The Legend of Zeldais, at once, an excellent and terrible candidate for a video game movie. It’s a massive, sweeping, epic fantasy that would probably play out brilliantly on the big screen with the right execution. On the other hand, it’s such an iconic series that everyone in the world has a different vision of the finished product. One of the most fascinating elements of theZeldamovie is its implications for a wider Nintendo film franchise.
Video game movies have a long and terrible history. One of the mostcommon failures of the genreused to be setting aside large elements of the source material. Movies would find new tones, presentations, and inspirations to carry the game to the screen. Take the originalSuper Mario Bros.movie. It’s a bizarre cyberpunk action comedy with few links to the original games. While more recent adaptations seem to capture the spirit of the games, they still aren’t as adventurous as they could be with their selections.
The Legend of ZeldaWill Be a Unique Video Game Movie
There are a lot of different ways to tackleThe Legend of Zeldamovie. The key will likely be capturing the epic nature of the source material. It’s a series about exploration. The audience should discover the world through fresh eyes, immersing themselves through sight and sound. There are over a dozen stories the filmmakers could tell. The tone isn’t set in stone, but magic and wonder should be the dominant emotions. This isn’t a totally new horizon for video game movies, but it remains an ambitious goal.Duncan Jones' 2016Warcraftmoviesought to introduce newcomers to a familiar fantasy world through a new medium.The Legend of Zeldawill hopefully accomplish that goal a bit more impressively thanWarcraft. The tone will be critical in this endeavor.
The Legend of Zeldamoviemay be a lot of things, but it should be relatively serious. That term has unique connotations. The concept implies a grim tone, mature subject matter, or a distinct lack of fun. One might pictureGame of Throneswith the occasional set of elf ears or unique fantasy species. In this case, the term should refer to a sense of grounded realism within the context of the world of Hyrule. Hyrule operates on a distinct logic and set of rules.The Legend of Zeldamovie should feellike an exploration of a real ecosystem. It should not be a goofy kids movie more concerned with making jokes and selling toys than it is with storytelling. Nintendo’s first and only modern film project provides a perfect example of what not to do.
Sure, theMariomovie looks goodand features a few fun sequences. It is not, however, serious in its attempt to adapt the source material. It’s a family-friendly romp, capitalizing on the brand recognition of its central characters. The pop songs, weak comedy, and constant movement suggest nothing so much as a standard-issue kids' movie. It’s just as notable for what it lacks as for what it features. The film lacks any notable character development, avoids making choices at every turn, and bears the usual signs of Nintendo being risk-averse.The Legend of Zeldacan’t exist under the same circumstances. Whatever the film does, it has to do with the genuine spirit of creativity that contributed to most of the franchise. It can’t just be another cash-in with enjoyable animation and suitable callbacks. It has to be a sincere translation of the source material. IfThe Legend of Zeldais willingto take that risk, it could open the door to several future Nintendo projects.
Other Nintendo Movies that can FollowThe Legend of ZeldaMovie
IfThe Legend of Zeldaworks outand proves that Nintendo can handle other tones in its films, it opens doors to a wide variety of options. Here are just a few potential future Nintendo movies:
The Legend of Zeldadeserves a sincere, genuine cinematic portrayal that sells what people love about the franchise. If Nintendo is willing to take the risk on that project, they’ll have the goodwill they need to move into unfamiliar territory. Some video game series are less sure bets, but they could still make great movies.Nintendo could easily make moneyoff of young audiences with another dozen bland, predictable, and pointless adaptations that thrive on aesthetics.The Legend of Zeldacould break that habit and encourage Nintendo to continue.
