Media literacy, the skill of evaluating and understanding the messages conveyed through mass media, is essential in all areas of entertainment. As film corporations release movies yearly, the standard for production has gradually increased. Primarily in recent years, the momentum of video game movies has quickly risen with the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and the Sonic movies. Fans of these notorious installments debate the correlation between the game and the film. Some believe it’s better to set aside nostalgia and focus on appealing to the new generation, while others believe the directors should collaborate with the original creators and incorporate references that were originally in the game. Production companies have developed ways to satisfy both viewpoints.
Five Nights at Freddy’s, better known by the online community as FNAF is a horror franchise centered around a thriller-themed pizza establishment similar to Chuck E. Cheese. Four animatronic animals, possessed by the spirits of children, attempt to capture the main character. Throughout the 11 published games, a plethora of content creators have risen to popularity by uploading gameplay. Prominent examples include YouTubers CoryXKenshin and MatPat. With the production of the FNAF movie beginning on February 1st, 2023, fans held studio Blumhouse to a high standard of community feedback. Director Emma Tammi understood the value of her fans and co-wrote the screenplay with the original game creator, Scott Cawthon. This was interesting because, before this movie, Scott had never shown his face. However, he made an exception to please fans of the film. Additionally, the production company released a trailer featuring CoryXKenshin acting as a taxi driver. This received a lot of positive media attention, which greatly contributed to the movie’s success. When the movie was released, MatPat made a surprise appearance and stated his infamous line, “It’s just a theory.” One way Blumhouse catered to newer fans was by casting renowned actor Matthew Lillard. Furthermore, they included visual elements that would appeal to younger audiences. The movie received nominations for a total of 22 awards and was highly recognized by the gaming community.
Regarded by some as the “greatest video game character ever”, Mario has been prominent since the 1990s. He’s an Italian plumber created by Nintendo who resides in the “Mushroom Kingdom” and is responsible for saving the princess from the evil Koopa turtle, Bowser. This is done with the help of mystical power-ups and allies such as Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi. In contrast to the previous game, Mario has bright elements and a wide variety of game designs. These include Mario Kart, Mario Party, and various Mario sports. When discussions of the Super Mario Bros. Movie began in 2018, fans were ecstatic about the endless possibilities the movie could explore. Released in April 2023, renowned studio Illumination added many references to the original games. For instance, infamous rival Donkey Kong battled Mario in a scene that also included popular characters such as Diddy Kong, Cranky Kong, and Dixie Kong. Following this, the characters participated in a race-style battle, much like the original Mario Kart games. These moments piqued fan interest, allowing the movie to receive an IMDb score of 7/10. For the newer fanbase, directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic provided context behind the original plumber’s career and family. Moreover, famous actors Chris Pratt and Jack Black made appearances portraying Mario and Bowser. This sparked some controversy within the community as fans wished for Charles Martinet (the original voice of Mario) to be involved. However, a settlement was reached as Charles explained that he had retired and was focusing on himself. Overall, the production of the movie was versatile and scored highly at the box office.
Following the success of Mario, rival company Sega introduced Sonic the Hedgehog. Known for his incredible speed, Sonic starred in many platforming-style games centered around obtaining the seven Chaos Emeralds to defeat Dr. Eggman. Prominent allied characters in this series include Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. In contrast to the other two movies, the first Sonic movie was highly ridiculed. This was primarily due to Paramount Picture’s design of Sonic himself. He didn’t quite resemble the original game character, which left fans disappointed. After receiving a large amount of negative media feedback, director Jeff Fowler and the production team spent an extra two months redesigning the character. As a result, fans appreciated their dedication and gave the movie a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2022, the second Sonic movie was released, which featured the original characters, Tails and Knuckles. Infamous hip-hop artist Kid Cudi was featured on the soundtrack, which both old and new fans were fond of. Concluding the series, a final trilogy movie is set to be released on December 20th. Trailers for this movie have included moments from previous games, including Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog. To raise popularity among those who aren’t familiar with these games, Paramount casted Keanu Reeves as the voice of Shadow. This also sparked the interest of those who watched the two prior movies, as the movie version of Sonic references the actor by saying “Yes, Keanu. You’re a national treasure.” This line of dialogue demonstrates the impact that Kenau has had on the Paramount team and its fans. Overall, the trilogy has received loads of community feedback from both video game and film fans.
The growing trend of video game adaptations into movies has been met with a mix of applause and criticism. The films mentioned above have successfully navigated the challenges posed by media literacy. The involvement of well-known actors, the inclusion of nostalgic moments, and the use of visually appealing elements have all played critical roles in their positive reception. As the genre continues to evolve, the future of video game movies is likely to amplify these factors even further.
