As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the success or failure of video game adaptations is often a precarious balancing act between authenticity and entertainment.
Discussing the upcoming video game adaptations in movies and TV series, it’s worth exploring the distinction between successful and unsuccessful transitions of franchises into these formats. For instance, Jeff Gardiner, producer of Fallout, recently shared his insights on why Amazon’s adaptation was successful compared to Borderlands falling short, and he presents compelling arguments.
The lesson we’re learning with video game adaptations is not all popular games will automatically become blockbuster successes. For instance, ‘Fallout’ recently broke records for the highest one-week viewership of any show on Amazon (according to Variety), whereas ‘Borderlands’ struggled in its initial release, overshadowed by the ongoing success of ‘Deadpool’ and ‘Wolverine’. Gardiner had this to say about these two franchises:
You have to have really compelling characters and a narrative that’s pulling you through, and those are also the things I remember most. Like I don’t remember all the rats I fought in turn-based Fallout, where I was like ‘Oh my god, it took me 20 minutes to kill a freaking rat, but I remember stories and elements. And you see that to this day, with the fall TV show being super successful right? And that was because, not even the characters [aside from a couple], but that setting and tone was enough connective tissue and glue for [director] Jonah Nolan and the showrunners to make an amazing series out of. And that speaks very well, because there was another movie released [recently], based on a more action-oriented game, which is a fantastic game – but man, that movie’s being pilloried.
On The Boss Rush Podcast, Jeff Gardiner, who’s known for his work on various Fallout games like Fallout 3, New Vegas, 4, 76, and Wastelanders, discussed what he believes contributed to the success of the recently released Amazon series. Since the podcast was recorded after the movie’s opening weekend, it’s plausible that the only relevant title he could be referring to is Borderlands, although he didn’t mention it explicitly.
Gardiner clarified that he hasn’t personally seen the “Borderlands” movie, and prefers not to blindly trust popular opinion. However, if the film’s dismal Rotten Tomatoes rating following unfavorable reviews from critics is any indication, it likely fell short of what viewers would expect from a “Borderlands” movie.
In Eric Eisenberg’s critique of TopMob’s “Borderlands”, he awarded the film a disappointing 1.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as a “terribly made movie” and expressing concern that it represents a significant misstep in the realm of video game adaptations. Regrettably, despite an impressive ensemble cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Ariana Greenblatt, the film failed to engage audiences.
The movie adaptation of Borderlands, it’s not the first instance where a video game has been improperly translated for the big screen. According to Gardiner, there is a delicate balance in treating the game’s content with a light touch, but not being too flippant about it would be key. He also emphasized that underplaying its significance would be a mistake as well.
1. I felt truly humbled to see Fallout executed so skillfully, as I had been quite apprehensive, given its unique and somewhat peculiar IP. If one isn’t familiar with the background of this IP, it can appear quite bizarre.
Absolutely, if not handled properly, the adaptation of Fallout might face a predicament similar to that of Borderlands. A common complaint about the film is its decision to avoid an R-rating despite the mature content in the game. You may draw your own comparisons. Currently, Fallout can be streamed for those with an Amazon subscription, while Borderlands is showing in cinemas and is available for rental or purchase digitally.
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2024-09-02 21:07