
Coydog
- Posts: 109
Join date: 2009-08-20
Age: 31
Location: Oklahoma
by Coydog on Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:58 am
I suspect PoP will be the greatest success a video game converted to cinema will have ever seen, and will likely become the yardstick by which all video game->movie conversions will be measured. Not that that is hard to do, the standard is pretty low.
I think the chief things to consider here are-
Funding- Say what you will about Disney, but they bring the dollars, which translates to better cast, better stunts, and better effects. While this doesn't always mean better movie, its usually a good clue.
Fanbase- The fanbase for previous movies based on video games has been almost exclusively kids or young adults. I think PoP's ancient status will attract a broader group, particularly older groups of players and former players.
Better/more original setting- The most recent attempts at video game based movies came have very...well-tread settings. Max Payne's noir appeal might have had more traction had it not been competing directly with other noir style films, in addition to being based off of something relatively obscure compared to Batman or Watchmen. A time travel fantasy caper set in medieval Persia is very unique, and this alone may attract some viewers.
Of course, none of this accounts for whether or not the movie will suck horribly, or its level of faithfulness to the video games. I suspect it will be fun to watch because Disney is looking for a repeat of the massive success they had with Pirates of the Carribean, so they'll be interested in making it an entertaining movie first, before they worry over whether or not its faithful to the video game, which is the best approach, in my opinion.
I doubt it will reach the level of mass popularity that PotC had, if for no other reason than Jake Gyllenhall does not have the screen presence or persona of Johnny Depp, but I bet it will be a worthwhile movie to watch, if not very good. I think it will also be key to let go of the expectation that it will be a scene by scene remake of the video game of the same name (why someone would want that I have no idea).