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(Photo by Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3.)
The latest: R.I.P. video game movie curse (1993-2024): Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is Certified Fresh! While the cracks on the seal began appearing with 2021’s excellent Werewolves Within, that comedy is based on a virtually unknown VR gaming property. With Sonic 3 ringing up Certified Fresh with critics, it becomes the first major video game movie to ever hit this special stage, going all the way back since they started coming out the pipe with ’90s cult disaster Super Mario Bros.
It was in 1993 that Hollywood realized the dream of putting a video game movie up on the big screen with Super Mario Bros., and setting the stage for a long legacy of questionable choices, troubled productions, and gamers’ pixel tears left in their wake. But like the kid who just has to pump in one more quarter to reach for that high score, the studios keep on trying (while the fans just keep on hoping), and we’re celebrating that sort of sheer tenacity with this guide to the best video game movies (and plenty of the worst) ranked by Tomatometer!
Here, you will find the near-decent (Rampage, Resident Evil), the should’ve-been-goods (Assassin’s Creed, Warcraft), the ridiculous-but-we-love-thems (Mortal Kombat, Silent Hill), and the ones made by Uwe Boll, who deserves his own category (Alone in the Dark, House of the Dead). We’re using a 20-review minimum cutoff for inclusion from theatrical releases only, because it’s not just enough to make a questionable movie, critics need to witness the aftermath, too.
And in May 2019, Detective Pikachu officially broke the video game curse! Fitting that Nintendo, whose Super Mario Bros. movie started all this trouble, would be the one to end it. And in another surprise 2019 development, the second Angry Birds movie has slingshot the naysayers by racking up plenty of critical praise, toppling Pikachu mere months after its release.
Then in 2020, when it didn’t seem it had a chili dog’s chance in hell, Sonic the Hedgehog to general critics enthusiasm, marking three Fresh video game movies in two years. And then, in 2021, Werewolves Within went Certified Fresh, establishing it as by-far the best-reviewed video game movie!
2023’s The Super Mario Bros. dives back to familiar territory for this genre, which seems like it will perpetually dance on the edge of Freshdom. Also from that year: Gran Turismo, based on the long-running hardcore sim from Sony, and which the poster really, totally wants to make sure you know it’s BASED ON A TRUE STORY. Then Five Nights at Freddy sliced up some horror for Saw-lite thrills.
See all the high scores (and lots and lots of the lows) with our guide to video game movies ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh film(s) first!
#1
Adjusted Score: 92969%
Synopsis: After a proposed pipeline creates divisions within the small town of Beaverfield, and a snowstorm traps its residents together inside... [More]
#2
Adjusted Score: 90744%
Synopsis: Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and... [More]
#3
Adjusted Score: 77099%
Synopsis: Red, Chuck, Bomb and the rest of their feathered friends are surprised when a green pig suggests that they put... [More]
#4
Adjusted Score: 78695%
Synopsis: The world's favorite blue hedgehog is back for a next-level adventure in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2. After settling in Green... [More]
#5
Adjusted Score: 84735%
Synopsis: Ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son, Tim, to find out what happened. Aiding in the... [More]
#6
Adjusted Score: 77707%
Synopsis: Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran... [More]
#7
Adjusted Score: 78577%
Synopsis: The world needed a hero -- it got a hedgehog. Powered with incredible speed, Sonic embraces his new home on... [More]
#8
Adjusted Score: 75134%
Synopsis: Mario and Luigi go on a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom, uniting with a cast of familiar characters to defeat... [More]
#9
Adjusted Score: 70100%
Synopsis: In "Mortal Kombat," MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage--or why... [More]
#10
Adjusted Score: 70067%
Synopsis: Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished years earlier. Hoping to solve the mystery... [More]
#11
Adjusted Score: 66537%
Synopsis: Primatologist Davis Okoye shares an unshakable bond with George, an extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla that's been in his care since... [More]
#12
Adjusted Score: 49781%
Synopsis: Lord Rayden (Christopher Lambert) handpicks three martial artists -- federal agent Sonya Blade (Bridgette Wilson), Shaolin monk Lui Kang (Robin... [More]
#13
Adjusted Score: 51214%
Synopsis: Flightless birds lead a mostly happy existence, except for Red (Jason Sudeikis), who just can't get past the daily annoyances... [More]
#14
Adjusted Score: 49047%
Synopsis: Blurring the lines between reality and computer animation, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is the first feature-length motion picture that... [More]
#15
Adjusted Score: 49181%
Synopsis: Behind our world, there is another -- a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly... [More]
#16
Adjusted Score: 55576%
Synopsis: Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a... [More]
#17
Adjusted Score: 42236%
Synopsis: The T-virus unleashed by the evil Umbrella Corp. has spread to every corner of the globe, infesting the planet with... [More]
#18
Adjusted Score: 46313%
Synopsis: In the holy city of Alamut resides the Sands of Time, which gives mortals the power to turn back time.... [More]
#19
Adjusted Score: 40128%
Synopsis: Based on the popular video game, Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez star as the leaders of a commando team who... [More]
#20
Adjusted Score: 34078%
Synopsis: Four beautiful rivals at an invitation-only martial-arts tournament join forces against a sinister threat. Princess Kasumi (Devon Aoki) is an... [More]
#21
Adjusted Score: 43805%
Synopsis: The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. While spending his first night... [More]
#22
Adjusted Score: 35940%
Synopsis: Unable to accept the fact that her daughter is dying, Rose (Radha Mitchell) decides to take the girl to a... [More]
#23
Adjusted Score: 33879%
Synopsis: Returning to the origins of the massively popular RESIDENT EVIL franchise, fan and filmmaker Johannes Roberts brings the games to... [More]
#24
Adjusted Score: 39859%
Synopsis: Looking to escape from his dying world, the orc shaman Gul'dan utilizes dark magic to open a portal to the... [More]
#25
Adjusted Score: 32575%
Synopsis: Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) rescue Princess Daisy from King Koopa (Dennis Hopper) and the Goombas... [More]
#26
Adjusted Score: 30855%
Synopsis: As Umbrella Corp.'s deadly T-virus continues to turn the world's population into legions of flesh-eating zombies, Alice (Milla Jovovich), the... [More]
#27
Adjusted Score: 29966%
Synopsis: Fearless explorer Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) tries to locate Pandora's box before criminals Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) and Chen Lo... [More]
#28
Adjusted Score: 27544%
Synopsis: Captured by the Umbrella Corp., Alice (Milla Jovovich) receives genetic alterations that leave her with superhuman abilities. Hiding out in... [More]
#29
Adjusted Score: 31490%
Synopsis: Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a mechanic, races muscle cars in an underground circuit. Struggling to keep his business afloat, he... [More]
#30
Adjusted Score: 25210%
Synopsis: Ratchet is the last of his kind, a foolhardy lombax who grew up without a family. Clank is a pint-sized... [More]
#31
Adjusted Score: 24840%
Synopsis: In a world overrun with the walking dead, Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues her battle against Umbrella Corp., rounding up survivors... [More]
#32
Adjusted Score: 25798%
Synopsis: This live action feature is inspired by the most successful interactive video-game character in history -- Lara Croft. Beautiful and... [More]
#33
Adjusted Score: 21294%
Synopsis: Young Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum and his loyal friends journey to the beautiful mountain town of Greenfield, where they will... [More]
#34
Adjusted Score: 21992%
Synopsis: A deadly virus from a secret Umbrella Corporation laboratory underneath Raccoon City is exposed to the world. Umbrella seals off... [More]
#35
Adjusted Score: 21129%
Synopsis: Ash's adventure begins when a powerful storm beaches him and his friends on Shamouti Island just as the islanders are... [More]
#36
Adjusted Score: 19681%
Synopsis: Two thieves go to an island city to steal a giant jewel that was once used to defend the canal... [More]
#37
Adjusted Score: 29602%
Synopsis: Cal Lynch travels back in time to 15th-century Spain through a revolutionary technology that unlocks the genetic memories contained in... [More]
#38
Adjusted Score: 22683%
Synopsis: A team of space marines known as the Rapid Response Tactical Squad, led by Sarge (Karl Urban), is sent to... [More]
#39
Adjusted Score: 21149%
Synopsis: After the murders of his family and his partner, maverick cop Max (Mark Wahlberg) becomes hell-bent on revenge. Teamed with... [More]
#40
Adjusted Score: 19679%
Synopsis: A professional assassin known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) gets caught up in a dangerous political takeover. He flees... [More]
#41
Adjusted Score: 21347%
Synopsis: Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu face Mewtwo, a bioengineered Pokémon, and the super-Pokémon it has created. With short "Pikachu's Vacation."... [More]
#42
Adjusted Score: 16488%
Synopsis: Ash and his friends travel to an island to search for a rare species of Pokemon that has the power... [More]
#43
Adjusted Score: 13673%
Synopsis: Gen. Bison (Raul Julia), the evil dictator of Shadaloo, captures a busload of relief workers and holds them for ransom.... [More]
#44
Adjusted Score: 11915%
Synopsis: A space pilot (Freddie Prinze Jr.) with an encoded message, his sidekick (Matthew Lillard) and their superior (Saffron Burrows) fight... [More]
#45
Adjusted Score: 10025%
Synopsis: A phony cult leader (Dave Foley) hires a jobless trailer-park denizen (Zack Ward) to help him carry out his plot... [More]
#46
Adjusted Score: 13836%
Synopsis: Genetically engineered from conception to be the perfect killing machine, he's the culmination of decades of research, endowed with unprecedented... [More]
#47
Adjusted Score: 10074%
Synopsis: For many years, Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens) and her father, Harry (Sean Bean), have been on the run from dangerous... [More]
#48
Adjusted Score: 20358%
Synopsis: Lilith (Cate Blanchett), an infamous bounty hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home, Pandora, the most chaotic... [More]
#49
Adjusted Score: 7007%
Synopsis: Every generation, a portal opens up between the Outerworld and Earth. Emperor Shao-Kahn (Brian Thompson), ruler of the mythical Outerworld,... [More]
#50
Adjusted Score: 5163%
Synopsis: In 18th-century Romania, after spending much of her life in a traveling circus, human-vampire hybrid Rayne (Kristanna Loken) escapes and... [More]
#51
Adjusted Score: 5295%
Synopsis: As war looms in an idyllic kingdom, a man named Farmer (Jason Statham) begins a heroic quest to find his... [More]
#52
Adjusted Score: 4741%
Synopsis: In Bangkok, Bison (Neal McDonough), a crime boss, and his henchmen (Michael Clarke Duncan, Josie Ho, Taboo) begin a bid... [More]
#53
Adjusted Score: 4362%
Synopsis: Simon (Tyron Leitso) and Greg (Will Sanderson) meet a group of friends and set out to attend a rave on... [More]
#54
Adjusted Score: 5047%
Synopsis: When the investigations of supernatural detective Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) lead him to uncover a long-lost tribe called the Abskani,... [More]
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