Library News

by Ashley Choudry

 

Hi there, and a warm welcome to October’s Friday Film Club! October is of course the month of Halloween and spooky films as well as Black History Month (see previous (October blogs for film recommendations on those themes), however I have decided to take a detour from the norm this year. Fear Not! As there will be just as much fantasy if not more with this subject, the visualization (through film) of virtual worlds, otherwise known as…. Video Game movies! A touchy genre for Hollywood throughout the late 20th & across the 21st Centuries, they haven’t always gone to plan, however in this blog I will attempt to showcase four of the better adaptations of famous games in the last two decades.

 

I’ll start with a movie that was reality the dawn of a new era for the genre, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). Directed by Simon West (Con Air, The Expendables 2), it is an action-adventure movie based upon the Tomb Raider games (1996- ) which focus on Lara Croft, a fictional British archaeologist who travels the world looking for lost artefacts through exploration and solving various puzzles. It was a milestone for the video game world becoming one of the first with a strong female lead with both brains and brawn. The cast includes: Angelina Jolie (Maleficent, Salt), Iain Glen (Downton Abbey: The Movie, Resident Evil: Apocalypse), Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, Knives Out), Noah Taylor (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Paddington 2) and Jon Voight (National Treasure, Mission: Impossible).

The plot opens with Lara (Jolie) defeating a robot in Egypt as part of simulated training exercise in her English family manor, where she resides with her mission technical assistant Bryce (Taylor) and butler Hilary. Meanwhile, in Venice, the Illuminati (a secret cabal) search for a key to rejoin two halves of mysterious artefact known as “The Triangle” which must be completed by the final phase of a planetary alignment that has just begun. The leader Manfred Powell (Glen) assures the others the artefact is almost ready but really has no idea of its location. That night, Lara’s father Lord Richard (Voight, Jolie’s real-life father!), appears to her in a dream (having been presumed dead long ago). She awakens to an unexplained ticking sound and finds a strange clock hidden within the manor. On route to consult one of Richard’s friends about it, she meets Alex West (Craig), an American associate of her’s and fellow adventurer, who points her in the direction of Powell. Upon meeting Lara, Powell claims not to recognise the clock, and yet sends soldiers to invade the manor and steal it. The next morning, a prearranged letter from Lord Richard arrives for Lara, explaining the clock is a key clue to the location of the halves of “The Triangle”, an object with the power to control time (split into two and hidden in separate places across the globe so no-one could misuse it. Following her father’s wishes, Lara sets out to find and destroy both pieces before the Illuminati can get their nefarious hands on them.

The film was a relative box-office success for its time grossing just under $275m on a $115m budget, however it was not a critical darling, gaining much more a cult following in later years. Director Simon West later postulated that it was down to the market not being used to a woman leading summer blockbusters. The renowned Roger Ebert did however give it a positive review (three out of four stars!), saying it “elevates goofiness to an art form… so wondrous to look at.” Jolie’s performance was a huge positive among the critical and fan consensus. The film has a lasting legacy as it inspired theme park rides and was a sequel The Cradle of Life (2003) which had a more positive reception than its predecessor, which in turn was followed by an eventual reboot Tomb Raider (2018). Whatever the critical response, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was a major breakthrough for female protagonists at the time and became a powerful inspiration for young females everywhere, and you can see the titular character in action (in all 3 films!) only on e-stream now. Get a glimpse of Lara in action, defending the manor, by clicking the link below:

 

From the earliest to the most recent of our entries, we now have the mystery comedy Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019). It was based upon the 2016 video game of the same name, which in turn was a spin-off of the world-famous Pokémon franchise (which began life as the video game Red & Green in 1996 and has since sprouted into other media & merchandise such as Television, Film and trading cards). The game focuses on Pikachu (the most well-known Pokémon creature), who can talk in this version and helps players solve various mysteries. Directed by Rob Letterman (Monsters vs. Aliens, Goosebumps), it is the first live-action Pokémon adaptation and thus the first chance to show off a real-life Pokémon universe (with a little CGI help of course). It features Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, The Hitman’s Bodyguard) as both the voice & motion-capture (the recording of movement and expressions to match to the CGI figure) for Pikachu, with additional cast members such as; Justice Smith (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), Kathryn Newton (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Blockers), Ken Watanabe (Batman Begins, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) and Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Pirates of the Caribbean).

The movie focuses on Tim Goodman (Smith), a young man who dreams of being a Pokémon trainer following the death of his mother and his partnership with his estranged father’s Pikachu. Tim travels to Ryme City, his father’s home, after his sudden death to sort through his father’s effects. Harry had moved to the city when Tim was young and they have been estranged ever since. In Ryme City, Pokémon and humans live in harmony and Pokémon battles are illegal. Upon his arrival, Tim is greeted by Lieutenant Hideo Yoshida (Watanabe, a friend of his father) who informs him that his dad was killed in a car accident, though suspiciously no body was left behind. At Harry’s apartment, Tim meets his detective partner, a Pikachu Pokémon who unlike the others can speak human (though only Tim understands him) and curiously has no memory of the crash.

While searching Harry’s apartment Tim accidently releases a mysterious purple gas marked ‘R’ from a vial he finds in the office, and he & Pikachu are subsequently attacked by a party of Aipom. Due to there being no body at the crash site, Pikachu starts to believe Harry may still be alive, but that hope is crushed after a meeting with an informant of his (a Mr. Mime). The informant sends them to an illegal underground Pokémon battle arena, that is soon raided by police, including Lt. Yoshida. Yoshida shows the two video footage of the crash and confirms it would have been virtually impossible for Harry to have survived. Yet something still seems amiss to Tim & Detective Pikachu, and after a brief strange encounter with Howard Clifford (Nighy), the creator of Ryme City, they resolve to find answers to what exactly Harry was working on when he died. Aided by aspiring journalist Lucy Stevens (Newton) and her Pokémon Psyduck, Tim & Detective Pikachu set out on adventure to find the real truth behind Harry’s crash and solve his last case.

Receiving highly positive reviews, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu was viewed as genuine turning point for the genre (which had gotten a pretty bad rep up until this release). It made history, becoming the first theatrical live-action video game adaptation to maintain a “fresh|” rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was the highest rated one until it was surpassed by The Angry Birds Movie 2. Scott Mendelson (Forbes) called it “the best video game movie ever”, whereas Clarisse Loughrey (The Independent) stated it, “feels more intriguing than it does derivative, and it’s a delight for fans to see how immersive this world actually feels.” Praise was mainly lent towards Reynolds’ performance and the visual effects, while the story was slightly criticized by some for being too safe. Even though it is maybe not the introduction to the world of Pokémon for none fans that it could be, it is still an altogether very enjoyable and fun film. It encompasses the needs of current fans and those original who are now older brilliantly. The Pokémon themselves are brought to life seamlessly through top notch CGI and the world building is impressive to say the least. The only criticisms from me are, the lack of different Pokémon shown off throughout and the fact there are only hints of the beloved Pokémon theme song! I very much forward to the sequel however. Detective Pikachu is available to watch now on both e-stream and DVD, and you get a hint of the what to expect by watching the hilarious underground club scenes by clicking the link below:

 

We transition now from the fantastical to the ancient with, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010). Directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), it is an adaptation of the Prince of Persia series of games (1989- ) created by Jordan Mechner, set in ancient and medieval Persia (now commonly known as Iran) and following different versions of ‘The Prince’ in his adventures. This movie is based in particular on the 2003 game of the same name, with added elements from its immediate sequels Warrior Within (2004) and The Two Thrones (2005) incorporated within. The eponymous ‘Prince’ here is Dastan played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain), a street urchin who stumbles upon royalty. He’s joined by a cast that includes; Gemma Arterton (St. Trinians, Quantum of Solace), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Frida), Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Fantastic Four) and Sir Ben Kinglsey (Schindler’s List, Iron Man 3).

The story opens with Dastan on the streets of Persia, one day as the King is riding through, he notices Dastan’s show of courage and subsequently adopts him. Some 15 years later, the king’s brother Nizam (Kingsley) supplies evidence to the three Princes – Dastan and the kings two biological sons Tus & Garsiv (Kebbell) – that the holy city of Alamut is forging weapons for Persia’s enemies. Believing his uncle’s claims, Tus orders the Persian army to capture Alamat. During the attack Dastan’s skills prove critical, and in addition to a successful mission he manages to obtain a mysterious and sacred dagger from a royal guard. The city’s regent Princess Tamina (Arterton) however, vehemently denies Nizam’s claims even when weapons are found. To unite the two nations peacefully, Tus proposes marriage to the Princess (as was tradition back then), and though very hesitant, she accepts once she spies the dagger in Dastan’s possession.

At a celebratory banquet, the King returns from his travels and is gifted an embroidered robe from Alamut by Tus (which he had asked Dastan to bring for him). Disaster strikes however, as the robe is poisoned and burns King Sharaman to death, with Garsiv very quick to accuse Dastan. In the aftermath, Dastan escapes the city with Tamina in hand, and Tus (having been crowned the new King) puts a bounty on Dastan’s head. While in hiding, Tamina attempts to recover the dagger but instead accidently allows Dastan to discover its true nature & Alamut’s biggest secret in the process. With this new-found knowledge, Dastan sets out to prove both his and Alamut’s innocence to his family and find the real murderer of his adopted father.

Though the film was seen as a significant improvement over previous video game movie adaptations, it still received mixed reviews; with praise going towards the action, humour, performances and musical score; but criticism for the whitewashing of the cast (no main member was of true Persian or Iranian descent) and a slight departure from the source material. It did however become the highest grossing entry in the genre until it was surpassed by our final entry that is. While not a straight-laced adaptation of the video game, it does feature many core elements and adapts them fairly well. Harry Gregson-Williams’ musical score is a thing of beauty and the acting is on the whole quite entertaining, with breath-taking action and humour also big positives. Whitewashing is a definite problem, yet it is still more than worth a watch. Sequels were planned by Disney but the mixed reaction a supposed dwindling interest in the video games saw them scrapped. You can watch it only on DVD now and form your own opinions, plus you get watch some of the best early moments from the film by clicking the link below:

 

Last but not least, we have the fantasy-filled Warcraft (2016) (distributed in the UK as Warcraft: The Beginning). Originating as a video game series of the same name (1994- ) produced by Blizzard entertainment, which has since expanded into other media such as novels, comics and board games. It is set in and around the world of Azeroth and focuses on wars between the human nations of the Eastern Kingdoms and the Orc Horde that arrived there through a portal. The cinematic adaptation was directed by Duncan Jones (Source Code, Moon) and features an ensemble cast with names such as; Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, 2 Guns), Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia, Captain America: The First Avenger), Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand, Lone Survivor), Ben Schnetzer (The Book Thief, Pride) and Toby Kebbell (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, The Sorcerer's Apprentice).

The premise starts on Draenor, homeworld of the orcs that is being torn apart by a mysterious force known as fel magic. With their planet seemingly dying, an orc warlock named Gul’dan, unites the orc clans into a Horde and creates a portal to another world (Azeroth) using the magic (drained from the lifeforce of captive Draenor natives). Unaware of what lies on the other side, Gul’dan leads a small band of orcs through the portal in advance of the Horde to capture and sacrifice prisoners on Azeroth to keep the portal open. This includes the noble Durotan (Kebbell) chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, his mate Draka (who is pregnant) and second-in-command Orgrim Doomhammer. When the Orcs arrive through the portal, Draka goes into labour, almost losing the baby but Gul’dan saves it with his dark magic, with them now in his debt. The Orcs proceed to raid several settlements throughout Azeroth, gaining the attention of Anduin Lothar (Femmel), commander of the army of the Stormwind Kingdom, who stumbles upon a young mage (Wizard) named Khadgar (Schnetzer) investigating the dead bodies and recognising the fel magic within them.

In response to this, King Llane Wrynn (Cooper) subsequently sends them to inform Medivh (Foster), the Guardian and chief mage of the magic’s presence. The three follow traces of the magic with a scouting team to try and discover who is behind the killings but are ambushed by the orcs. Medivh successfully defends the group but they also take a prisoner, a half-human half-orc named Garona (Patton), who defects to the humans and helps them to spy on the orcs camp. With war on the horizon and the danger of more Orcs being able to arrive through the portal, Durotan and his clan decide to try and strike up an alliance with the Stormwind Kingdom so both races can live peacefully in the realm. But things go awry when Gul’dan’s right-hand man Blackhand learns of this attempt and the humans learn there may be a traitor in their midst helping Gul’dan and the dark Orcs. As a battle ensues for the survival of both humanity and the Orcs, who will win? Or will everyone lose? You’ll just have to watch it to find out…

Despite overtaking Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time as the highest-grossing video game movie of all time, this film did not get the critical reception it deserved. Most of the negative press was pointed towards the story for not being accurate enough toward the games and too intricate and complicated. Fans of the games were also shown to be disappointed however, Brian Truitt (USA Today) noted that you don’t necessarily have to have played the games to enjoy the film, in fact, it is probably a much better watch if you haven’t. Truitt also went on to praise the performances of the cast, especially Kebbell, stating his performance “showcases the nuances of a father gripped by the no-win situation of having no home and his family in constant danger.” Having heard about but not played the games myself when I first watched this movie, I actually quite enjoyed it. A solid concept, stunning scenery, action and magic, what’s not to like? I can also say the CGI used to create the Orcs is among some of the best I’ve ever seen. It may not be fully accurate to the games but as a film in its own right it does well enough in my book and deserves a watch, which you can do anytime only on e-stream. View the intriguing trailer by clicking the link below:

 

So, there you have it, my expose on one of the most notorious film genres there is. As these four entries show however, there is hope on the horizon for video game movie adaptations. They’re not perfect but they are entertaining nonetheless and solid visualisation of what these worlds might look like in reality. Plus, with more on the way, who knows, maybe they will be the key to Hollywood’s survival?