Nintendo -- the next Marvel?

[Hectorminator]

Of all the recent trends in hollywood, superhero movies, children's books made into movies, anything from the '80s made into movies, I believe movies based on video games are going to be the next big trend.

They've tried and failed this before, I know, with stuff like Super Mario Bros., Doom, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, etc, but you also have to remember that all the recent "sure-things" in hollywood have all had their fair share of crap before one movie came along and set a new standard, like X-Men or the Lord of the Rings.

So I'm saying, that of all the companies even slightly involved with video games, it seems like Nintendo has the best chance of developing all their great franchises into movies. From 2000 to now, Marvel has had at least like two movies out a year. Marvel deals with superhero comics, but they are all diverse enough to be different as movies. "Blade" is very different from "Fantastic Four", and so on.

In comparison, a remake or reboot of Super Mario Bros., (or just any new live-action movie simply called "Super Mario") could be the movie to set it off. It could work as an action-adventure movie that's very colorful kind of like Spider-Man. Obviously The Legend of Zelda series could be like the Lord of the Rings. Even Pokemon could re-invent the "three kids fight with monsters in a magical world" movie along the same lines as the Harry Potter series, or the Spiderwick Chronicles, or the Chronicles of Narnia, or the Golden Compass, I could go on. The Metroid series could be a cool Alien-type movie. F-Zero could look like that new Speed Racer movie. And finally, Kirby and Starfox could each star in their own computer-generated films.

The reason video game movies haven't worked so far is because the filmmakers, studios, whoever, aren't passionate about the source material, and the material they decided to adapt itself isn't as compelling as it could be.

But if you attempt to bring the very well-known Nintendo franchises to the big screen, I'm sure you'll get vastly different results.

 

[Catman]

movies based on video games are going to be the next big trend.

We'll see...

 

[Joker]

Movies based on video games were SUPPOSED to be the next big thing, but then Halo got scrapped, and now we're stuck with Uwe Boll for the foreseeable future.

 

[ord0g]

I won't be holding my breath for an oscar nominated video game adaptation anytime in the near future.

 

[Kanon]

Zelda or Castlevania could make good aventure films...

Stuff like Mario should never be made in live action...

 

[FaT_tONle]

Superhero films should be straight for another 10-12 years... after that is anyone's guess... all the classic literature will have been done or remade for the Nth time... where is Hollywood going to go for the money? I think the modern video games are the best direction to be honest... GTA... HALO... Zelda... even Mario again... so its a good guess... I really don't know... they have to think of something... eventually you run out of material though... so eventually they'll end up playing the same themes over and over again... I mean we've pretty much gotten to that point already... I mean its only a matter of time before Bollywood buys out Hollywood... unless they can come up with something else...

 

[Super_Ludacris]

I dont know if Movies based on Video Games will ever be successful. I think one of the problems is that unlike comic book movies there (argubaly) isnt that much depth and storyline. You've got a progession of some Comic Book characters over decades. Video game characters stay within there domain so to speak from title to title. So producers treat them as almost "one-dimensional" arcade game plotlines with some silly camp expressionistically speaking. Sometimes its a little difficult to make something progressive and different with House of Dead or whatever....

Now you can argue, that there has been some games in the past 15 years that defy that, but even in the best example, a lot of them feel like there already inspired by movies or novels that have been done already ( Hitman for instance). So the problem with that is when they transistion as movies, they kinda feel uninspired and done before ( Tell me you didnt feel that watching Doom and Hitman).

So I dont know, this maybe the one genre that will stuggle. Because unlike comics, there really isnt that much of material to work with, to be taken differently. I certainly cant see them making a video game movie in the same light as Batman Begins.

Having said all that, I will check out Street Fighter ( For sentimental reasons..) and maybe Mortal Kombat and Halo if there something worth check it out like eye candy or whatever...

 

[scifiwolf]

Super Ludacris just said what I was going to about not having enough story and depth (at least classic and fighting games). Look at Mario. The whole game is running a straight line, collecting coins, eating mushrooms, and jumping on trutles and gumbas. Where in there is a viable story? If I were going to adapt an arcade game like Mario, I'd disguise it as something else. I think a really good example of what I mean is O, Brother Where Art Thou? That movie is a disguised, adapted telling of the Odyssey. I think doing a movie that is metaphorically like the game could work, but I would never try a straight adaptation.

If I were going to do Halo, and I've said this before somewhere, is take a stellar war script and adapt it to the Halo universe.

 

[JackBauer]

First of all, nobody can say Bioshock or Shadow of the Colossus or Mass Effect or Ico or (well, I could go on) have no story depth. And all of them are pretty damn unique stories (alright, maybe Mass Effect to a smaller degree). If you think none of those properties can be turned into a movie just as good if not better than Batman Begins, you should have your head examined.

In the end, it's all about finding the right (talented) person for each project. Yeah, Mario is pretty shallow, but I'll be damned if Brad Bird couldn't make a great Pixar animated movie out of it. And Guillermo Del Toro or Hayao Myiazaki would make an amazing Shadow of the Colossus, be it anime or live action.

 

[souvlaki]

I think Mario could possibly work as a cheesy CGI-animated Pixar movie, but I just have difficulty ever seeing someone taking that material and trying to turn it into a compelling live action sci-fi film. That being said, there are a few games I wouldn't mind seeing adapted some day. I would love to see a good adaption of Alice. That game also had the advantage of having source material to refer to to fill in any gaps from the game itself.

 

[GhostPoet]

I still think Mario would have been a GREAT live action film if it had been done in the same over-exaggerated style like Kung Fu Hustle.

 

[EdRyder]

First of all, nobody can say Bioshock or Shadow of the Colossus or Mass Effect or Ico or (well, I could go on) have no story depth. And all of them are pretty

All great games.I still approach this like I do Anime to Film though.Why isnt Shadow of Colossus movie enough already?Why isnt God of War or Bioshock their own singular experience? I'll put it to you like this:Most great movies wouldnt necessarily make great games.Also:Its pretty much a fact games based on movies always suck. So If you made a movie based on the game would the game they make for the movie suck too?

 

[SuBe]

I believe that Mario could really work if done by Pixar or Dreamworks. See Paper Mario for a great Story. Even Super Mario Galaxy;s cut scenes were cool.

Legend of Zelda would be awesome with a LOTR feel.

 

[The Shape]

No. Just....no.

 

[enterthemadness]

Of all the recent trends in hollywood, superhero movies, children's books made into movies, anything from the '80s made into movies, I believe movies based on video games are going to be the next big trend.

They've tried and failed this before, I know, with stuff like Super Mario Bros., Doom, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, etc, but you also have to remember that all the recent "sure-things" in hollywood have all had their fair share of crap before one movie came along and set a new standard, like X-Men or the Lord of the Rings.

So I'm saying, that of all the companies even slightly involved with video games, it seems like Nintendo has the best chance of developing all their great franchises into movies. From 2000 to now, Marvel has had at least like two movies out a year. Marvel deals with superhero comics, but they are all diverse enough to be different as movies. "Blade" is very different from "Fantastic Four", and so on.

In comparison, a remake or reboot of Super Mario Bros., (or just any new live-action movie simply called "Super Mario") could be the movie to set it off. It could work as an action-adventure movie that's very colorful kind of like Spider-Man. Obviously The Legend of Zelda series could be like the Lord of the Rings. Even Pokemon could re-invent the "three kids fight with monsters in a magical world" movie along the same lines as the Harry Potter series, or the Spiderwick Chronicles, or the Chronicles of Narnia, or the Golden Compass, I could go on. The Metroid series could be a cool Alien-type movie. F-Zero could look like that new Speed Racer movie. And finally, Kirby and Starfox could each star in their own computer-generated films.

The reason video game movies haven't worked so far is because the filmmakers, studios, whoever, aren't passionate about the source material, and the material they decided to adapt itself isn't as compelling as it could be.

But if you attempt to bring the very well-known Nintendo franchises to the big screen, I'm sure you'll get vastly different results.

MK did good in theaters, MK2 was what ruined it.

 

[The Shape]

I'm sure there will be a couple of video game movies that turn out alright, but they will be scarce. No way they will be the nest big thing.

 

[Victarion]

I did a treatment for a live action Mario. Mario went on his quest to rescue Peach from Bowser because she resembled his wife, who was murdered in Central Park. The Mushroom Kingdom was more like the one from the games: wild and out there, and just a little disturbing. Lots of stuff that I'd be happy to share--if anyone's curious, send me a PM!

 

[Nirvana]

I just could never see a Live Action Mario moving working...There doesn't seem to be a desire for it, either.

Honestly, I could see Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Pokemon working. The rest don't seem workable. Zelda, jesus, that could a truly epic LotR like trilogy if done right. That is probably my most desired movie of all time.

Metroid could be cool because it has that Sci-Fi thing going for it. The stories have also been pretty good, too.

Pokemon I could see working pretty good too. I could see it being a family fantasy film.

But yeah, any of those three Nintendo films could be extremely cool.

 

[odiin]

weeeeeee

 

[Victarion]

weeeeeee

Guilty pleasure!

10/10

 

[Hectorminator]

New Live-action Mario movie:

Cast:
Mario-Jack Black
Luigi-Jimmy Fallon (or Justin Long)
Princess Peach-Scarlett Johanson
Toad-Jason Alexander
Bowser-voiced by Vin Diesel

Story:
Includes elements from the first Super Mario Bros. game, as well as from Super Mario World, and from Super Mario 64.

The sequel will have elements from Super Mario Bros. 2 (pulling up veggies form the ground, flying carpets, a desert scene, and Birdo), Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (maybe a flashback scene showing Baby Mario and Luigi) and Super Mario Sunshine (a water cannon), the third movie will have elements from Super Mario Bros. 3 (feathers for flying, big airships) and Super Mario Galaxy (flying through space)

The story starts out with Mario as a construction worker working late one night about to punch out, when he thinks he sees something at the top of the site. He goes to investigate and he thinks he might have seen a giant gorilla. As he's checking things out, a gorilla hand reaches for a tie someone left hanging on a nail. Mario confronts the monkey (Donkey Kong) and tries to fight off the confused animal with a hammer. The ape throws barrels at him until finally Mario sends him crashing down to the streets below, and the ape crashes into the sewers and finds his way back to the mushroom kingdom from there. (If Jack Black played Mario, there could be some great King Kong jokes)

Flash forward a couple of years, Mario has since started his own plumbing business after the traumatic experience at the construction site. He works with his younger brother, Luigi, who still doesn't believe him about the monkey. "Mario Bros." plumbing (named for Mario being the boss, NOT because their last name is Mario, because NO ONE would name their kid Mario Mario) is asked to fix some pipes in the sewers of Manhattan, and from there they find a portal to the Mushroom Kingdom.

There they find that gravity is different from Earth and they can jump really high, when they eat Mushrooms they grow in size, and when they sniff fire flowers they can shoot fireballs. They soon meet Princess Peach and then Bowser kidnaps her in front of them. Traveling across the land and underground and even through the sea, they make their way to Bowser's castle with the help of Yoshi and Donkey Kong (sporting a cool new tie) defeat Bowser and save the day.

Feel:
It would basically be like the Spider-Man films, very colorful and exciting for kids, but still enough story and humor to entertain adults. The score would be awesome, as most Mario scores already are, and the action would be amazing.

Best part: Bowser knocks Mario through the ceiling of his castle and Mario flies into the atmosphere. Just as he starts to come to, he sees a star and thinks it's so close he can grab it, and he does. He becomes invincible and flies down to kick Bowser's butt.

 

[Episode29]

The problem with a lot of video-games is that they primarily (and almost exclusively) are aimed at males. To sell it as a property as a film, you're essentially cutting half your audience. A lot of the comic-book movies are aimed at the mainstream audience, with honest and well-balanced male/female plotlines. Look at the big successes: Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman, Batman (True, the female subplots have been a bit of a fan hindrance, but they have been mostly [barring B&R] well handled), and Fantastic Four. These romantic interest material makes a vast audience interested outside of the male-centric demongraphic. Hell, my parents watch these movies for that stuff.

Now, video-games on the other hand severly lack that balance of appeal. Some would work, like Zelda, Mario (Questionably...), and maybe Street Fighter (a big maybe), but Gears of War? Halo? Bio-Shock? Those are potentially expensive films with extremely narrow demographics. ANd to start altering them too much risks pissing off even that small contigent.

Honestly, I don't expect video-game movies to become a driving force in the market anywhere in the near future.

 

[Hectorminator]

The problem with a lot of video-games is that they primarily (and almost exclusively) are aimed at males. To sell it as a property as a film, you're essentially cutting half your audience. A lot of the comic-book movies are aimed at the mainstream audience, with honest and well-balanced male/female plotlines. Look at the big successes: Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman, Batman (True, the female subplots have been a bit of a fan hindrance, but they have been mostly [barring B&R] well handled), and Fantastic Four. These romantic interest material makes a vast audience interested outside of the male-centric demongraphic. Hell, my parents watch these movies for that stuff.

Now, video-games on the other hand severly lack that balance of appeal. Some would work, like Zelda, Mario (Questionably...), and maybe Street Fighter (a big maybe), but Gears of War? Halo? Bio-Shock? Those are potentially expensive films with extremely narrow demographics. ANd to start altering them too much risks pissing off even that small contigent.

Mario would be very appealing to a female audience. His story is already really romantic. He basically goes on this death-defying adventure for the love of a princess. Plus, Mario is the only game MOST women have played, or will have no problem playing. Ask them to try Bio-shock, no way, like you were saying. But those hardcore "dude" games are basically action movies that women don't watch anyway.

Just like there are comic books aimed exclusively at males, there are comics with wider audiences. And those are the ones that are most successful when adapted into movies. The same goes with games, there are games out there with wider audiences than others, even within the gaming world, and those will be the most successful if made into movies. I'm saying that of all the games out there, Nintendo has the franchises with the widest audiences.

 

[Episode29]

Mario would be very appealing to a female audience. His story is already really romantic. He basically goes on this death-defying adventure for the love of a princess. Plus, Mario is the only game MOST women have played, or will have no problem playing. Ask them to try Bio-shock, no way, like you were saying. But those hardcore "dude" games are basically action movies that women don't watch anyway.

Just like there are comic books aimed exclusively at males, there are comics with wider audiences. And those are the ones that are most successful when adapted into movies. The same goes with games, there are games out there with wider audiences than others, even within the gaming world, and those will be the most successful if made into movies. I'm saying that of all the games out there, Nintendo has the franchises with the widest audiences.

I agree with you, which is why I cited Zelda and Mario. More can be done with them. The problem is, action movies don't do the business they did in the 80's and early 90's. Unless they're called Die Hard that is. Most action flicks nowaday struggle badly to get to the 100mill mark, which is what a movie like Halo or Bio-Shock is gonna cost. Hence they need a wider audience to warrant the cost of the flick.

Most of the game-2-movie "action flicks" like Hitman, Doom and the Resident Evil flicks struggle to make over 50 mill, which only the RE series accomplished. And you can't say its because they're bad, because there is the fan-base of those movies should show up regardless of reviews. Hence why people like you and me show up for Elektra and Ghost Rider. There just seems to be a lot of gamers completely disinterested in these movies. Why pay the $10, when they can play the game, perhaps?

As for another Mario movie, I agree in theory that it could work. Problem is, the first film was such a momentous disaster that is still mocked to this day. Studios are going to be very wary about going near that one for a long time. And there's no way in hell Pixar is gonna go attach their name to it.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

LMAO@ people wanting a Mario film and thinking you can make a good one.