24 APRIL 2018 By Eric Luse If comic book superheroes can reign supreme at the box office, why can’t video game heroes? Some of the greatest characters in pop culture have had their reputations tarnished by bad movie adaptations. One of the most infamous was in transferring Super Mario to the big screen in 1993. Most of the time these video game movies under-perform in the United States and end up doing well in other countries. Why don’t American audiences accept video game movies or why are video game movies so terrible? There’s a fundamental three act structure that American movies adhere to, which includes the Setup, Confrontation and Resolution. But the idea that this same structure of storytelling can be applied to any medium isn’t necessarily true. What works narratively for a book may be outright boring in a film. Stephen King is a brilliant writer, but filmmakers have a hard time adapting the majority of his work to the three-act structure of film. Video games suffer a similar fate. In speaking with avid gamers, they had specific ideas on the disconnect between source material and adaptation. “Most games don’t have enough story. They give you just enough that it gives you a reason to go along on the adventure,” said Mateo Hobbs, video game fan and up and coming filmmaker. “When you strip away the experiential part, it leaves the audience unfulfilled. Like going to buffet and watching the characters eat rather than getting to eat yourself.” With movies, it’s still a story you are being told as oppose to a game, which is a story you live through. Movies like Wreck-It-Ralph , Scott Pilgrim and Ready Player One utilize video game details with characters gaining extra lives and “Level- Ups” but are not adapted from any one game. 2013’s Gravity and 2015’s Hardcore Henry try to place you in the shoes of the main characters, the latter being completely POV. They still miss a key element that separates film and video games: choice. “What keeps you intrigued about a video game is being able to play it and control the outcome, and the storyline of the video game depends on you,” said gamer Tim Lamanna. “As a result, you feel you’re part of the story.” Jurassic Park still ends the same way every time you watch it. If you fall asleep during a Marvel movie, they still win the day...we assume. Video games place importance on the audience. The game is counting on you to finish and win. Some gamers accept the story structure barrier and wish filmmakers would be brave enough to stand proudly by the games they adapt. “The Warcraft movie worked because they did not shy away from the source material, they owned it” declared computer engineer and gamer, Matt Mulvaney. It seems possible to have filmmakers embrace video game movies the same way they have embraced the whimsical and sometimes silly world of Marvel comics. Even if this were the case, there’s still a fundamental difference in story language that will get lost in translation when adapting video games into motion pictures. The science fiction world of the bestselling book and now film, Ready Player One , imagines a world where video games and movies collide into an immersive adventure. It may not be too far off to imagine VR headset technology becoming the bridge between video games and movies. — Eric Luse was born in Boston and raised in Arizona. He has worked as a screenwriter, casting director, producer and actor in the independent film industry. He is the proud instructor of the Arcadia High School Film and TV program. REEL TALK Tomb Raider Each week children experience a different vacation adventure through arts & crafts, imaginative play, story time and more! Online Registration NOW OPEN! REGISTER ONLINE: www.staphxschool.org 4510 N 24th Street • Phoenix, AZ 85016 (602) 954-9088 Week Two: Out of This World (June 11-14) Week One: Mermaid Tails & Pirate Sails (June 4-7) Week Three: It’s a Bug’s Life (June 18-21) Week Four: Under the Big Top (June 25-28) Who: Children Ages 3-6 (Children must be able to use the bathroom INDEPENDENTLY) When: Mondays – Thursdays; 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Extended day (1 p.m. - 3 p.m.) available. Cost: Register for individual week sessions or for the entire 4 weeks. (Morning snack provided. Children bring lunch.) $25.00 non-refundable registration fee PLUS $140.00 per week per child OR $520.00 for 4 weeks per child ($40.00 savings!) Extended day add-on available for $15.00 per day. PARTNERS IN CARE Let us be your partner in care On staff nurse available 24/7 Healthy meals and snacks prepared daily Awake staff on-site 24/7 Small resident to staff ratio Daily on-site activities Private bedrooms and bathrooms Live music weekly Paradise Living Centers is dedicated to providing the best in luxury assisted living and respite care. Now open for new residents at our third location, located in historic Arcadia. Contact us to schedule a tour today! 480-878-4112 302 E Montecito Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85018 Three locations paradiselivingcenters.com ft
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