with some vampire hunters to take down her evil vampire king father.
But, here’s the thing. This cast is stacked! That vampire king I mentioned? He’s played by none other than Ben Kinglsey. Those vampire hunters I referenced? They’re played by Michael Madsen, Matthew Davis, and Michelle Rodriguez, respectively. And hell, even Meatloaf (RIP) has a role in this silly sword and sorcery flick.
That said, BloodRayne isn’t terrible. Now, granted, I love so-bad-they’re-good movies like Batman & Robin, so make of that what you will. But, I kind of love how schlocky and overtly sexualized this movie is. Honestly, BloodRayne is crap, but it’s the kind of crap that I love.
Postal (2007)
If poor taste had a name…Postal begins with a 9/11 joke. It also features Osama Bin Laden and George W. Bush, holding hands and skipping together. So, yes, Postal is that kind of movie.
Another Uwe Boll “masterpiece” (he even has a cameo where he gets shot in the crotch), Postal, like the games they’re based off of, is about a dude who goes ballistic, shooting pretty much everybody. That said, the film is not supposed to be edgy. Instead, it’s meant to be a satire. But, it’s as crude as crude can be. You know how people say that a movie like Blazing Saddles would never be made today? Well, the same goes for Postal. Not in a million years.
Rent or buy Postal on Amazon Prime
Max Payne (2008)
Directed by John Moore, and starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, Max Payne is about a cop who seeks vengeance after his family and partner are killed. But, while that could have been a pretty simple premise, this movie, like the games, is anything but simple.
How else can you account for all of the supernatural demons that haunt and stalk Max throughout the film? Now, granted, the movie doesn’t even come close to the psychological aspects of the source material. And, if I’m being completely honest, Wahlberg doesn't make for a very good Max Payne. But, the action, and the visual style is pretty close to the games.
So, while it’s not a good movie, it’s not a disaster, either.
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009)
Everybody knows about the Van Damme Street Fighter movie, but did you know there was a second Street Fighter movie starring Smallville’s Kristin Kruek? It happened!
Though, I kind of wish it didn’t. The film focuses on Chun-Lil, and Bison (Neal McDonough) plays a crime lord. Michael Clarke Duncan (RIP), plays Balrog, and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas (yes, the music group) plays Vega. The special effects are horrendous, and the acting isn’t much better. Still, it’s an interesting curiosity for those who love Street Fighter.
Rent or buy Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li on Amazon Prime
Tekken (2010)
With a 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes, you’d be forgiven for not knowing a Tekken movie exists. Starring Jon Foo, Kelly Overton, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tekken is about Jin Kazama (Foo) entering the Iron Fist tournament to avenge his mother.
And yeah, it is pretty awful. The action is as hard-hitting as you’d want it to be, but the story meanders, and it commits the cardinal sin of being boring for long stretches of time. That said, I don’t know if it’s a 0% kind of a movie. But, it’s certainly not the king of the Iron Fist tournament, either. Maybe stick with Tekken: Bloodline instead.
Hitman: Agent 47 (2015)
Did you know there were two Hitman movies? The first one came out in 2007 and starred Timothy Olyphant as Agent 47. And, the second one came out in 2015, and starred Rupert Friend as the titular agent.
The film, which was written by the same person who wrote the first Hitman movie, is too action-packed for its own good. There are a lot of explosions, and cool, stylistic action segments, but Agent 47, who is a manufactured killer, is not meant to be a stylistic killer. He’s supposed to be silent, and we get very little of that in this action-packed extravaganza.
So, not a terrible action movie, but a pretty bad Hitman flick.
Stream Hitman: Agent 47 on Max
Werewolves Within (2021)
Directed by Josh Ruben, and starring Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub, Werewolves Within is about a bunch of people who get stuck in a lodge together, and they suspect that one of them is a werewolf.
Believe it or not, but Werewolves Within is the highest ranked video game movie of all time. This is actually the only game on this list that I’ve never played before (it’s a VR title), but if it’s anything like this movie, which is funny and even a little creepy, then I need to check it out.
Stream Werewolves Within on Hulu
There are a bunch of other video game movies that you might not know about, but these were the ones that I wanted to spotlight. For more news on all things video game movie-related, be sure to swing by here often!
