Sundayโ€™s buzzy premiere of โ€œThe Last of Usโ€ on HBO inspired some thinking about other video game adaptations, which have often been maligned as unsuccessful, though in recent years theyโ€™ve gained more respect. "The Last of Us" went in the prestige TV direction, with Craig Mazin from โ€œChernobylโ€ collaborating with game creator Neil Druckmann on the gritty, grounded series starring Pedro Pascal as Joel, a man who has to transport a young girl, Ellie, (Bella Ramsey) through a post-apocalyptic America that has been decimated by a fungal zombie pandemic.

While โ€œThe Last of Usโ€ looks promising, that hasnโ€™t always been the case for video game-to-movie projects. The first movie based on a video game, 1993โ€™s โ€œSuper Mario Bros.โ€ starring the late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi, was a disaster both on the set and at the box office. In fact, itโ€™s not even streaming anywhere at the moment, though an animated โ€œThe Super Mario Bros. Movieโ€ is hitting theaters later this year (with the voice of Chris Pratt as Mario, mamma mia!).

Critically, most blockbuster video games havenโ€™t been successful, despite the pedigree of the filmmakers behind these projects. Just last year, another property by Naughty Dog, who produced โ€œThe Last of Usโ€ game, โ€œUncharted,โ€ finally received its long-developed movie adaptation, with Tom Holland taking on the role of treasure hunter Nathan Drake. Though the reviews werenโ€™t great, itโ€™s a pretty fun โ€œIndiana Jonesโ€ lite, and itโ€™s streaming on Netflix if youโ€™re in need of a globe-trotting romp that isnโ€™t too taxing.

Many of the best video game movies land in the lighthearted romp territory, like the recent animated adaptations of the popular mobile game โ€œAngry Birds,โ€ which spawned two supremely silly feature films in 2016 and 2019, featuring the voices of the best comedians in town. Rent them both on all digital platforms. The live-action/animated hybrid movies of the classic โ€œSonic the Hedgehogโ€ game have also been fun, due in large part to the irreverent attitude and a bravura performance from Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. Rent both on digital platforms, while the second is also available on Prime Video, Paramount+ and Epix.

While some game adaptations succeed by going quirky, like โ€œPokรฉmon: Detective Pikachuโ€ (2019) (rent on all platforms) and โ€œWerewolves Withinโ€ (2021) (streaming on Showtime), others go straightforward, attempting to create the look, feel and lore of the more mature games. Aussie auteur Justin Kurzel tackled the โ€œAssassinโ€™s Creedโ€ games in 2016 with an adaptation starring Michael Fassbender, and though the critics were harsh, the film is far more visually and thematically interesting than it gets credit for, with a prisoner relieving his memories and fighting in medieval Spain. Also released in 2016 was โ€œWarcraft,โ€ the adaptation of the massively multiplayer online role-player game โ€œWorld of Warcraft.โ€ That film was straightforward hardcore fantasy, filled with wizards and orcs. Itโ€™s a blast of goofy fun. Rent both on all digital platforms.

Of course we have to mention the classics, including the arcade game adaptation โ€œMortal Kombat,โ€ which inspired the tremendous theme song by The Immortals. Both the 1995 movie and 2021 remake/reboot, featuring a wealth of martial arts talent, are available to rent on all platforms. Then thereโ€™s of course the multiple adaptations of the โ€œTomb Raiderโ€ games, with a couple starring Angelina Jolie (both are on HBO Max) and a 2018 reboot starring Alicia Vikander that isnโ€™t half bad (rent it).

Though these video game adaptations range in approach, genre and quality, and many especially differ from the more high-brow, realistic approach that โ€œThe Last of Usโ€ boasts, itโ€™s fascinating to watch the evolution of the video game movie over the past three decades.

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