The Hero of Time, Payne and Redemption, Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy. We’ve all heard of them. Some of us have even watched them, with the exception of Payne and Redemption. A pox on you, 20th Century Fox! And a pox on you, Mark Wahlberg! Sorry, sometimes I get frustrated when I think of what could have been. But I digress (as I tend to do too often). The independent film serves not only as a means for small production companies to get their work out to the masses. Recently, the independent film has managed to bring popular video game franchises to movie format, and legions of fans have rejoiced.
I’ll be completely honest before I go any further: I am in no way a movie person. I don’t like to go to the movies. I don’t watch movies online. And I watch movies on DVD rarely. But I will say that if there’s a movie based on a video game franchise, and a prestigious one at that, I’ll definitely sit still for two hours to watch it.
We’ve already managed to see a handful of great franchises make the transition to film thanks to companies that, though small in terms of production values, are vast in terms of heart and dedication. But what about StarCraft? Will StarCraft ever make it to the small screen? I, for one, would love to see some Terran, Protoss and Zerg action in film format, and I know I’m not the only one. There are countless StarCraft fans out there who would rapidly eat up an indie StarCraft movie.
Nowadays, production values don’t compare to passion. Look at the Max Payne movie. I will always think of that movie as a pretty good action film and a really bad Max Payne film. The money was there, but the passion was lacking. 20th Century Fox wanted to cash in on an amazingly popular license with a hardcore following, and they cast Mark Wahlberg, who admittedly had never even touched the Max Payne games, as the main protagonist. No wonder Max Payne is fat and bald in the upcoming third game! He must have watched that movie!
So would I want to see StarCraft: The Major Motion Picture? Probably not. Sure, it would look pretty, and it would cost millions just to make, but would the passion be there? I would be content with StarCraft: The Independent Film. Why? Because it would most likely be a fan-made affair, and fan-made productions have proven to be of higher quality when it comes to the story element of a video game-turned-film project.
StarCraft: The Independent Film is a no-brainer. If done properly, the fans would be getting a compelling, original story set in the world of StarCraft that they could really appreciate and enjoy. The Hero of Time will always be lauded for its brave and bold take on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy will always be praised for being a stunning, gripping masterpiece. One can only imagine what StarCraft: The Independent Film would be remembered and appreciated for.
