I struggled with what to write about this month. In past years I’ve talked about streaming romantic films for Valentine’s Day and I’ve mentioned several films for Black History Month.
This year in keeping with our Games theme, I’m going to feature movies about games. Some pay homage to board games while others are based on video games. How many have you watched?
Clue - this 1985 film stars Leslie Ann Warren, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, Christopher Lloyd, and a bunch of other funny people. It’s based on one of my favorite board games of the same name. The film’s initial release featured multiple endings with one of three possible endings sent to movies theatres. The film initially did poorly in theaters but has become a cult classic. It was spoofed in a 2013 episode of the TV show, Psych (Season 7, Episode 5 – “100 Clues”). It's available to watch for free on Peacock. It’s an included film with a subscription to Amazon Prime and you can watch it on YouTube starting at $1.99.
Jumanji – Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt, and Bebe Neuwirth star in this 1995 family/fantasy film about a magical board. It’s based on a book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Siblings Peter (Bradley Pierce) and Judy (Kirsten Dunst) find a jungle-themed board game while exploring an old mansion. While playing the game they face jungle hazards and free Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) who became stuck in the game decades ago while playing it with his best friend, Sarah. To permanently free Alan and reverse the damage caused by Alan’s absence they must locate a now-adult Sarah to help them win the game. Jumanji is available to watch if you have subscriptions to either Hulu, Amazon Prime, Sling TV, Starz, or Philo, and from $2.99 to watch on Vudu.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) is a movie in the Jumanji franchise. It’s also based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg (Zathura). It stars Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, and Tim Robbins. Two boys go on an intergalactic space adventure when their home is magically hurtled through space. Zathura is available to watch if you have subscriptions to either Hulu or fubo TV. It’s from $2.99 to watch on Vudu, Amazon Prime, or YouTube and from $3.99 on Google Play Movies & TV.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) starring Dwayne Johnson in a tale about four teenagers stuck in a Jumanji video game. It was released as a tribute to Robin Williams. It’s available to watch if you have subscriptions to either Hulu, Amazon Prime, Sling TV, Starz, or Philo. It’s from $2.99 to watch on Vudu, and from $3.99 to view on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Apple TV.
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) also stars Dwayne Johnson. It’s a sequel to Welcome to the Jungle. Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Nick Jonas also star, and Bebe Neuwirth reprises her role as Nora Shephard from the original film in a cameo. It is available to watch on Amazon Prime, Vudu Movie & TV Store, VUDU, ROWB, Apple TV, or Redbox.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) – this first installment of the wildly successful movie franchise is inspired by the most successful interactive video-game character in history. Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is beautiful, clever, and fearless. She crisscrosses the globe attempting to save the world. Daniel Craig also stars. A sequel, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life was released in 2003. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider can be watched with a subscription on fubu TV or Philo or with a premium subscription on Amazon Prime or Sling TV. It’s from $2.99 to view on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, or Vudu, and from $3.99 on Apple TV.
Tomb Raider (2018) – Alicia Vikander stars as Lara Croft in this new iteration of the Tomb Raider franchise. Croft goes to an unknown island in the Pacific in search of an entombed legendary Japanese empress’ treasure. The character has gotten a refresh while remaining true to the storyline and a sequel is in the works. You can watch it from $3.99 to view on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.
Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) – Based on the Pokémon franchise of video games, Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) is an adorable furry yellow creature. Pikachu is the loyal sidekick of ace detective Harry Goodman in Ryme City where humans and Pokémon live in harmony. After a car accident, the police notify Harry’s son, Tim (Justice Smith) that Harry did not survive the crash. Tim discovers a weak Detective Pikachu at Harry’s apartment. Pikachu who can’t remember anything about the accident believes Harry also survived because his body was never found. Tim and Pikachu must team up to solve the mystery. Did I mention Bill Nighy is in this film? It’s available to watch with a premium subscription to either Hulu or Sling TV; free on TBS or TNT with cable TV, and from $3.99 to view on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) – The first trailers for this film were a disaster because people reacted negatively to the CGI image of Sonic which tries to make the beloved blue trickster look too human. Wisely, changes were made before the official release and Sonic regained his popular form. Sonic voiced by Ben Schwarz works with the local sheriff (James Marsden) to stop Professor Robotnik (Jim Carrey). If you watched the cartoon (voiced by Jaleel White) and/or played the video games, you will enjoy this adventure. It’s available to watch with a subscription to Hulu, EPIX NOW, or Paramount+ or a premium subscription to Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, or Philo. Also available to view from $3.99 on YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, and from $3.99 on Apple TV.
Photo Credit: Clue Movie Poster:
By IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2178072
Source for this article:
https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/best-video-game-movies-sonic-tomb-raider