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Army Of Two – The Next Video Game Movie To Suck
A little while ago I wrote an article titled: “A History Of Failure – Why Video Game Movies Suck” where I basically laid out the history of all the theatrically released video game movies to date, how they all sucked, and why video game movie end up sucking. It got a lot of discussion going.
Anyway, the word on the street today is that the next video game movie destined to fail has now gotten the green light and is moving forward. The game is “Army Of Two” and is actually being penned by The Bourne Ultimatum co-writer Scott Z. Burns. The folks over at MovieWeb give us this:
Selling more than “1 million units since it launched in March” game is “a two-player action contest in which a pair of private military contractors fight their way through a web of intrigue. Because people experience the game in pairs, playing two guys who go against the world, Scott and I agreed this format presented an opportunity to make a great buddy film,” Burns stated.
I’m not going to go into all the various reasons I have no faith in these movies yet again, but does this game even have a built in audience? Quite frankly I haven’t even heard of this game until today (keep in mind, while I do play games, I’m not the most up to date gamer by any stretch of the imagination).
Have any of you guys played “Army of Two”. If so, what are your thoughts on it. Think it could (snicker snicker) make a good movie? Give us your thoughts.
For the heck of it, here’s the Army of Two game trailer:
I do agree that most VG movies suck. This but since movies and games can be subjective its hard to tell which will suck and which will be good because few had the look and potential to be great movies. Prince of Persia sounded terrible but after seening a few pics online it has potential. However, Ben Kingsley is i think the villian in the film and he looks terrible. So Army of Two if they do it right it could be a good film but seeing how hollywood still doesnt know well how to do it right I will not hold my breath for it. Oh and two people that should not make VG movies at all (Uwe Bowell, W.S. Anderson) because they try to make the movies more about what they want instead of what would be accepted by fan base and movie going audience.
First time poster here… but anyways… After the game trailer, I’d really like to see a movie..lol I like buddy films and one where they’re like the guys in game trailer would rock….
i dont know i would need more information before i desided on it
This game doesn’t even have the POTENTIAL to make a decent film adaption. It’s that bad as far as narrative and story elements go.
Pass…it would have to be something completely UNLIKE the game to succeed…but then I wouldn’t even consider it a video game film.
Never heard of this game, but the trailer was pretty funny. I like the premise of two squabbling super-soldiers messing around. Sounds like a good action-comedy.
This game was absolute crap. The story was horrific, the characters acted like MTV morons and even the co-op was handled horribly.
Why anyone wants to make this a movie is beyond me. The game doesn’t have a fanbase and there’s nothing unique about this property that would make a story need the IP to make a movie. It’s a crap premise.
man this game sucked so hard that people i know who bought it cant get rid of it to resellers for $5 casue they have to many copies of it..though i would agree maybe a movie would be cooler then the shitty game…but doesnt mean it will be good.
This will be the one to beark the steak…
A game you barely know of and comes out of the blue.
What about your own movie? Hows that going John?
I rented the game and didn’t really like it. I don’t see why it warrants a movie adaptation. There are other games that actually are good enough to make for a movie but I know they would just butcher the original story. I’ve been playing the Resistance 2 beta. That would make a good, epic movie. Massive Chimera (aliens) battle ships invading the United States during WW2. It’s a fun game.
I was going to buy this game on the first day but after i read the reviews i desided to pass on it not that it was a bad game but it wasen’t good either.
The only reasons most video game movies ’suck’, is because people go in with preconceived notions.
The only video game that can make a good film is Metal Gear Solid.
I thought the first Mortal Kombat movie was a lot of fun.
if they can keep the film light, goofy, and action packed then i think we may have a decent flick here. and the all videogame movies suck argument is getting old. yes most of the movies arent good, but declaring every new game movie as sucking before any news is given is dumb…..
Wow if they could make this movie half as good as the game it should be awesome. I work in Iraq for a civilian contractor and me and my buddy both served in the Marine and Played this game every time we had time off until we beat it(even staying up way to late to beat a level, and we are not gamers). The tempo of the game is never slow. The back to back sequenses were AWESOME. If they could actualy capture the style of the game and not mangle it then we are in for a good action shooter movie .
You know there’s always a chance it could not suck.
Is Uwe Boll directing this one?
Considering last time a movie was made concerning the Military-Industrial Complex was JFK (not including Why We Fight – A documentary) I think it could offer a great movie. I actually thought the game itself sucked. It seems like the story was written more for a movie than a game. If the movie were made, however, they would need to tone down the ridiculous amount of baddies. There is no way to sustain the amount of damage those two take, even with their level of armor, and still make a believable movie.
The relationship between the two characters, while not necessarily original, could make for some great jokes though. It definitely does in the game.
Goddamn it…why do they keep making shit movies of shit games?
I’ll tell you why…
Because first of all, they’re running out of good game franchises to bastardize. And second of all…you can’t hire a film script writer and write a script based on a video game that has barely any story to grasp anyway. If you’re going to make a game film…MAKE IT THRILLING! Don’t focus on drama, on characters, because in games they’re all cliched and we’ve seen it before. Focus on the action!
They should be getting the actual game writers together with the film writers anyway…SYNERGY people…SYNERGY!
So far (and this is pretty sad) the best adapted game-film has been Resident Evil 2.
The problem with most video game movies is that they’re picking the wrong video games to adapt into film. Why don’t they adapt Metal Gear Solid, a game that has a story which rivals most films.
You know most of the talk on video game movie is all negative and I can see why. But just like any other form of art. Everyone has an opinion. The people who make this movie see a vision (weather good or bad to us) and run with it. So if they feel it was a good Pease of work that’s all that matters. I will always support the arts no matter good bad or ugly. That’s how art is. Movies, paintings, drawings and sculptures. You may hink its ugly or imperfict. But others may think its a masterpiece. Opinions are like, well you know what.
I never heard of it.
Not that it matters. Let’s break it down:
* Some of the best game characters are inspired by films (such as Metal Gear Solid or Tekken) and some of the better video games themselves are inspired by films (such as Resident Evil, Max Payne). So when these are made *into* films of their own, they run a huge risk of being retread. (If it wasn’t for the Angels, Payne almost looks part Bourne in the trailer)
* Many games carbon copy each other. Is that pic above from the game? Give them another kind of helmet, and you have Spartans from Halo. Worse, if it wasn’t for an Angel or two, Max Payne’s trailer looks very close to that of last year’s Hitman. (aside from the above)
*Do we like watching video games-or playing them?
*The makers of the video games are less on adaptation and/or interpretation and more on being 100% faithful to the game. Is it by accident that the slightly more successful video games to films (in terms of box office, opening and staying power, not quality) tend to stray away from the game, but still keeping within the essence?
There is one film in development I know of which will do this: new story and characters but set up within the World Of Warcraft Remember this? And it goes into development limbo!
* The best chance is to focus on (a) character, and the film simply gives them a new story-adventure. It’s not 100% proof, but I note in increases the chances of the films. Behind Resident Evil, the most successful franchise (again, this has zip to do with quality) is Tomb Raider.
* I have heard this ill statement by many: “Well, adaptations from comic books and novels, some of them suck-why aren’t they held under the same microscope?”
This is because
1. Both comics and novels tell a story, either fiction or non-fiction;
2. Both comics and novels have fleshed out characters and an abundance thereof;
3. The folks that own the rights to those books don’t rule over adaptations with an iron clamp-they let an adaptation be an adaptation;
4. Those comic book characters and/or novels have been around for a few years. They get reprints, re-issues and still get read. The movies may come and go, but the novels and comics still get read. Video games? Not so much. Older games also don’t get re-issued. Updated, new games that tie in to the movie DO. Big difference.
5. A person can go out, ask someone if they know who Stephen King the author is, name of one his books. Someone will say yes and say the title of one of his books. Ask them if they know who Superman is. Someone will say yes. Ask them if they know what Army Of Two is. What’s that?
6. Some comic book characters have a history of 20+ years with multiple stories and situations, thus, there is a rich history to pick and choose from. Harry Potter has a series of novels. There are lots of material to adapt and pick from. Video Games are limited in such resources. I recall loving to play Asteroids when I was young. Galaga too. We know how to play those games, but there was never a ’story’. It was simple, much as it is today: kill or be killed, shoot at everything in sight, don’t stand still, how fast or blistered is your thumb.
The game was absolutely terrible. I’m sure the movie would be just as bad as well. I got bored within the first few minutes of the game.
I played this game the build up it recieved was immense but on playing it it was a really big dissapointment i cant belive that it would even connsider getting a movie. In my oppinion the only game that should get a movie is Gears of War
When will the insanity ever end?
When will the insanity ever end?
what a stupid choice for a video game movie. there really are tons of great games out there ripe for movie success. all we need is a deceant director and a good cast and we’d have a good one. thats why im allowing a glimmer of hope for bioshock which has one of the most disturbing, moving, and thought provoking stories ive ever seen. half life would also make a fantastic movie( actually i think a high budget tv series would be more fitting), same with halo. the fact that only crap games are chosen to be moviefied doesnt help either. bloodrayne? house of the dead? alone in the dark? the only good games theyve chosen are max payne, hitman and far cry and all of those films turned out not so great (far cry was a particular layer of filth, F*ck you Uve) hit man was the closest to a deceant videogame movie ive ever seen. i actually enjoyed it, found it to be very artistic and entertaining. anyway… dear lord please let bioshock be good!
I’m guessing the only reason they wanted a movie out of this is because the characters look bad ass. The game itself is empty, by the numbers shooters, hampered by terrible game play. I put it on yesterday after reading this article, been a while since I played it last time and was quick to take it out again. Such a horrible game.
The gaming concept has potential, not the story, there is none, but the game play, but it was so terribly designed that it fails on almost every level.
I thought they had testers to tell them if a game sucks or not.
You know, there’s always a chance. They could have just bought the rights so they could use the armor without copyright infringements, and character personalities. Two heavily armed smart-mouthed mercs out doing the dirty deeds in foreign countries for the highest payer. Could be interesting.
But there is a track-record for video games movies sucking big time. Seems the only good one to come out in recent years has been…POSTAL. And yes, i know the irony of that one. But the movie based upon a plotless video game and directed by Herr Boll was actually pretty damned entertaining.
That’s probably where video game movies fail. They have a plot to them and that just doesn’t translate well to screen ((at least by a movie studio)).
Hollywood needs to stop making video game movies. It just wastes of money and film
i’ve played the game and i can see some potential for a movie but there are a handful of other games i can think of that would carry over to a movie. Anybody played Call of Duty 4? the story line in that game would lend itself to a great movie. How about Gears of War? Cool story that can easily be adapted to a linear script. Army of Two? i wouldn’t look forward to it.
I think a lot of people are underestimating the potential of this VG movie. Although, I have played this game in passing, I found the story line and plot fun. There will always be a bunch of yinz out there who will be overly critical of such games, and that is fine, its your opinion. I feel that with EA and the writer from the bourne series, this film has a very decent shot. The story line has great potential and aligns itself with situation of the current conflict in warfare (i.e. Black Water and other Private Military Contractors, who want privatization) who profit from the on going conflicts and do so without any regulations or accountability. Almost as if they are above the law. Then you take two bad ass warriors and place them in an organization that at first seems to be doing things for the right reason, but after awhile things stop becoming so black and white, yet a wide area of grey. Anyway I see this being like a cross between Bourne series, meets shooter, with a splash of Bad Boys. I think it will be a good, captive, exciting flick.