Look, there are many things you can do with video games, and one of the beautiful things about video games is that they can be adapted into various other properties. For example, Sonic The Hedgehog is arguably one of the most successful video game characters ever not just because of his video game franchise, but because of the fact he’s been adapted into now two successful live-action movies, a slew of TV shows, and has the longest-running comic book adaptation ever. Which shows that people REALLY loves their Sonic. But, there is a limit to this kind of thing, and we’ve seen so many video game properties get adapted into things that are…questionable at best. And this leads us…to Pac-Man.
Why is that? Because Pac-Man is apparently going to get a live-action movie via Bandai Namco. We’re not lying when we say that this is all the information that is being given out right now about the movie. But the fact that it’s happening at all and in this currently time period is arguably a bit insane!
Why is that? Well, let’s break it down from a simple level. What is the main point of the games? Well, if you’re playing the arcade versions of the title, you’re going around a maze trying to eat up all the pellets while also trying to kill ghosts or avoid getting eaten by them, right? So, how exactly are you going to adapt that to the big screen?
Second, you have the 3D Pac titles where you have more of a platformer feel and thus Pac-Man jumps around and gets to be more like Mario and Sonic. But those aren’t exactly the most popular of the franchise titles, now are they? We bet you can’t even name a few of those 3D games.
It should be noted that like Mario and Sonic, Pac-Man has had some cartoon adaptations, but do you remember them? Likely not. What’s more, Pac-Man was in one movie (via the vile film Pixels…seriously, it was bad), and Wreck-It Ralph (which was great), but he wasn’t exactly a main character there, he was more of a cameo.
If it sounds like we’re “raging against the machine here”, it’s partially because we are. Mainly because there have been SO MANY bad video game adaptations out there, and we’re likely going to get more going down the road. Even ones that should have been easier to adapt like with Uncharted or Tomb Raider at times tripped over its own feet and attempted to be something it didn’t need to be.
Could the movie surprise us? Sure, anything’s possible. But we’ll need to see more proof that it COULD be good before we ever go and see it in theaters.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
