The critical success ofThe Last of Usand the overwhelming commercial achievements ofThe Super Mario Bros. Moviehave audiences thinking this is a new dawn for the video game movie adaptation. After years of disappointing efforts, Hollywood has finally cracked the mystery of how to make these elusive properties work.
It’s not like the business didn’t try before, but their previous pictures were disappointing, to say the least, going from bad to awful with no middle ground. Fans on Reddit have a few ideas about which video game adaptation is the worst, and unfortunately, they have more than a few contenders worthy of the title.
10’Super Mario Bros.' (1993)
The lateBob Hoskinsplayed Mario oppositeJohn Leguizamoas Luigi in the infamous 1993 movie version ofSuper Mario Bros.The film follows the siblings as they journey to a parallel universe ruled by the ruthless Bowser, played by the lateDennis Hopper, to save the helpless Princess Peach.
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RedditorMonsieurGideonthinksSuper Mario Bros.is the worst because “it made no sense and is more of a really good bad movie.” Fellow userfilthylilbeastadmits the movie was bad but also thinks there’s “a charm to it.” Indeed,Super Mario Bros.has become a cult classic, with many appreciating it for what it is: a silly, clumsy, and woefully misguided attempt to bring the most beloved video game property to live-action.
9’Hitman: Agent 47' (2015)
The original 2007 adaptation of the popularHitmanseries received negative reviews but was a moderate box-office success. However, the 2015 reboot,Hitman: Agent 47, was a trainwreck waiting to happen.Rupert Friendstars as the titular character, a genetically-enhanced killing machine who must stop a shady corporation from creating more assassins like him.
Rubthebudhasappreciated the firstHitmanmovie, saying they “liked (Timothy) Olyphant better” and praising the actor’s performance while condemning the sequel and saying “everything (about it) was sh*t.” Meanwhile,wile_e_canuckclaims they don’t “understand how (the filmmakers) could’ve messed the movie up so badly.”
8’Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time' (2010)
Oscar nomineeJake Gyllenhaaldipped his toes into blockbuster territory with the misguided 2010 adaptation ofPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film follows Prince Dastan, who must flee those who accuse him of his father’s murder while protecting a dagger that grants access to the mythical Sands of Time.
The film has been lambasted for whitewashing the title character andhaving nothing to do with the video gamethat inspired it. RedditorMovieMike007criticizes the movie for “starring one of the least-Persian people in the world.” Indeed, the film is one of the biggest and most blatant examples of whitewashing, and it paid dearly for it.
7’Alone In The Dark' (2005)
Few directors are as infamous asUwe Boll. The German filmmaker is behind some of the most disastrous video game adaptations ever, including the outright laughable 2005 action horrorAlone in the Dark.Christian Slater,Tara Reid, andStephen Dorffstar as paranormal investigators investigating a dangerous threat.
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The_Crownless_KingcallsAlone in the Dark"the worst movie (they’ve) ever seen next toDragonball Evolution.“Killboypowerhedtongue-in-cheek-ly calls it “the movie where nobody was alone, and it wasn’t dark,” althoughShaneRunninShirtlessat least praises it for having a “great soundtrack.” Slater luckily bounced back from this tremendous misfire, but poor Tara Reid had no such luck.
6’Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' (1997)
Mortal Kombat: Annihilationis the sequel to the 1995 cult classicMortal Kombat. The story follows Liu Kang and his allies fighting Shao Kahn to prevent him from conquering Earthrealm. While the firstMKcombat endures as an endlessly entertaining andgreat so-bad-it’s-good movie, the sequel is dumb and ridiculous, without any redeeming qualities.
Redditorkowboy42calls it “by far the worst” video game adaption, whileMonsieurGideondisqualifies it as “a bad cosplay movie.” Asince-deleted accountopts for a more severe approach and considersAnnihilationa film that “should be featured in classes as a case study in what NOT to do.” Ouch!
5’Assassin’s Creed' (2016)
Michael Fassbenderis best known for his memorable villains, but he took on the hero role for the 2016 live-action adaptation ofAssassin’s Creed. Co-starring Oscar winnersMarion CotillardandJeremy Irons, the film centers on Callum Lynch, who must embrace his heritage as an Assassin to stop the Abstergo Foundation from securing the Apple of Eden.
RedditortheMTNdewdclaims “Assassin’s Creedcrushed (them)” because of the film’s wasted potential. Fellow userShaneRunninShirtlesscomplains about how the film had “only about 15 minutes of in-animus action,” a common complaint among fans.Assassin’s Creedis one of the most cinematic video game franchises, and it’s a shame its live-action adaptation dropped the ball so egregiously.
4’Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun Li' (2009)
Kristen Kreukstarred in the utterly forgettableStreet Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. The plot chronicles Chun Li’s journey to avenge her father’s disappearance by joining other vigilantes to take down powerful crime boss M. Bison.
RedditorPeeka789is “pretty sure this movie destroyed (Kreuk’s) career,” while asince-deleted accountcalls out the actress for being “so bad in (the movie.” There might be some truth to these claims, although Kreuk is hardly the worst part of the movie.Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Liis ultimately an underwhelming effort with cheap production values and a lazy story that does nothing to honor its beloved source material.
3’The King Of Fighters' (2010)
The 2010 adaptation of the iconic fighting gameKing of Fightersis as bad as it’s forgettable. The film starsMaggie Q,Sean Faris, and futureDeadpool 2directorDavid Leitchand follows the last descendants of three powerful clans who get transported to an otherworldly fighting tournament.
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Critically panned for its performances and production values,The King of Fightershas aged like milk. Redditorthat_melodycalls it “pure trash” and further complains about it having “some of the worst acting you’ll ever see.” Fellow userithinkther41amalso mocked the casting of Leitch as Terry, calling it “the most baffling thing about that movie.”
2’In The Name Of The King' (2007)
Jason Stathammight be one ofthe best action heroes in cinema, but he has starred in his fair share of turkeys. Case in point, 2007’sIn the Name of the King, loosely based on theDungeon Siegeseries, where Statham plays Farmer, a man on a quest to avenge his son while a war threatens the kingdom.
Directed by Uwe Boll,In the Name of the Kingwas torn apart by critics and audiences. Asince-deleted accountcalls it “god-awful” and says they “couldn’t even get through it.” Fellow user007aceoutright calls it “terrible,” whileIduffy16blames Boll entirely, claiming “(all his) movies are the worst.”
Uwe Boll is one of cinema’s most polarizing directors, with most of his films receiving scathing critical and audience reviews. However,House of the Dead, his 2003 adaptation of Sega’s famous franchise, might be his worst effort. The film is a prequel to the first game and centers on a group of survivors trying to escape a zombie-infested island.
House of the Deadlives in infamy as arguably the worst video game adaptation ever.MidEastBeast777outright calls it “a terrible movie,” whileHBK42581criticizes the film’s choice to “cut to snippets from the gameplay from the arcade game” during the film’s climactic fight.LizardOrgMember5goes so far as to call it “The Roomof zombie-action movies.” There have been many terrible video game adaptations, but none hold a candle toHouse of the Dead’s awfulness.
