'Mortal Kombat' to 'Lara Croft': Ranking the best movies based on video games

Adaptations haven't always got the formula right. Here, we round up the best and the worst of the lot

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  13. 'Super Mario Bros' (1993). This was the first film to be adapted from a popular video game, and as such, the 'Super Mario Bros' movie had the unfortunate task of making it clear what you could and couldn't do in an adaptation. The film barely resembled the games. The main character of Mario, played by Bob Hoskins, had the mustache and the red overalls but nothing else. The film's design was likened to 'Blade Runner' at times, which you don't expect when playing the side-scrolling platformer. IMDB rating: 4/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 21 per cent. Courtesy Buena Vista Pictures

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  12. 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' (2010). This was another video-game adaptation that turned out to be a total flop. The gritty historical adventure-fantasy that was a hallmark of the games was buried in a schlocky action flick that made little sense and was remarkable for having no Persian (or even Middle Eastern/Asian) actors in the lead roles. However, Ben Kingsley is always a pleasure to watch. IMDB rating: 6.6/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 37 per cent.

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  11. 'Warcraft' (2016). It’s hard to believe that 'Warcraft' was directed by the same creative force behind the critical indie darling 'Moon' (2009). Forget muted tones and subtle storytelling - this time round, British-American director Duncan Jones turned the colour palette up to 11 to deliver what must be one of the most visually stunning snorefests ever produced. Unfortunately, a built-in audience and great effects can only get you so far, even if you supplement it with a score by 'Game of Thrones' composer Ramin Djawadi. There’s a distinct lack of soul or a story that will keep you captivated for more than half an hour. This is a film that didn’t please casual audiences or fans of the video games - unless, for some reason, they happened to live in China, where, for some unknown reason, 'Warcraft' was a stunning success. (By Michael Coatzee) IMDB rating: 6.9/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 28 per cent. Courtesy Universal Pictures

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  10. 'Assassin's Creed' (2016). This hotly anticipated film starring Michael Fassbender unfortunately failed to deliver what was expected of it, neither at the box office nor to the game's fanbase. As is often the case with video games' film counterparts, the subtle pace and storyline of the game proved difficult to translate into a two-hour film, leaving newcomers to the franchise somewhat confused. Veteran gamers, on the other hand, found it tame and quite unsatisfying compared to the vast historic worldscape the series is known for. IMDB rating: 5.8/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 18 per cent. Courtesy 20th Century Fox

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  9. 'Hitman' (2007). The 'Hitman' film suffers from attempting to be flashy and pretentious. The source material the film is based on can be that at times, but it has more grounded moments. The plot suffers from being dull and emotionless and the performances follow suit. IMDB rating: 6.3/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 15 per cent. Courtesy 20th Century Fox

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  8. 'Need for Speed' (2014). The 'Need for Speed' racing series dates back to the early 1990s, but many fans will fondly remember the late '90s/early 2000s as the series' heyday. It comes as little surprise that the 2015 movie adaptation harks back to the high-octane, cross-country supercar racing of that period. Aaron Paul (of 'Breaking Bad' fame) puts in an electrifying, if not completely masterful, performance in a film that most movie goers would find quite odd, although fans of the games will notice the pace and vengeful storyline lifted from some of the more recent iterations of the game. IMDB rating: 6.5/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 22 per cent.

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  7. 'Street Fighter' (1994). The 'Street Fighter' movie also had a tough uphill battle. There was no clear formula for adapting video games into movies; no one in Hollywood knew what they wanted or needed to do. The film has since become a cult favourite and people have come to appreciate the excellent performance from stage thespian Raoul Julia as M Bison. Unfortunately, it was his last film, as he passed away from cancer shortly after release. IMDB rating: 3.9/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 11 per cent. Courtesy Universal Pictures

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  6. 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' (2001). The casting of Angelina Jolie as the titular Lara Croft gave this movie a lot of potential for success. The 'Tomb Raider' games were hugely popular in the late '90s, and it was time to cash in on the popularity with a big Hollywood blockbuster. What we got was a fun popcorn action thrill ride that the critics didn't particularly enjoy, but the fans liked it enough to warrant a sequel. IMDB rating: 5.8/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 20 per cent. Courtesy Paramount Pictures

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  5. 'Doom' (2005). 'Doom' was an absolute phenomenon in the early '90s. Alongside 'GoldenEye' on the N64, Doom played a huge role in popularising the first-person shooter genre. The film might have come slightly too long after the popularity of the game, but 'Doom' was still a household name in 2005. Pre-blockbuster-gold Dwayne Johnson stars in this horror sci-fi set in space. The movie doesn't quite reach the heights of 'Resident Evil' in terms of special effects and over-the-top acting, but it is still a lot of fun. There is a prolonged scene where our perspective as viewers becomes the same as that of the game, and it's probably the best scene in the movie. IMDB rating: 5.2/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 19 per cent. Courtesy Universal Pictures

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  4. 'Resident Evil' (2002). The 'Resident Evil' franchise amassed a huge following after the success of its second entry, 'Resident Evil 2'. The film adaptation was helmed by Paul W S Anderson, who also directed 'Mortal Kombat', making him an ideal candidate based on his experience with video-game adaptation, as well as horror-movie direction. His movie 'Event Horizon' is a cult classic today, and has many loving fans. The 'Resident Evil' movie usually divides opinion; it is enjoyed by people who don't have any attachment to the games, but fans of the games don't particularly like it. The success of the film spawned a long line of sequels that always seemed to do well in the box office, unfortunately none of which are as good as this film. IMDB rating: 6.7/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 35 per cent. Courtesy Sony Pictures

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  3. 'Rampage' (2018). It is widely accepted that Dwayne 'The Rock'Johnson is box-office gold - chuck his name into the mix and you're sure to end up with a hit. 'Rampage' is a good example of this. The movie is an adaptation of a popular arcade game where you control a large ape and essentially go on a 'rampage'. The film delivers on what you expect of it, and the large action scenes were worth going to the cinema for. A good experience all in all. IMDB rating: 6.1/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating 52 per cent: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

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  2. 'Silent Hill' (2006). The 'Silent Hill' adaptation has had an interesting journey since it came out 13 years ago. The film wasn't particularly appreciated by fans or critics of the genre, but over time, both have come to like the film and see its merits. As an adaptation, it does very well to emulate the creepy vibe of the games. The sequel, however, did not enjoy the same journey. If anything, the sequel's weakness only helped prove that the first is much better by comparison. IMDB rating: 6.6/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 31 per cent. Courtesy Sony Pictures

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  1. 'Mortal Kombat' (1995). When the 'Mortal Kombat' game was released, it quickly became the most popular in every arcade. The gory fighting proved so exciting for kids, that the current game classification system was created as a reaction to its popularity. The movie that followed wasn't as bad as the ratings might have you imagine. Following the basic story line of the game, the fighters compete in a tournament for the fate of the world. There is an admirable attempt at faithful representations of the characters, and we do see most of them here. A special shout-out to the theme song. IMDB rating: 5.8/10. Rotten Tomatoes rating: 46 per cent. Courtesy New Line Cinema

Cinema and video games have tried to meld since gaming became a global phenomenon in the 1990s. While game developers managed to make their games more cinematic, movies based on video games have yet to achieve an acceptable level of success.

Some films adapted from video games still manage to remind the viewers of how much they enjoyed playing the game, or at least get non-gamers interested in playing.

In this list, we rank 13 major video-game adaptations, taking into account the film's quality, its fun factor, how close is it to the source material and how much potential it had.

Scroll through the gallery above to see a ranking of 13 movie-game adaptions.

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