Comic book movies once struggled to find an audience, but they've never been as consistently bad as the majority of video game adaptations. Even the best titles have made for terrible blockbusters over the years, but recently, things have started to look up both in film and on television.
In this feature, we're taking a look at the 10 greatest video game movies and TV shows ever made, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Not as many of them as you might think have been deemed "Rotten," and with The Last of Us set to hit HBO this Sunday, we're sure you'll be interested to find out where that lands.
While comic book adaptations continue to dominate Hollywood, this genre may soon serve as competition, particularly with the likes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and God of War on the way. For now, though, this list makes for very interesting reading indeed.
To take a look through this ranking, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button below!
10. Tomb Raider
Score: 53%
Fresh Or Rotten? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Tomb Raider reboots the franchise with a more grounded approach and a star who's clearly more than up to the task -- neither of which are well served by an uninspired origin story.
The recent Tomb Raider games have attempted to put a grounded spin on Lara Croft's origin story, and this movie went down a similar route. Unfortunately, like the series it's based on, that didn't prove to be particularly interesting.
On the plus side, Alicia Vikander was great in the role, and it was still miles ahead of other video game adaptations that came out around that time, including Warcraft and Assassin's Creed. Sadly, sequel plans have since been scrapped.
9. Mortal Kombat
Score: 54%
Fresh Or Rotten? Rotten
Critics Consensus: Largely for fans of the source material but far from fatal(ity) flawed, Mortal Kombat revives the franchise in appropriately violent fashion.
The Mortal Kombat franchise has always struggled on screen, though we're not entirely sure why. After all, there's a really rich mythology there and those epic Fatalities are begging to be adapted for an R-Rated blockbuster.
This 2021 effort gave it a good try, and while it was far from a great movie (it was downright dreadful at times), there was plenty here for fans to love. Hopefully, the planned sequel is able to perfect the formula.
8. Sonic The Hedgehog
Score: 63%
Fresh Or Rotten? Fresh
Critics Consensus: Fittingly fleet and frequently fun, Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game-inspired adventure the whole family can enjoy -- and a fine excuse for Jim Carrey to tap into the manic energy that launched his career.
When the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog was released, fans were horrified to see that the title character has been redesigned. His creepy new look went viral, and Paramount smartly decided to delay the movie in order to get that right.
As a result, when it was released, no one commented on Sonic's look, and instead focused on Jim Carrey's memorable performance and what proved to be a genuinely fun live-action blockbuster.
7. Detective Pikachu
Score: 68%
Fresh Or Rotten? Fresh
Critics Consensus: Pokémon Detective Pikachu may not take its wonderfully bizarre premise as far as it could have, but this offbeat adaptation should catch most -- if not all -- of the franchise's fans.
There was a huge amount of excitement surrounding Legendary's plans for a live-action Pokémon movie, but everyone's anticipation fell when it was revealed to be...Detective Pikachu.
Why not tell the story of Ash Ketchum or another trainer rather than a talking Pikachu? We still don't have the answer to that question, but this movie was a blast, and did a wonderful job of bringing the Pokémon world to life.
6. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Score: 69%
Fresh Or Rotten? Fresh
Critics Consensus: It isn't as much fun as the little blue guy's greatest games, but if you enjoyed the first film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 serves as a generally acceptable sequel.
With the first movie proving itself a hit, the Sonic the Hedgehog sequel went all out and embraced the games in a big way. Perhaps a little too busy with Knuckles, Tails, and a returning Eggman, it was still a worthy follow-up.
We actually think the score above is a little low, but understand this franchise isn't to everyone's liking. Hopefully, the third instalment can learn from the first two chapters in order to really excel.