Kurt Wimmer to direct Metal Gear Solid?

[AndrewDB]

ComingSoon.net is reporting that site reps recently spoke to Metal Gear Solid movie producer Michael De Luca who dropped word on a possible scriptwriter and director. That name was Kurt Wimmer, whose directing credits include sci-fi action fodder like Equilibrium and Ultraviolet. Wimmer has penned script adaptations for films such as Sphere and The Thomas Crown Affair. Excited yet?

Link (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42924).

--
A's thoughts:
--
Please..God.. NO.

Let someone else like Alfonso Cuarón whos competent do this.

Wimmer will destroy it. :(

[Grand_Marquis]

It always felt like the Metal Gear series was missing something. But now we'll finally have it: Gunkata
:P

:sigh:

[TheJadedGamer]

Oh, Jesus, this is doomed.

[Shockwave]

I wouldnt say its doomed, but i would say im abit let down.

At any rate, this is going to be interesting.

[visual_tension]

Wimmer's not really a bad choice. Ultraviolet was very disappointing, but Equilibrium is a solid film. If he directs, it's likely that the film will at least be very interesting visually.

[ilovemovies]

Ultraviolet was much more than simply disappointing. It was an abomination. Truly godawful.

However, Equilibrium was pretty cool. So hopefully this movie will be more Equilibrium and less (MUCH less!) Ultraviolet.

I guess this movie will determine which of those two are the fluke and which is the indicator over his overall talent.

[FatSakHead]

This is going to be another disappointment. *sigh*

You know, maybe studios should try using "talent" to adapt these videogames.

[CuatroDiablos]

Bale and Wimmer to reunite?

[Tuukka]

Link (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=42924).

Let someone else like Alfonso Cuarón whos competent do this. (

I'm sure that an A-list director like Cuaron is just DYING to direct a video game movie. Just like Spielberg, Cameron and all the other top directors. In fact I heard that Spielberg is willing to drop all his future projects if he is allowed to film this.

[Shockwave]

Bale and Wimmer to reunite?


That would be fantastic.

Bale was my first choice to play Snake when i first heard METAL GEAR was being adapted.

[FatSakHead]

I'm sure that an A-list director like Cuaron is just DYING to direct a video game movie. Just like Spielberg, Cameron and all the other top directors. In fact I heard that Spielberg is willing to drop all his future projects if he is allowed to film this.

You don't need to slam video games and people who play them just to get your point across.

[Tuukka]

You don't need to slam video games and people who play them just to get your point across.

Huh? I slammed neither.

[DarkKnight81]

Well hopefully as someone said this is more like Equilibrium and less like Ultraviolet. And of course how could he not try and cast Bale as Solid?

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/sarahannparkinson/bale.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j311/chaz1179/snake.jpg

As for the rest, here's my votes:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l307/stewnjus/jude-law.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc8/SMAKA_Banners/SMAKA_2007/LiquidSnake.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m178/jessica_13_13_/jessica-biel.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc52/nicholigh/meryl.jpg

[cl0n3b4by]

O god...

get James McTeigue too do it.

There are trying to sell this as a quick grab action thriller.

When the game itself is revered for its story, one of the greatest stories in video game kind.

Which is kinda ironic now they seem to be flipping the scenarios. The video game which it is its focal point is being sold out with cheap action O_O. Cause we all know mortal kombat, resident evil and DOA had much better plots >.>.

The thing is Metal Gear could be an amazing film but don't rush into it thinking its heavy action.

We just have to wait and see I guess.

[Shockwave]

Yeah, im not ready to shoot this one down.

Besides, if this does suck, im pretty sure Kojima will hunt the director down with his own personal FOX HOUND unit.:D Metal Gear is his baby.

[Tuukka]

O god...

get James McTeigue too do it.

There are trying to sell this as a quick grab action thriller.

When the game itself is revered for its story, one of the greatest stories in video game kind.

Which is kinda ironic now they seem to be flipping the scenarios. The video game which it is its focal point is being sold out with cheap action O_O. Cause we all know mortal kombat, resident evil and DOA had much better plots >.>.

The thing is Metal Gear could be an amazing film but don't rush into it thinking its heavy action.

We just have to wait and see I guess.

You're talking about it as if Metal Gear Solid would be some deep character study with stellar dialogue and deep messages about humanity.

It's an action story made for teenage boys with cardboard characters, plenty of action movie story cliches, juvenile machoism, silly character names, and lots of fighting and killing.

Yeah, it's a very good game. But let's not try to pretend it's something it is not.

[Grand_Marquis]

I don't understand why they're even bothering. This game already has a movie - it's called Metal Gear Solid 2. Seriously, has anyone ever tried 'playing' that game? There's like a total of 5 minutes of actual gameplay in that thing. Had I known, I would've popped some popcorn beforehand. :rolleyes:

So yeah, Hollywood can do whatever the fuck they want with that game, as far as I'm concerned

[Shockwave]

It's an action story made for teenage boys with cardboard characters, plenty of action movie story cliches, juvenile machoism, silly character names, and lots of fighting and killing.

.

To be fair, any of the METAL GEAR series of games offers a better story and characters then most of the action movies to come out of Hollywood in the past few years.

[AndrewDB]

I'm sure that an A-list director like Cuaron is just DYING to direct a video game movie. Just like Spielberg, Cameron and all the other top directors. In fact I heard that Spielberg is willing to drop all his future projects if he is allowed to film this.

I'm not saying that I want someone A List, I just want someone who we all know won't destroy or doom this to failure.

Cuarón is one of my favorite directors, yes, he's a bit A-List, but, come on, they can pick someone, anyone, better than Wimmer.

Wimmer is down near Uwe Boll bad in my book.

[Tuukka]

To be fair, any of the METAL GEAR games offer a better story and characters then just about ANY action movie to come out of Hollywood in the past years.

They feel better because YOU are the hero. Watching the movie will be the same as watching someone else play the game. How great does the stories in these games seem if you are not allowed to play? How deep are the characters? How cracking is the dialogue?

...They barely keep your attention.

Having a good story in video game terms isn't quite the same thing as having good story in movie terms.

Metal Gear Solid recycles a lot of familiar action movie story cliches.

A legendary, badass black ops soldier comes back from retirement to do an important mission nobody else could do...

He has to get back a secret super weapon that has been stolen by the villain...

The hero and the villain are genetically enchanced super soldiers...

The villain is revealed to be hero's brother...

The villain plans to do a nuclear bombing in order to cause a retaliation strike between two countries, leading to a nuclear war...

...I could name several action movies that have those exact same plot points, made long before Metal Gear Solid.

[Tuukka]

I'm not saying that I want someone A List, I just want someone who we all know won't destroy or doom this to failure.

Cuarón is one of my favorite directors, yes, he's a bit A-List, but, come on, they can pick someone, anyone, better than Wimmer.

Brett Ratner?

[GodMagnus]

They feel better because YOU are the hero. Watching the movie will be the same as watching someone else play the game. How great does the stories in these games seem if you are not allowed to play? How deep are the characters? How cracking is the dialogue?

...They barely keep your attention.

Having a good story in video game terms isn't quite the same thing as having good story in movie terms.

Metal Gear Solid recycles a lot of familiar action movie story cliches.

A legendary, badass black ops soldier comes back from retirement to do an important mission nobody else could do...

He has to get back a secret super weapon that has been stolen by the villain...

The hero and the villain are genetically enchanced super soldiers...

The villain is revealed to be hero's brother...

The villain plans to do a nuclear bombing in order to cause a retaliation strike between two countries, leading to a nuclear war...

...I could name several action movies that have those exact same plot points, made long before Metal Gear Solid.

You do realize that at least 95% of movies these days have, in their own way, been "already done before". Nothing is original anymore. Metal Gear, to the fans, is a fun story regardless of originality and cliches.
As much as i'd LOVE to see a Metal Gear movie, I kinda don't at the same time.
One of the bigger reasons why I loved the MG series was because it's like playing and being the character in a movie which is what appealled to me the most.
Hell, I just SO excited to see the Metal Gear REX in the new MGS4 trailer! Even if the shot of the MGR was a second long.

[xseanymacx]

Well hopefully as someone said this is more like Equilibrium and less like Ultraviolet. And of course how could he not try and cast Bale as Solid?

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/sarahannparkinson/bale.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j311/chaz1179/snake.jpg

As for the rest, here's my votes:
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l307/stewnjus/jude-law.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc8/SMAKA_Banners/SMAKA_2007/LiquidSnake.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m178/jessica_13_13_/jessica-biel.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc52/nicholigh/meryl.jpg

I would pay $50 for this.

[DarkKnight81]

I had to go to school so I didnt have time to finish my casting, heres the rest:
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s13/shawn_the_girl/sam_elliot.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q163/sapphiremicx/Ocelot2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v717/guitardude87/kevin_spacey.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o319/Courtequeue/Tronches/tadam.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b73/RayneJade/nicole-kidman.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/Forte_V4/Sniper_Wolf.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e49/xurliquidfriendx/Vin_Diesel.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f309/NeoFluxx/funny%20pics/raven.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p52/WhoseLineIsItAnyway/Ewan%20McGregor/EwanMcGregor12.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b297/Denocide/Awesome/Other/Metal%20Gear/mgs4_otacon.jpg

[Cronos]

The games have never interested me but if Wimmer does direct it (even though Ultraviolet was a disappointment) I'll give it a look.

[adamjohnson]

Honestly, I think WImmer is a more competent director than Ultraviolet showed.

He would 'scale back' his artsy futuristic look, and probably the gunkata too.

IS he even confirmed?

[Tuukka]

You do realize that at least 95% of movies these days have, in their own way, been "already done before". Nothing is original anymore. Metal Gear, to the fans, is a fun story regardless of originality and cliches.
As much as i'd LOVE to see a Metal Gear movie, I kinda don't at the same time.
One of the bigger reasons why I loved the MG series was because it's like playing and being the character in a movie which is what appealled to me the most.
Hell, I just SO excited to see the Metal Gear REX in the new MGS4 trailer! Even if the shot of the MGR was a second long.

Hey, I agree with you here.

And I certainly do think that it can deliver a fun, cool movie. It has the elements for that. I'm just disagreeing with some comments here that make the game and it's story to be some great high brow art.

James McTeigue's name was mentioned as director one schmoe would like to on the project, and that's already a much more sensible suggestion than Cuaron. McTeigue is not an A-lister, but he is a good director, and he is not above making a Metal Gear movie. It's up his alley.

Having said that, Equilibrium was cool. Ultraviolet was absolutely unwatchable, but maybe Wimmer can get his shit together again. The guy has some good potential.

[Grand_Marquis]

Actually, I hope he scales up his gunkata. :D

[Scarface98.9]

Isn't this the same board that championed Equilibrium? I loved that movie to death and is about as complete as a sci-fi action movie of its type needed to be IMO. Ultraviolet did in fact suck, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of a doubt since the movie was taken away from him and booted him from the project in the editing, so my feelings aren't affected too much by it

[Monotreme]

Didn't like Equilibrium, don't think Wimmer has anything original or interesting to say, hope he won't butcher this up.

I don't like this direction at all. Equilibrium was insanely stylized, but I think that a gritty docu-drama approach a-la Paul Greengrass/Alfonso Cuaron would far better suit this than a highly stylized approach a-la every other hack action director working today. :)

[MidnightAngel]

If Paul WS Anderson and Uwe Boll aren't envolved then it's o.k. and don't forget fanboys that Hideo Kojima is envolved in this project.

[Badbird]

I think Kurt Wimmer is an exceptional director who makes the most of what he has. I had no interest in a Metal Gear movie until now. If anything Wimmer will make it more coherent.

The flaws of Ultraviolet are hardly his fault - the studio took the movie away from him and hacked it to pieces (cutting out at least 30 minutes). Strictly speaking from an artistic/photographic standpoint, Ultraviolet is one beautiful looking picture.

And my feelings for Equilibrium are obvious.

[FatSakHead]

They feel better because YOU are the hero. Watching the movie will be the same as watching someone else play the game. How great does the stories in these games seem if you are not allowed to play? How deep are the characters? How cracking is the dialogue?

...They barely keep your attention.

Having a good story in video game terms isn't quite the same thing as having good story in movie terms.

Metal Gear Solid recycles a lot of familiar action movie story cliches.

A legendary, badass black ops soldier comes back from retirement to do an important mission nobody else could do...

He has to get back a secret super weapon that has been stolen by the villain...

The hero and the villain are genetically enchanced super soldiers...

The villain is revealed to be hero's brother...

The villain plans to do a nuclear bombing in order to cause a retaliation strike between two countries, leading to a nuclear war...

...I could name several action movies that have those exact same plot points, made long before Metal Gear Solid.

Honestly, judging from your posts its obvious you've never played any of the games and have stuck to brief plot summaries. Yes, at face value, reading a plot synopsis, the game would appear to have a thin plot. The way the story is told however, is anything but cliched. And the plots for Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are just insanely good. The voice-acting and the script are exceptional not just for video game stories but for ANY story.

[Tuukka]

Honestly, judging from your posts its obvious you've never played any of the games and have stuck to brief plot summaries. Yes, at face value, reading a plot synopsis, the game would appear to have a thin plot. The way the story is told however, is anything but cliched. And the plots for Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 are just insanely good. The voice-acting and the script are exceptional not just for video game stories but for ANY story.

Except that I have played both MGS 1 & and MGS 2.

And the voice acting is exceptional, when compared to acting in movies? You gotta be kidding me. Granted, it's very good for a video game, but the actors doing the voice work are not gonna win any oscars anytime soon.

And for a record, most of these same voice actors routinely do voice work in Hollywood movies. Have you been equally impressed by their work in those?

[LordSimen]

And the voice acting is exceptional, when compared to acting in movies? You gotta be kidding me. Granted, it's very good for a video game, but the actors doing the voice work are not gonna win any oscars anytime soon.

But they should. :D

[LordSimen]

They feel better because YOU are the hero. Watching the movie will be the same as watching someone else play the game. How great does the stories in these games seem if you are not allowed to play? How deep are the characters? How cracking is the dialogue?

...They barely keep your attention.


Wrong. Dead wrong. I watched my room mate replay MGS and MGS2 all the way through late last year and I had a blast simply watching it. Sorry, the games are just as amazing even if you aren't playing it. The characters are amazingly well drawn, the dialogue is great, the stories are fucking amazingly told, and the game is practically a movie in and of itself.

[pg13myass]

Is Hideo Kojima approving all this?? I think Kojima should be directing this with an iron fist! Afterall, it is more his baby then anyone else's.

[AndrewDB]

Isn't this the same board that championed Equilibrium?

I didn't.

I think I gave it a 6/10. It's B flick bad in my mind, the only saving grace was Bale's ability to act.

[The Young Son]

Fuck. I dunno about this. I liked Equilibrium, but Ultraviolet - from what I saw of it - was ghastly.

As for the acting choices, if you want to be technical, the same actor who plays Solid Snake should play Liquid as well since both of them are clones.

But I could see how that might not work. Personally I like the choice of Bale, however I always thought Josh Holloway or Viggo Mortenson would be better-suited.

But please, let them get a good director for this. I love this series too much for it to become another lost soul in the eternal fire of shit video game movies.

[Jig Saw 123]

I like his style of directing, even though Ultraviolet was beyond terrible it was shot well. As long as he doesn't write it I'll be fine. And we need Christian Bale as Snake. :D

[Tagia_Romero]

I like his style of directing, even though Ultraviolet was beyond terrible it was shot well. As long as he doesn't write it I'll be fine. And we need Christian Bale as Snake. :D

Or Eric Bana. Or even Hugh Jackman.

[X-Nightcrawler]

But they should. :D

Fuck no.

I adore MGS2/3 as much as the next guy, but the voice acting was always pretty iffy and the games' weakest point, even for 'videogame standards'. Snake's voice is terrible.

"Final Fantasy XII". That had amazing voice acting. "Heavenly Sword", "Uncharted" did as well.

[Jig Saw 123]

Or Eric Bana. Or even Hugh Jackman.

Eric Bana yes!!! Hugh Jackman no!!!

[DarkKnight81]

My top three choices are Bale, Bana, and Thomas Jane. I'd like to see Bale even play Liquid.

[X-Nightcrawler]

I don't see Bale at all there.

Bana. If not, maybe Mortensen?

[dennisv]

http://www.webwombat.com.au/lifestyle/fashion_beauty/images/jackman-3.jpg

End discussion.

[AndrewDB]

Shame on ALL of you for not mentioning:

http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/03/29/david_hayter.jpg

Not only is the VOICE of Snake, but he looks a lot like him too.

[cl0n3b4by]

Should play the 3rd one... It has an amazing ending and a lot of people consider it the best.

Thing is the MGS series was created by an action movie fanboy hence the cliches and the characters.

Although I would not call it that run of the mill, it has better plots as some one mentioned then most recent action movies.

And yes the second felt more like a movie, although I never play video games I watch them. I have sat through the last 5 years worth of major games excluding Halo.

And I have to Say MGS is the best out of all of it.

Give it a little more credit then run of the mill:P


O and get the original Snake to play Snake..

go back 25 years and kidnap him xD

[X-Nightcrawler]

I agree with Tuuka as far as MGS1 goes. I really think it's by far the 'worst' game in the "Solid" series. Still amazing game, though.

MGS2 and 3 are just a whole other level.

[cl0n3b4by]

The end of three brung a tear down my cheek >___>

[adamjohnson]

We're forgetting someone.

Sean Bean, bitches.

[DarkKnight81]

I agree with Tuuka as far as MGS1 goes. I really think it's by far the 'worst' game in the "Solid" series. Still amazing game, though.

MGS2 and 3 are just a whole other level.

MGS1 is my favorite, in fact probably the second greatest game I've ever played. I'm not a big fan of 2, the story is just ridiculous and the Hive is boring.

[X-Nightcrawler]

*Spoilers for MGS series in post*

MGS1 is my favorite, in fact probably the second greatest game I've ever played. I'm not a big fan of 2, the story is just ridiculous and the Hive is boring.That's the thing, I guess. I adored the story of MGS2. It was one of the most original, clever thing I've seen in videogames (the whole "recreation of Shadow Moses" is brilliant) while, like Tuuka said, the plot of MGS1 was pretty by-the-numbers.

And the characters in 2 had much more to them. No one seemed to be onscreen for more than half a second in MGS1 (come on, Meryl?), while 2 balanced itself out much better. What I loved is how well it plays with your head. I never for one second believed Plissken to be Snake, always wondered who the fuck Raiden was or why they called him Snake at the beginning, etc. Well written stuff. It's the most elaborate mindfuck I've seen.

But then, I love Raiden.

The end of three brung a tear down my cheek >___>

That was very depressing. The music ("Debriefing", the track is called) was an excellent companion to the whole dramatic angle it took at the end with Boss' death and all the revelations after it.

[cl0n3b4by]

Spoiler!










Towards the End of MGS2 where the colonel started to bug out and we find out its AI. Freaked the shit out of me and my friend hahah.

[GodMagnus]

I bought the Special Edition MGS3 specifically for the 2nd disc and I managed to get the score as well. I loved MGS3 probably the most. I mean even the very end where you have to pull the trigger to kill Boss during the cinematic, just fantastic imo.
Plus the end cinematic with the score was brilliant. I'm SO geared up for
MGS4, I just want the game out NOW! I can't wait!
If they do the movie, Hideo would have to be in the chair to de-hollywoodize it. The last thing a MGS movie needs is to go the "hollywood" route. If it's going to be done, it needs to be done properly, meaning the integrity of the game to movie itself needs to be there.

I'm also really looking forward to seeing the Metal Gear Rex again! MGS4 may have it back along with Metal Gear Rays.

[cl0n3b4by]

Christopher Lambert as Ocelot come on Raiden Can pull it off xD


I literally drooled when I say the game play footage O_O

I mean the game apparently has 6-7 hours of cut scenes.. this will be epic and betting 10 dollars now

Raiden will kill vamp by decapitation only way.. only way (gunshot did not work)

[X-Nightcrawler]

Raiden is pwnage.

That's all.

[OpT!Mu5]

I love how a "Kurt Wimmer to direct MGS?" thread turned into a "Post your dream cast for MGS" thread...Not that it's bad, but we've only been over this on these forums like a dozen times already.

My personal feeling on this is that if Kojima isn't closely involved with the project it will tank no matter who is a part of it, because it just won't FEEL like Metal Gear. That's coming from the ultimate MGS fan.

[syxxpac]

I approve of Wimmer, namely because I skipped out on Ultraviolet and loved Equilibrium to death, the latter of which had plenty of style balanced with a very well-executed grasp on the human element and a mature storytelling sense amid the guns and sci-fi eye candy, something NEEDED for MGS to work properly. If he's given freedom to do the game justice, with Konami and Kojima's supervision, and has improved his game since Equilibrium... Yeah, I'm down for that.

However, the success of this will be in the writing. If Wimmer/whoever pens it follows the mythology and the storyline that's in place, or branches FROM that in a logical way that stays true to the ORIGINAL characters if they're not so obsessed with inane, predictable "surprises" that actually do nothing to improve a mythology, like that twit Paul Anderson, it has a good chance of being good. But with all the bastardization of video games by idiots who think Super Mario Bros. and/or House Of The Dead should be the benchmark of all video game movie templates because "They're all video games, what's the difference?", I'm going to remain wary until something concrete develops here.

Video games HAVE gotten more immersive and dependent on story, including and especially MGS, and while they tend to stick to tried and true video game friendly genres (action/horror/sci-fi/fantasy), they're no less a viable source of material than, say, anime or comic books, a similar thematic animal, and THOSE seem to get respect. The question isn't a lack of STORY, which is a cheap copout for people to argue because they can't seem to see it's a lack of ability to change storyTELLING tactics. The problem with all these video game movies was they all tried to represent a video game on the big screen, or a snobby critics' version of every video game in existence (mindless arcade action good for nothing but fun). That's why Silent Hill is my favorite of the bunch, because it stuck to the games' atmosphere and delivered as a good HORROR movie, fuck all that "video game movie" nonsense.

A story is a story is a story. If Peter Jackson's King Kong had started as an adventure game for the PS2 (instead of the opposite, as it is), adapted by him, would THAT movie get cracks about being a mindless, emotionless "video game movie" and would critics be less impressed and more intent to spit on it? That's one example, though. If you hated that flick, then just apply that double standard to any number of genre films, past or present. Hell, before there were more streamlined stories in video games, there was Aliens itself, with plenty of gunplay, gooey aliens and "mission objectives". Looking back, it fits pretty much every criteria for a quote "video game movie", which is why I think the term is bollocks nowadays. It's the condescending attitude that has to change, else more mindless arcade shooters will be put in place of films that could actually deliver more for a given genre, in MGS's case... action.

In closing, to paraphrase a Chris Rock quote, "Mortal Kombat was a looooooong time ago!"

[Shinigami]

Video games HAVE gotten more immersive and dependent on story, including and especially MGS, and while they tend to stick to tried and true video game friendly genres (action/horror/sci-fi/fantasy), they're no less a viable source of material than, say, anime or comic books, a similar thematic animal, and THOSE seem to get respect.

That's not true. Videogames are the farthest removed from storytelling. Plots are afterthoughts, if only because the most successful videogames are always those most fun to play (Halo, Grand Theft Auto). I still read reviews where professional videogame critics are surprised if the story is paid as much careful attention as the gameplay. This is coming from experienced gamers. So even though there have been exceptions to that rule, they are still exceptions, apparently. MGS is as good an adaption into cinema as we are going to get, and even that was originally touted as being "just like a movie!" Reviews hailed it because you felt like you were playing through a big budget hollywood blockbuster (did I just quote PSM's review by accident?). Once the novelty of gameplay is taken away...
...any videogame is a hard adaption. But there are two characters and two character arcs in the metal gear series that are fun and unique: Raiden from mgs2, and Boss from mgs3. Solid Snake himself is the least interesting if you stripped him away from a game and its charming designs (his outfit, his voice). Is that ironic? Either way, Hideo already said this will be an original story, so maybe that's for the best... the screenwriter can use mgs as inspiration only. Maybe it will make the key difference.

[Badbird]

I would agree that games really haven't come that far in story telling. Yes, there are a hand full of games with strong stories, but the vast majority do not. I would say video games are as equally shallow as comic books. Hardcore fans of both formats take them way too seriously when most of the time it's just about people kicking other people's asses.

[syxxpac]

That's not true. Videogames are the farthest removed from storytelling. Plots are afterthoughts, if only because the most successful videogames are always those most fun to play (Halo, Grand Theft Auto). I still read reviews where professional videogame critics are surprised if the story is paid as much careful attention as the gameplay. This is coming from experienced gamers. So even though there have been exceptions to that rule, they are still exceptions, apparently. MGS is as good an adaption into cinema as we are going to get, and even that was originally touted as being "just like a movie!" Reviews hailed it because you felt like you were playing through a big budget hollywood blockbuster (did I just quote PSM's review by accident?). Once the novelty of gameplay is taken away...
...any videogame is a hard adaption. But there are two characters and two character arcs in the metal gear series that are fun and unique: Raiden from mgs2, and Boss from mgs3. Solid Snake himself is the least interesting if you stripped him away from a game and its charming designs (his outfit, his voice). Is that ironic? Either way, Hideo already said this will be an original story, so maybe that's for the best... the screenwriter can use mgs as inspiration only. Maybe it will make the key difference.

You could think of it as afterthought for games like arcade shooters and platformers. But not ALL genres, which is where everybody lumps them as one big beast. A lot of FPS games and adventure series are based around the storylines that are a part of the immersive experience. It's why more and more top name celebs are getting into video game voice acting and it isn't just anonymous dorks from the design team. Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, MGS, Splinter Cell, Perfect Dark, Eternal Darkness... all are heavily story based, and the story dictates the kind of gameplay you experience. RE needs a story to set up an atmosphere of dread, which is PART of the gameplay experience, so obviously it's more important today than when Q-Bert was hopping his blocks. The industry has evolved, and it and cinema are tangling together more and more, a trend that I think has to be recognized instead of continually looked down upon as an 'inferior source of story'.

[john_rambo]

Hopefully filming goes without incident...

NO... NOT WITHOUT INCIDENT!
*BANG *BANG *BANG

(couldnt resist)

[Shockwave]

I would agree that games really haven't come that far in story telling. Yes, there are a hand full of games with strong stories, but the vast majority do not. I would say video games are as equally shallow as comic books. Hardcore fans of both formats take them way too seriously when most of the time it's just about people kicking other people's asses.

Kinda like most movies of the action genre.

Look at The Bourne films. Or the Bond films.

Or Die Hard. Or Transformers. Just people(..or robots) kicking other peoples asses.


I also love those films.

METAL GEAR has way more then enough met on its bones to be a great action movie.

Alot of games and comics have stories that completely rape alot of the movies out there. Its not like the plot to 10,000 B.C. or Pathfinder had me jumping out of my seat at the utter brilliance of Hollywood.

[FatSakHead]

That's the thing, I guess. I adored the story of MGS2. It was one of the most original, clever thing I've seen in videogames (the whole "recreation of Shadow Moses" is brilliant) while, like Tuuka said, the plot of MGS1 was pretty by-the-numbers.

And the characters in 2 had much more to them. No one seemed to be onscreen for more than half a second in MGS1 (come on, Meryl?), while 2 balanced itself out much better. What I loved is how well it plays with your head. I never for one second believed Plissken to be Snake, always wondered who the fuck Raiden was or why they called him Snake at the beginning, etc. Well written stuff. It's the most elaborate mindfuck I've seen.

But then, I love Raiden.



That was very depressing. The music ("Debriefing", the track is called) was an excellent companion to the whole dramatic angle it took at the end with Boss' death and all the revelations after it.

How did you not know that Plissken was Snake? I was more surprised at how obvious it was. Given he looked and sounded exactly like him, I thought Konami was going to pull a fast one and reveal him to be some kind of clone, but nope, it was Snake all along just I suspected.

[syxxpac]

Kinda like most movies of the action genre.

Look at The Bourne films. Or the Bond films.

Or Die Hard. Or Transformers. Just people(..or robots) kicking other peoples asses.


I also love those films.

METAL GEAR has way more then enough met on its bones to be a great action movie.

Alot of games and comics have stories that completely rape alot of the movies out there. Its not like the plot to 10,000 B.C. or Pathfinder had me jumping out of my seat at the utter brilliance of Hollywood.

Pretty much. Apply that to any number of horror films, too. Or anime. Take your pick.

Most games that are packing a great storyline don't get to tell that story as efficiently as in a movie or book because it's about interactivity and not sitting back and watching it unfold at a given pace for two hours. So yes, it's a poorer medium for storytelling at its core, I can't really dispute that. It's a different animal. But that's in a GAME, and that's where people's brains seem to stop when thinking about an adaptation, because they apply the same rules to cinema as they applied to a given game, which is like reading a book in English and then going to translate it in French applying the same English standards. "Duuhh? What the fuck? This is IMPOSSIBLE!" In other words, once you sit down to write a game as a screenplay, you eliminate all the gameplaying fat that doesn't translate to film (puzzles, "boss" fights, linear "level" scenarios, unless it's survival horror like RE where there's a destination to fight toward), develop character, expand on backstories and mythology, and spend more time on those elements that don't GET that love and attention in an interactive medium. And since a lot of the best game plots can stand on their own in terms of premise and general outline with the best of what Hollywood can offer in the same genres, what the fuck is so hard about doing this? Paul Anderson, to his credit, did kinda do this with RE, cutting out the unnecessary bits, but he changed everything about the games from the mythology to the atmosphere to the overall STYLE to the point where it failed to capture anything of the original experience. I personally don't remember playing RE like a mindless shooter, and I distinctly remember struggling to survive with no time for Kung Fu (at least till RE4 fucked with my worldview... goddamn fancy ass Leon motherfucker...). Anyway, that's a tired story, and at least he got MK right, minus the PG rating and Scorpion being made a slave bitch. We have a truce now.

No, games like Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid admittedly aren't going to win Oscars or get praised for overt originality, but it's essentially true for any action/horror/sci-fi/comic book film. So I pose the question - Why is it SO damn impossible to take a given mythology, characters, etc., and translate them to the screen with the proper expansion on all the elements that a movie needs to make it work? It's like looking at Lord Of The Rings back before it was a movie and saying this CAN'T work, EVER, because the books are too long. All it took was some trimming and some metamorphosizing to make it FIT a cinematic vision, and not filming the book LIKE a book. Same needs to be done of video games, only expanded on instead of cut down, since books usually have too much excess storytelling and video games too little.

I hate whoring like this, but here's an example of a possible Resident Evil script as an example of what I'm talking about above:

Resident Evil Demo Screenplay (http://www.geocities.com/albertwesker4prez/Biohazard1.doc)

Okay, it's not the greatest, but I think it proves an important point in that a script can be written to incorporate an original vision and key elements from the game, and NOT such an impossible feat.

[outsyder]

Eric Bana > Christian Bale

[NuclearMisfit]

I think they should just cast the guy that does his voice already

http://www.plastico.tv/contenidos/imagen/davidhayter.jpg

[syxxpac]

I'm with Bana. Goooooo... Bana.

[X-Nightcrawler]

How did you not know that Plissken was Snake? I was more surprised at how obvious it was. Given he looked and sounded exactly like him, I thought Konami was going to pull a fast one and reveal him to be some kind of clone, but nope, it was Snake all along just I suspected.That's exactly it. I was under the impression it couldn't be that obvious so the twist was . . . well, when there was no twist at all.

[Shockwave]

Poor Olga.:D I think thats the scene that still sticks with me the most.

Dont piss off Solidus.