Gears of War — Video Game or Sci-Fi Blockbuster?
Microsoft Xbox' Mega-Hit Video Game Getting a Gears of War Movie
Nov 10, 2009
Gears of War, the popular video game series for the Xbox 360, will be yet another best-selling video game made into a science fiction film. The game's predecessors have met with mixed box office success and almost universally horrible reviews. Some video games have made fairly decent movies, with Resident Evil and Hitman topping the list but by no means excellent films.
The large majority of the video-games-turned-movies — Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, two Street Fighter movies, two Mortal Kombat movies, Wing Commander, two Final Fantasy films (both animated), House of the Dead (and its made-for-TV sequel), Alone in the Dark, two Tomb Raider flicks, Doom, Dead or Alive, two awful, awful BloodRayne movies, Silent Hill, the Resident Evil sequels, and Max Payne, to name a few — are just plain terrible. The acting is usually sub-par, the plots are never interesting, and the overall product is generally genuinely sloppy.
Yet, more video game movies are on the horizon. Resident Evil will return, and Tekken will try to break the fighting game curse of movie disasters. Others, like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Shadow of the Colossus show promise, if the right people actually put some time into devising a reasonable plot and recruiting a decent cast and crew.
As for Gears of War, however, the verdict is still out. Will it be a favorite or a flop?
New Line Cinema's Gears of War Moviein Pre-Production Status
According to Sci Fi Wire, Gears of War is getting close to production . . . finally. The film began its "in development" status "less than a year after the game became a smash hit on Xbox 360."
More specifically, GearsofWar.wikia.com reports that New Line Cinema purchased the film rights to Gears of War in March 2007. Australian screenwriter Stuart Beattie, whose resume includes the three Pirates of the Caribbean films, Collateral, Derailed, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, was initially pegged to pen Gears' script. Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey (Daddy Day Care, AVP: Aliens Versus Predator, Twilight), the film's producer, were named co-writers.
Since then, Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free and Die Hard) has signed on as director. Chris Morgan (Cellular, Wanted, Fast & Furious) rewrote the script, says Fred Topel of Sci Fi Wire. Per Topel, Billy Ray (Color of Night, Flightplan,State of Play) "has been hired to rewrite Morgan's script."
In Hollywood, one script plus two rewrites equals lots of money. It does not bode well for Gears of War, likely signaling a dismal script. With so much experienced writing talent involved, perhaps Godfrey is merely seeking perfection. His past movies, like Eragon and AVP: Aliens Versus Predator, do not lend credence to this theory.
Gears of War was originally slated to hit theaters in summer 2010. Given that production has yet to begin, this release date seems unlikely.
Can Gears of War's Plot and Characters Translate into a Quality Science Fiction Film?
Gears of War, the video game, is a third-person shooter (players look over the protagonist's shoulder as he blasts things to bits). In it, gamers play as Marcus Fenix, a grizzly soldier and member of Delta Squad. His team's mission is simple — kill all sorts of giant alien baddies and save the planet Sera from a very hostile takeover.
Can this plot translate into a good movie? Think Aliens, Starship Troopers, and Doom. These films sometimes work, sometimes sort of work, and other times fail miserably. They all depend on whether or not they are made by those with capable hands.
One thing is certain — Gears of War will require a heavy dose of CGI (computer-generated imagery). CGI can enhance films (e.g., The Lord of the Rings trilogy) or destroy them (e.g., Ang Lee's Hulk (2003)). The plastic rubber shark in Jaws and the baked potato in The Empire Strikes Back, both from more than 25 years ago, are more convincing special effects than some of the bad CGI in today's movies. Again, it all depends on capable hands.
Certainly, Gears of War has the failures of its predecessors to overcome. But it also has a lot of potential. Let's hope that potential isn't once again squandered.
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