5 Worst Video Game Movies Of All Time, Ranked

While fans are enjoying acclaimed video game adaptations in film and television now, there is an extensively tragic history of video game movies. For much of the ’90s and 2000s, it felt like a foregone conclusion that a movie being based on a video game property would feature shoddy quality overall. No matter how popular the game, translating its story to the screen seemed doomed to inevitable failure. It would be a long time before video game movies grew past their notorious reputation, and we’re immensely grateful that they have.

That all said, we’re here to revisit some of the most abysmal movies that had the misfortune of being game adaptations. These aren’t the movies like 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.” or 1994’s “Street Fighter” that have their own backwards charm. Instead, these are the movies that not only stunk in the cinema but tainted their respective franchises for years. Here are the five worst video game movies of all time, just completely missing the point and appeal of the source material.

After the successful reception to 1995’s “Mortal Kombat,” a sequel was fast-tracked into production, with filming starting less than a year after the original movie’s release. This meant much of the first movie’s cast and crew were unable to reprise their roles for what became titled “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.” Picking up the story immediately after the end of the preceding movie, the Outworld emperor Shao Kahn (Brian Thompson) launches an invasion of Earthrealm, as Rayden (James Remar) and Liu Kang (Robin Shou) retreat to gather reinforcements and repel the invaders.

With so little time to prepare between movies and the glaring absence of key figures from the first film’s production, 1997’s “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” is so bad that it’s hilarious. The existing cast and crew do their darnedest to make a cohesive sequel, but the whole thing feels like a glorified made-for-television movie at best. Full of cringe-worthy acting, cheap sets, and a weird camera style that distracts from the movie itself, this is a case study on how to kill a cinematic franchise. For those who understandably haven’t experienced it yet, “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” really is that bad, and you’re welcome to watch it if you don’t believe us.

One of the biggest cult classic sci-fi franchises for PCs in the ’90s was “Wing Commander,” created by Chris Roberts. The story is set in a future where humanity has begun colonizing the cosmos and coming into conflict with the feline-like Kilrathi Empire. Roberts went on to direct 1999’s “Wing Commander,” a live-action adaptation of the game series, starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. as franchise protagonist Christopher Blair. In the movie, Blair and his squadron move to buy time for Earth to prepare its defenses when the Kilrathi discover the planet’s location.

The movie’s low budget is apparent throughout the film, largely confined to cheap interior sets, while the space battles the franchise is known for are hampered by bargain-bin special effects. The designs, including that of the Kilrathi, are significantly altered from the game while the movie adds the head-scratching concept that Blair can “feel” space, explaining his prodigious piloting skills. The cast feel like they’re aware they’re in a piece of junk based on their performances, with Prinze referring to it as his worst project the year after its release. Prinze’s assessment is correct, because no one comes out of “Wing Commander” looking good, while the franchise itself only sporadically released spin-off games after the movie’s failure.

1994’s “Street Fighter” is a divisive entry in the wider story of Capcom’s fighting game franchise, but it has a certain charm to it. 2009’s “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li,” however, is the real deal when it comes to unwatchable video game movies. This cinematic interpretation of the classic game series stars Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li, who seeks revenge on the international crime syndicate Shadaloo after it targets her family. Working with Interpol and training under the martial arts master Gen (Robin Shou), Chun-Li moves to confront the criminal mastermind M. Bison (Neal McDonough).

From multiple miscast roles to a generally uninspired story, “The Legend of Chun-Li” is arguably the weakest thing linked to the larger “Street Fighter” brand. The fights are languidly staged, the connections to the franchise’s main story feel forced and rushed, and the whole movie feels like it was made on a shoestring budget. To top it all off, Bison is presented with a head-scratching Irish accent for some reason, exemplifying the bizarre creative choices made for this adaptation. Fighting game movies have a particularly poor track record of being translated into movies, and “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li” sets a new low for this tradition.

If you thought the “Resident Evil” movies got the video game source material wrong, 2003’s “House of the Dead” makes them seem like faithful masterpieces. Based on the arcade horror shooter franchise from Sega, the movie centers on a rave located on an island off the coast of Seattle. A group of five friends arrive at the rave late, only to find it overrun by zombies created by the island’s resident mad scientist Castillo Sermano (David Palffy). Locating a small armory, the survivors shoot their way through the zombie hordes and raid Castillo’s hideout.

Directed by the notoriously maladroit Uwe Boll, “House of the Dead” is a prime example of critics pejoratively comparing a movie to looking like an extended music video. With its frenzied editing, unusual color grading and lens filters, and awkward attempts at instilling a striking visual style, the movie is just a mess. This comes on top of a lame story, ineptly staged zombie action, and performances that couldn’t cut it on a daytime soap opera. Rather than viewing this absolutely turgid experience, you’re better off playing the “House of the Dead” remakes if you want to revisit the franchise.

Just an entire list of video game movies directed by Uwe Boll alone would provide enough material for this article. The nadir of his filmmaking career, regardless of source material, is 2005’s “Alone in the Dark.” A very loose adaptation of the 2001 horror game “Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare,” the movie stars Christian Slater as paranormal investigator Edward Carnby. While Carnby visits his museum curator girlfriend Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid), an ancient evil is unleashed from an artifact, putting everyone at the museum in grave danger.

“Alone in the Dark” holds the distinction of being the worst-rated video game movie of all time on Metacritic, a reputation that’s well-earned. Just about every aspect of the movie is an all-around failure, from its convoluted plot and abysmal cinematography to its laughable excuse for action sequences. None of the cast wants to be there, delivering their characters’ dialogue with the enthusiasm of someone serving a Saturday detention. A thoroughly shoddy piece of work, “Alone in the Dark” has to be seen to be believed.