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All opinions are relative to personal interest: what I think is good isn't automatically good because I believe it to be so.
There are times though where quality can't be disputed:
The Legend of Zelda (TLOZ) is considered to be one of the greatest video game franchises of all time, and it would be next to impossible to argue against that. Not only have both the critics and fans spoken, but the numbers don't lie. TLOZ has sold roughly 60 million copies, covering 15 different games, and various different consoles. And while it may seem obvious to say that Nintendo finds this series to be one of their most important, it has a lot to compete with, mainly the Mario, Donkey Kong, and Metroid series. The importance of TLOZ lies in its characters, it's expansive environments, and the insoluble message that has been embedded in it's protagonists search for the all mighty Tri-Force: courage, wisdom, and power. The way I see it is that The Legend of Zelda is a light hearted hack-and-slash approach to learning some of life's most valuable lessons.
The greatness that is The Legend of Zelda is an idea that has never been tapped. The amazing story of Hyrule's Hero of Time, Link, saving Princess Zelda has spanned almost twenty five years, and to my knowledge Hollywood hasn't once taken any sort of stab at it. Shigeru Miyamoto, the genius behind many of Nintendo's biggest titles, including Zelda, was once quoted as saying "Why can't video games tell a story?" This quote is a bit outdated, twenty years in fact, but it makes me think further about the attitude of Hollywood. Why can't movies tell the the stories of video games? Especially a story such as this.
If all it were to take was for Hollywood to know that this idea was a shoe-in, one might as well look at the comparable relationship many factors of The Legend of Zelda has with other successful movies:
To start things off, the vast setting that occupies the legend of Zelda is as expansive as it gets. It has a little bit of everything from where a director could choose from forests, oceans, mountains, and valleys to have his story set in. Whether the director would choose to completely adapt one of the many games, or opt to write a new story, he would have a variety of locations to choose from. The Legend of Zelda is considered to be of the high-fantasy genre, a parallel of our earth, relatable to that of the world of J.R.R. Tolken: Middle Earth, the locale of The Lord of the Rings. LOTR has been one of the most successful adaptations of all-time, and while its eminence has largely to do with the master-authorship of Tolken, it was the film's stunning backdrops and visually captivating images that pulled in the audience from the beginning. Designer Miyamoto suggested that in the soon to be released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, his stylistic influence came from work of Claude Monet. The Legend of Zelda would undoubtedly be able to follow a similar directorial approach as the LOTR's in it's stunning scenes, and if not by anything else, attract audiences through it's visibly wonderful portraits.
Link as the game's protagonist comes as an iconic a role as the best of them; think Harry Potter but bigger. His childish demeanor, either as a youth or an adult, acts as a universal beacon of a spirited heart. His open eyes and childish grin, accompanied by the occasional yelp or sigh, creates a character not only lovable to mass audiences, but relatable in his disposition. And how could we forget his thought provoking catchphrase!? Along with all these mirthful character traits comes the toughest kick-butt attitude you've ever seen!...But honestly here, Link is a go-getter, and a fierce one at that. His strong moral fiber to do what is right, take down evil, and save all those who need saving is by far his most reputable characteristic. Physically equipped with various weapons and items, proficient in all, magical in some, and toting the mental stamina of Jeru the Damaja, Link can be considered not only the greatest of warriors, but the wisest of introverted extroverts. As the Hero of Time, Link is without knowing the significance of the tick of a clock. As we pass by, Link stays the same. And if Hollywood can't work with that I don't know what the fuck else to say.
And I won't get into any further than this, but having a supporting cast such as Princess Zelda, the fairest in all of Hyrule, and an opposition lead by the great power Ganondorf, the character dynamics are ripe for a deep-writing..........The classical story elements are all in place: a young man finds himself, discovers good and evil in the process, and is forced to rise to do what is right. A story neither over or under played, the perfect story: An adventure of the ages.
The Legend of Zelda series has been running for twenty five long years, and it's longevity will last longer than we know. As there have been fifteen games in total, Hollywood would have no issue contracting at least a trilogy of movies, thusly making mad cash and furious dough. If we're lucky, these movies won't be half bad in their production either. Every time the latest edition releases we won't have to drop our heads and sigh like the majority of us did during the new Transformers trailer, or maybe when we all found out about the idea of another three Pirates of the Caribbean movies. With it's long history, Zelda has acquired myriads of fans over the years, assuring that people young and old will show up for it's theatrical release. The younger kids, having spent countless hours playing Twilight Princess, learning to appreciate the relic that is Ocarina of Time, will be interested in seeing their favorite video game hero on the big screen. The older folks, remembering their days surrounded by Nintendo's and Super Nintendo's will obviously come a-running. Because deep down, everyone's a kid, right? Pulling the sword from the Temple of Time.
This is what I offer you, Hollywood. Can you not grasp it's glory?
Or maybe you're wiser than I thought.
Because in the end, I don't really believe that The Legend of Zelda would be a realistic idea for a movie. In fact, I'd go as for as to say that I don't even think it would be any good. Link is one hell of a guy, there's no arguing that. The guy rocks a cleverly thought out tunic, it's calm sway acting as a commentary on the unisex garments of the period, stabbing and killing all at the same time. But when playing these games what don't we ever get to hear from our fine hero? That's right, a fucking voice. I mean, sure, he makes noises, expressing himself in a way most people wouldn't even fucking understand, but that's not talking. For the most part he runs around interacting with whoever he wants to...refusing to make a goddamn sound. I mean, he uses a fair amount of hand gestures, so I guess that has got to mean something. And he blinks a lot too, he's constantly breathing, so perhaps combining all these things together leads to some sort of pre-oral communication system, but I don't know. What I do know is that a speechless leading role is going to be way harder to appropriate than even a character with Schwarzenegger like dialogue.
Anyone who has ever played a Zelda game knows what the "hero" is actually like. Sure, Link is cast in a heroic light, ultimately completing a quest that few could fathom, but pushing all that aside, one will find where the real Link resides. This is the Link that Hollywood would be left to work with. Imagine this: The Legend of Zelda, the movie, run time of roughly two and a half hours, an epic journey filled with heart-pounding adventure, coquettish romance, and a booming soundtrack...half of which follows Link smashing every fucking pot Hyrule has to offer. Can you picture that? A movie focused on some guys fucking OCD smashing everyones pots. I swear, the better part of The Ocarina of Time consists of entering someones home and well before you even acknowledge the resident's right to personal property, there's broken porcelain strewn all over the floor, and a raving Link scavenging for the loose rupees. It's havoc; a movie can't work with that. I'm fully surprised that the NPC's in these games put up with Link's shit. At this point the pot count must be reaching into the millions. I would completely understand if the folk of Hyrule made a unanimous decision to toss out Link and fend for themselves, thats your shit he's braking! Come on, Link, get your act together!
Realism is not one of The Legend of Zelda's strong suits. Fantasy isn't anything new in the realm of main stream film, enough people are comfortable following fantastic plots that they would be willing to suspend their disbelief for the sake of Zelda, but this is not the realism I am referring too. It would be an understatement to say that Link enjoys rolling. I mean, when your main source of transportations is rolling, I don't even know how to describe one's enjoyment of that. Link has mastered the roll in a way in which it makes him faster than if he were running. I know, you know, the use of the roll is paramount in the newer Zelda games, it is movement. While I don't doubt that the opening scene to the Zelda movie would be fucking genius mind blowing, a helicopter shot following Link from high above, zooming in causally as these certain scenes always do, him literally barreling through a grassy valley, a constant stream of rolls keeping his speed well above forty kilometres an hour, fucking triumphant, tear-shedding, Japanese National Anthem, Koji Kondo crafted love ballad. Despite that, despite all that I just don't see it going anywhere. I don't even think rolling up and down stairs is physically possible.
So yeah, Hollywood, your call. As much as we'd all love to see Link tear some shit up, Zelda included, these kind of shenanigans may or may not be applicable to the silver screen. And if you decide just to scrap the whole idea, you can always re-release the old TV show.
As I discussed last week, the video game industry is teaming with potential movie ideas. Although things like The Super Mario Bros. have bombed both critically and within the box office, I expressed my unyielding belief in the successful possibilities that video games have.
The greatness that is The Legend of Zelda is an idea that has never been tapped. The amazing story of Hyrule's Hero of Time, Link, saving Princess Zelda has spanned almost twenty five years, and to my knowledge Hollywood hasn't once taken any sort of stab at it. Shigeru Miyamoto, the genius behind many of Nintendo's biggest titles, including Zelda, was once quoted as saying "Why can't video games tell a story?" This quote is a bit outdated, twenty years in fact, but it makes me think further about the attitude of Hollywood. Why can't movies tell the the stories of video games? Especially a story such as this.
If all it were to take was for Hollywood to know that this idea was a shoe-in, one might as well look at the comparable relationship many factors of The Legend of Zelda has with other successful movies:
To start things off, the vast setting that occupies the legend of Zelda is as expansive as it gets. It has a little bit of everything from where a director could choose from forests, oceans, mountains, and valleys to have his story set in. Whether the director would choose to completely adapt one of the many games, or opt to write a new story, he would have a variety of locations to choose from. The Legend of Zelda is considered to be of the high-fantasy genre, a parallel of our earth, relatable to that of the world of J.R.R. Tolken: Middle Earth, the locale of The Lord of the Rings. LOTR has been one of the most successful adaptations of all-time, and while its eminence has largely to do with the master-authorship of Tolken, it was the film's stunning backdrops and visually captivating images that pulled in the audience from the beginning. Designer Miyamoto suggested that in the soon to be released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, his stylistic influence came from work of Claude Monet. The Legend of Zelda would undoubtedly be able to follow a similar directorial approach as the LOTR's in it's stunning scenes, and if not by anything else, attract audiences through it's visibly wonderful portraits.
Link as the game's protagonist comes as an iconic a role as the best of them; think Harry Potter but bigger. His childish demeanor, either as a youth or an adult, acts as a universal beacon of a spirited heart. His open eyes and childish grin, accompanied by the occasional yelp or sigh, creates a character not only lovable to mass audiences, but relatable in his disposition. And how could we forget his thought provoking catchphrase!? Along with all these mirthful character traits comes the toughest kick-butt attitude you've ever seen!...But honestly here, Link is a go-getter, and a fierce one at that. His strong moral fiber to do what is right, take down evil, and save all those who need saving is by far his most reputable characteristic. Physically equipped with various weapons and items, proficient in all, magical in some, and toting the mental stamina of Jeru the Damaja, Link can be considered not only the greatest of warriors, but the wisest of introverted extroverts. As the Hero of Time, Link is without knowing the significance of the tick of a clock. As we pass by, Link stays the same. And if Hollywood can't work with that I don't know what the fuck else to say.
And I won't get into any further than this, but having a supporting cast such as Princess Zelda, the fairest in all of Hyrule, and an opposition lead by the great power Ganondorf, the character dynamics are ripe for a deep-writing..........The classical story elements are all in place: a young man finds himself, discovers good and evil in the process, and is forced to rise to do what is right. A story neither over or under played, the perfect story: An adventure of the ages.
The Legend of Zelda series has been running for twenty five long years, and it's longevity will last longer than we know. As there have been fifteen games in total, Hollywood would have no issue contracting at least a trilogy of movies, thusly making mad cash and furious dough. If we're lucky, these movies won't be half bad in their production either. Every time the latest edition releases we won't have to drop our heads and sigh like the majority of us did during the new Transformers trailer, or maybe when we all found out about the idea of another three Pirates of the Caribbean movies. With it's long history, Zelda has acquired myriads of fans over the years, assuring that people young and old will show up for it's theatrical release. The younger kids, having spent countless hours playing Twilight Princess, learning to appreciate the relic that is Ocarina of Time, will be interested in seeing their favorite video game hero on the big screen. The older folks, remembering their days surrounded by Nintendo's and Super Nintendo's will obviously come a-running. Because deep down, everyone's a kid, right? Pulling the sword from the Temple of Time.
This is what I offer you, Hollywood. Can you not grasp it's glory?
Or maybe you're wiser than I thought.
Because in the end, I don't really believe that The Legend of Zelda would be a realistic idea for a movie. In fact, I'd go as for as to say that I don't even think it would be any good. Link is one hell of a guy, there's no arguing that. The guy rocks a cleverly thought out tunic, it's calm sway acting as a commentary on the unisex garments of the period, stabbing and killing all at the same time. But when playing these games what don't we ever get to hear from our fine hero? That's right, a fucking voice. I mean, sure, he makes noises, expressing himself in a way most people wouldn't even fucking understand, but that's not talking. For the most part he runs around interacting with whoever he wants to...refusing to make a goddamn sound. I mean, he uses a fair amount of hand gestures, so I guess that has got to mean something. And he blinks a lot too, he's constantly breathing, so perhaps combining all these things together leads to some sort of pre-oral communication system, but I don't know. What I do know is that a speechless leading role is going to be way harder to appropriate than even a character with Schwarzenegger like dialogue.
Anyone who has ever played a Zelda game knows what the "hero" is actually like. Sure, Link is cast in a heroic light, ultimately completing a quest that few could fathom, but pushing all that aside, one will find where the real Link resides. This is the Link that Hollywood would be left to work with. Imagine this: The Legend of Zelda, the movie, run time of roughly two and a half hours, an epic journey filled with heart-pounding adventure, coquettish romance, and a booming soundtrack...half of which follows Link smashing every fucking pot Hyrule has to offer. Can you picture that? A movie focused on some guys fucking OCD smashing everyones pots. I swear, the better part of The Ocarina of Time consists of entering someones home and well before you even acknowledge the resident's right to personal property, there's broken porcelain strewn all over the floor, and a raving Link scavenging for the loose rupees. It's havoc; a movie can't work with that. I'm fully surprised that the NPC's in these games put up with Link's shit. At this point the pot count must be reaching into the millions. I would completely understand if the folk of Hyrule made a unanimous decision to toss out Link and fend for themselves, thats your shit he's braking! Come on, Link, get your act together!
Realism is not one of The Legend of Zelda's strong suits. Fantasy isn't anything new in the realm of main stream film, enough people are comfortable following fantastic plots that they would be willing to suspend their disbelief for the sake of Zelda, but this is not the realism I am referring too. It would be an understatement to say that Link enjoys rolling. I mean, when your main source of transportations is rolling, I don't even know how to describe one's enjoyment of that. Link has mastered the roll in a way in which it makes him faster than if he were running. I know, you know, the use of the roll is paramount in the newer Zelda games, it is movement. While I don't doubt that the opening scene to the Zelda movie would be fucking genius mind blowing, a helicopter shot following Link from high above, zooming in causally as these certain scenes always do, him literally barreling through a grassy valley, a constant stream of rolls keeping his speed well above forty kilometres an hour, fucking triumphant, tear-shedding, Japanese National Anthem, Koji Kondo crafted love ballad. Despite that, despite all that I just don't see it going anywhere. I don't even think rolling up and down stairs is physically possible.
So yeah, Hollywood, your call. As much as we'd all love to see Link tear some shit up, Zelda included, these kind of shenanigans may or may not be applicable to the silver screen. And if you decide just to scrap the whole idea, you can always re-release the old TV show.
Yeah, so long as they did a literal translation of one of the games, with Link not talking, and running around smashing shit, it's not going to be a very successful franchise. I'd say they'd have to use some extreme artistic license in developing link's relatively shallow character into something robust. It'd actually be funny (but sad) if they made him some wisecracking asshole who's always going "excuse me princes!" Also, they'd need to develop a lot of dialogue in general, since most of the plot in the games consists, really, of link trolling around in dungeons solving puzzles. That being said, the zelda world is pretty awesome, so in the right hands I think there's something there.
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