Movies based on video games

Some of the most popular movies Hollywood has ever produced have been based on video games. From the inspiring heroine in "Resident Evil" to the bold visuals in "Warcraft," there are plenty of elements to love about these films. In celebration of the "Tomb Raider" reboot starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft — which hits theaters on March 16, 2018 — Wonderwall.com is looking at the top films inspired by video games. Keep reading for more…

RELATED: Books becoming movies in 2018

In 2012, Hollywood decided to take on the super-successful video game series "Assassin's Creed." A movie of the same name — starring Michael Fassbender as the antihero Cal Lynch — was released four years later. Critics truly disliked the film for its convoluted plot, but "Assassin's Creed" was huge moneymaker, grossing over $240 million worldwide!

RELATED: Best movies about weddings

"Resident Evil" was the start of what's became the most well-known and highest grossing video game film series ever (it's earned $1.233 billion worldwide!). The 2002 movie — the first of six in the franchise — is based on a Japanese video game franchise of the same name. It stars Milla Jovovich as Alice, a character created for the movie who battles a zombie-producing corporation. Critics loved Milla's performance and audiences definitely agreed: "Resident Evil" made more than $103 million at the worldwide box office.

RELATED: TV shows based on movies

"Tron" is a movie inspired by one of the earliest video games ever created: Pong. Writer and director Steven Lisberger began developing the movie in 1976 after becoming intrigued with the arcade game. "Tron" — starring Academy Award-winner Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner (pictured) — was moderately successful when it was released in 1982 but has since become a cult classic. The movie's popularity helped spawn a whole franchise complete with multiple video games, comic books and an animated television series! In 2010, Disney released the sequel "Tron: Legacy" starring Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde. (Jeff and Bruce also returned.)

"Street Fighter" is one of the classics on our list! The 1994 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue and Raúl Juliá in one of his final performances before his death is loosely based on the game "Street Fighter II." "Street Fighter" was panned by critics but audiences loved it: The movie raked in more than $99 million at the box office.

"Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" is another movie based on the video game "Street Fighter," but it chronicles a different character from the game. Unlike the 1994 film, "Legend of Chun-Li" focuses on Chun-Li (played by "Smallville" star Kristin Kreuk) and her journey for justice. The 2009 movie didn't do as well as the '90s version but still received praise for its vivid Bangkok location and coordinated fight sequences.

The original Lara Croft! Angelina Jolie stars as the titular English archaeologist in "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," the 2001 film based on the "Tomb Raider" video game series. It focused on Lara as she tries to obtain ancient artifacts from an enemy, the Illuminati. Critics disliked the film for being too bland but audiences loved the action, storyline, acting and, of course, Angelina's transformation. "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" was a big box-office success too, grossing over $274 million worldwide. A sequel, "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life," was released in 2003 to mixed reviews from critics but praise from video game fans. That movie grossed more than $156 million worldwide.

"Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul starred in 2014's "Need For Speed." The action flick is based on an Electronic Arts video game series of the same name. Aaron plays Tobey Marshall, a street racer who decides to race cross-country to avenge his friend's death at the hands of a rival driver. "Need For Speed" earned negative reviews from critics but still grossed $203 million worldwide, making it a certified hit.

"Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" is the only computer-animated movie on our list. The 2001 flick, which had a budget of $137 million, was the most expensive video game-inspired movie ever made at the time. While it only grossed $85 million at the box office, "Final Fantasy" received acclaim for what was, at the time, super-advanced animation and character realism. The movie is also unique because it was directed by the creator of the original video game, Hironobu Sakaguchi.

"Max Payne" is a neo-noir movie based on a video game series of the same name. The 2008 flick stars Mark Wahlberg as vigilante and former cop Max Payne and Mila Kunis as femme fatale Moana Sax. Critics hated the movie — it was universally panned — but audiences seemed to enjoy it: "Max Payne" made more than $85 million worldwide.

"Warcraft" is a movie based on one of the most popular video games ever created. The 2016 flick featuring "Vikings" star Travis Fimmel (pictured), Ben Foster, Paula Patton and Dominic Cooper was highly anticipated and even though critics overwhelmingly panned it, it definitely lived up to the hype with fans: It grossed over $433 million worldwide. In fact, "Warcraft" was so successful that it is now the highest grossing video game adaptation of all time!

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," which is based on a video game of the same name, stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the titular character, Prince Datsun. Though critics didn't love the 2010 action film, it was technically a box-office success, grossing over $336 million worldwide. "Prince of Persia" held the title of highest grossing video game film adaptation of all time until "Warcraft" beat it in 2016.

Who didn't play "Mortal Kombat" as a kid? The wildly successful video game led to a 1995 movie of the same name starring Robin Shou, Linden Ashley and Chris Casamassa (pictured). The movie was just as popular as the game, spending three weeks as the No. 1 film at the U.S. box office and earning over $122 million worldwide. Critics also praised the film for its martial arts sequences, atmosphere, exotic locations and production values.

"Super Mario Bros." — one of our all-time favorite video games — was turned into a movie in 1993. The film tells the story of Mario (played by Bob Hoskins, pictured) and Luigi (played by John Leguizamo) and their journey to defeat the ruthless dictator King Koopa. The movie was a critical and commercial failure when it was released but, thanks to '90s nostalgia, has become a favorite amongst millennials.

Horror and video games are definitely an interesting (and entertaining!) combination. "Silent Hill" is an adaptation of the Konami video game series of the same name. The 2006 movie tells the story of Rose and her battle against a local cult after her daughter goes missing. "Silent Hill" was an unanticipated success that grossed more than $100 million worldwide.

Nineties heartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Christopher Blair in the film adaptation of the video game "Wing Commander." The 1999 movie also features Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows and David Warner. "Wing Commander" was not well-received by reviewers and faced criticism from fans too for altering the visual style of the game.

"Hitman" is one of the more popular video game films that has been praised for its entertaining action sequences. The 2007 film of the same name is loosely based on the game and stars Timothy Olyphant as professional assassin Agent 47. "Hitman" was a moneymaker at the box office, grossing $99 million against a $24 million budget.

Karl Urban stars as John "Reaper" Grimm in the video game film "Doom," which also featured Dwayne Johnson and Rosamund Pike. The 2005 movie is loosely based on the video game series of the same name and tells the story of a group of marines battling monsters on Mars. "Doom" was not well-received by most critics but did receive praise for appealing to fans of the original video game.