ROTTEN TOMATOES: BioShock Movie in the Works? Comments

BioShock Movie in the Works?

by Jeff Giles | January 11, 2008

Summary

Ah, videogame adaptations. Critics hate them, audiences mostly ignore them...and yet the studios can't seem to get enough of them, which is why -- if the latest rumors are correct -- BioShock could be coming to a theater near you. Back to Article

(21-40 of 77 posts) | Reply

skatalite writes:
on Jan 11 2008 08:14 AM

"Bioshock is a first person shooter set in an alternative version of the year 1960."

This makes me sad... It's set in the 1940s. This is an omen.

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Pengoo writes:
on Jan 11 2008 08:26 AM

As someone else mentioned, there are only two problems with this:
1. The main character doesn't speak very often.
2. I'm sure they'll screw it up just like every other videogame movie and rather than using the fantastic story from the first one, they'll make some lame prequel movie with a kick-*** hero, a pre-requisite love interest, terrile dialouge and one-liners, etc.

Although now that I think about it, having a prequel to the game (basically include all the characters from the recorders but this time make the events real-time) could be really interesting to watch and really hammer home what actually happened on Rapture.

Either way I'd rather just see the game made into a movie where all they did was cut a ton of fight scenes and put in minimal dialogue for the main character...the plot twist is still too good to let go.

(Reply to this)

deneco4 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 08:33 AM

havent beaten the game yet. too slow paced.

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The Tony Show writes:
on Jan 11 2008 08:40 AM

In reply to this comment (#1453195)
It's also ridiculous to refer to this as a "First Person Shooter", since you have the choice of barely using guns at all. It does have a first person viewpoint, but shooting is far from the focus of the game.

An earlier poster hit the nail on the head about game adaptations: They never stick with the good, already established story, but instead make it some ridiculous "spinoff" that has practically nothing to do with the games. I suppose people think that no one would go to the movie if they already knew how it ended, but that logic goes right out the window when you look at the grosses from Lord of the Rings. Hell, look at Titanic- we all know the boat sinks, but people turned out in droves!

I say make a movie that defies conventions by sticking to the game practically verbatim: Make the main character silent, and all the story be told through audio diaries (sometimes as he finds them, other times as voiceover). Cast an unknown as the lead, and make the film about the shattered beauty of Rapture.

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Darklighter writes:
on Jan 11 2008 08:43 AM

I don't think people that played the game want to see it as a movie. If you haven't played the game and would like to see it as a movie then just play the game. Everything about the game is better than every movie I've seen this year. Oh, and that description in the article is terrible. The game is vastly better than that blurb makes it sound.

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Oblivioncry writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:06 AM

i never played it nor i am ever going to play it (not that i dislike FPS, its ust taht i am more of a RPG type, true FF player^^)

anyway: Hitman was a good example of a film trying to live on its own and not screaming game adaption (though failing in both categories: bad copy of bourne and nothing really adapted from the game)

its also that videogame based movie get bad directors, they could film original material and it would still suck.....

by making bad film about good games they show the non gaming community a bad impression on the games.

just give it time and the right effort. a good game and a good film both need that, time and effort and passion. but these 3 things lacks in about every video game adaption.

so without the 3 dont even start making a movie.

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cypress550 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:07 AM

bioshock has a good storyline but for a movie i think it will be like supermario bros. with greenscreens

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rsav1976 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:26 AM

If I'm not mistaken, the game was inspired by some of P.K. Dick's stories. It wouldn't be that far-fetched to do a movie on this, given how Bladerunner and A Scanner Darkly turned out.

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Thundercrotch writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:42 AM

When DIG DUG: THE REVENGE comes out in movie format...oh you just try and stop me from sitting front and center!

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SlyDante writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:42 AM

In reply to this comment (#1453195)
Well, you shouldn't be sad: BioShock DOES take place in 1960. The story goes that Rapture was secretly BUILT in the late '40s, inhabited in the '50s, the s*** hit the fan on New Year's Eve 1959 (you can even see banners celebrating it at the beginning), & afterwards, your character's plane crashes & he arrives in Rapture in 1960. I guess you were just confused a bit. =P

As for my two cents on the movie, I thought BioShock was one of the best damn video games ever made, so it sounds like it should be excited about this...But I'm not.

As pointed out already, BioShock is already an intense experience with a gripping, amazing story...So how the heck can a movie actually IMPROVE upon it? You'd have to make several alterations which could either make or break this movie (depending on the director, writer, & cast), & I'd rather not BioShock's reputation risked.

The same goes for the supposed prequel game as well. Let's just already leave it as a piece of gaming & cinematic perfection & cease any would-be tampering (except, of course, for downloadable content).

(Reply to this)

smi1ey writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:44 AM

awesome game NEVER = great movie. frankly i don't care if they make a movie of Bioshock, as that won't change how i feel about the game. so so long as they don't make one of Halo...

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dennischu22 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:55 AM

Many videogame-to-movie adaptations have fallen VERY short in the past (Doom, Alone in the Dark, etc.) That's not surprising seeing as Uwe Boll helmed many of the subpar movies based on videogames. This film genre is difficult, as studios and directors alike have a hard time finding the perfect balance between an original storyline and acting. Even though fans flock to see these kinds of films, many usually walk out disappointed.

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QVader writes:
on Jan 11 2008 09:55 AM

I loved Bioshock! I thought it was more than a video game, it was a highly immersive experience with a rich story. I don't think the studios will respect that and will do another hack job, ike the one they did on Silent Hill.

To all the Hollywood studios out there,

Would you kindly leave Biosock alone?

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BiggJ420 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 10:12 AM

I agree with all of the above. Playing Bioshock and watching it(hypothetically) are two vast things. In a movie you will lose what made Bioshock so great-you. One of the best parts of the game is being in control. When you lose that control you lose what made the game special to you. Like the fish swimming away from you if you shoot the windows in Rapture, or killing a Big Daddy and either save her or drain her-the choice is yours. How can different choices in a game, be put into a movie. We all played the game differently, so how could we all watch the SAME movie.

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Dark489 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 10:49 AM

I must say, I have to disagree with most of you. I believe Bioshock, has such GREAT! potential in becoming a movie, it just makes me happy to think about it!

The story in the game, though a little bleek, could obtain so much more "story" for the movie. If they wanted to (unless there is a prequel to the game), they could use the story of the main character prior to getting on that plane, and go from there.

Annoyingly, we would all know the ending, unless of coarse they changed it. They could get away with very little CGI, to be quite honest. The game is taken place inside at all times, and there are so many "stages" where they could just encompass a studio to build one hell of a set! CGI would be used mainly for the "plasmids" in action, and of coarse the "Spider Splicers", but even that they could get away with not using CGI.

The game really does have a LOT of potential to become something spectacular in the movies. But sadly, most of the directors that would be signed on to do this, would be the horrible sacks of crap that don't deserve to touch a camera.

But I do want this movie to be made, with the right cast/director. With Weinstein Co., or Lionsgate to back it, would work perfectly.

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rle4lunch writes:
on Jan 11 2008 12:01 PM

Silent Hill = s*it fest. worst, movie, ever.

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The Tony Show writes:
on Jan 11 2008 12:58 PM

In reply to this comment (#1453559)
It wasn't P.K. Dick that Bioshock borrowed from- it was Ayn Rand. Andrew Ryan was a classic Randian stereotype, and the whole theme of Rapture from the banners to its bery purpose are ripped straight from Atlas Shrugged.

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ManofStee1 writes:
on Jan 11 2008 01:09 PM

This isn't as bad an idea as you guys are making it out to be. Bioshock could work very well as a movie using the exact same storyline as the game. Either that, or make it a group of survivors of the crash and give one of them a strange familiarity with the city and a terrible secret. It could work.

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Floor Man writes:
on Jan 11 2008 01:38 PM

Bioshock has a *great* story, but not a great cinematic one.

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vaodsi writes:
on Jan 11 2008 01:43 PM

uhm..... zelda. (NOT BIOSHOCK!)

(Reply to this)

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