MovieChat Forums > Planescape: Torment (1999) Discussion > Games deserves a movie

Games deserves a movie

posted 18 years ago by MrFlibble_13
39 replies | jump to latest

Why is it that all the games with the crappest story lines get the movies?
Far Cry - no good story, Tomb Raider - crap story, Doom - don't make me laugh, Alone in the Dark - Uwe Boll loves the cock.
This movie, if it could be done by the right directer with a producer who knew not to *beep* with the script, eg - Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema (not that they may be great, but they did a good job with LoTR, new line gave a huge budget and didn't interfere whilst peter jackson owned.
This game is basically the best story game I've ever played and I've been gaming for 15years. Nothing else matches the emotion I felt after finishing this game the first time. Also whilst playing the game and having the story unfold you feel for the characters then. The Nameless One is always very ambigous. Although he is the protagonist you don't know whether you should like him or be wary of him. And as for the other characters.....it's a joy to let their stories unfold that I won't reveal them here. (Pick up a copy of the game and experience it yourself you lazy people you!).
Anyway, the best RPG of all time deserves a movie, and please keep uwe bol away from it. this games could whup final fantasy any day.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Mocktopus_minus1 18 years ago

I don't think they should make Planescape torment into a movie, basically since the game had such exceptional movie-liek qualities. Although it was less cinematics than I was hoping for, the characters and story are first rate, and rival some of the best fantasy/ scifi stories on film. If the people making the movie could do it better than Black Isle then my hat's off to them........but I;m seriously doubting it. That being said, I would rush to the theatres without hesitation to decide for myself if it measured up to the game, but I think most Planescape fans would do the same.

[–] caseysstuff 18 years ago

Honestly, I feel it would be too difficult, to have this into a movie. The story is complex, and for a movie, emotions would not develop enough and it would end up feeling too confusing trying to explain it all, or it would end up bland and empty. However, I also would certainly rush to see it, and pray they didnt turn it to crap.

[–] jindranovak 18 years ago

I think that Tim Burton would be better choice than Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson is a great director, but I'm afraid that he'll make an epic movie like LOTR or King Kong. Planescape is not such an epic game, but it has incredibly deep and morbid storyline, dark atmosphere (and humor) and nice characters.

[–] marko2te 18 years ago

My opinion is David Cronenberg or David Lynch.

"At least you weren't eaten by a grue!"

[–] sadunkal 18 years ago

The story in this game had a lot to do with your characters abilities.Therefore I would actually prefer a visually improved planescape torment rather than a movie.Although the game still looks pretty beautiful after all these years,it can be done a lot more impressive these days.I mean imagine all those beutiful atmospheric places in high quality 3D,and still playable...

Or if possible...an interactive movie or sth like that.Because...which ending will they choose if they make just a movie..or which characters...?
This game has just way too many nice details to sacrifice for a movie,I think.

But still...if there were a movie...I'd go and see it.

[–] CelticHero17 18 years ago

I find myself unable to find any RPGs better than this...it is practically literature turned into an involving game; so masterfully done. I don't know how someone would go about turning such an expansive game into a two hour movie...and I don't believe any company would finance sequels unless it was turned into a major epic. It would probably need the budget of an epic though. I wish the game could be redone and improved graphically, and with much more cinematics, even more storyline, locations, stuff in general...it was just such an amazing game.

[–] HerrWaste 18 years ago

A Torment remake? You see, there's *nothing* wrong with the actual version (except for the fact that modern graphics cards can't produce the spell effects properly). "3D" sounds like a lot of polygons which will need powerful machines to run, or not enough of them that will make the game look poor quality.

Leave it as it is. And no movie would be good enough, as stated by previous posts. The game is a better movie than a movie would be.

...what happened to all those unofficial sequels, anyway?

[–] dws100 17 years ago

The good thing about the game is all the dialogues and writen text. That means improving the graphics wouldnt mean *beep* Leave as it is I say.

A movie about Planescape? Yeah, it could be great, but I doubt you would be able to properly do it in 3 hours. Maybe with 9 hours, but still...

Anyway, at least for me, the game was epic. Maybe not as epic as most stories, but epic in its own way. It is something that keeps growing, and its growth is not because a new enemy has arrived, but because you gather more knowledge and wisdom about your own character and the world around him.

And, lets face it, the end couldnt be more epic.

[–] markku-nissinen 17 years ago

"What can change the nature of man?"

Oh *beep* this sh*t.

I´m gonna go get me some serious RPG-related quality time as of whenever I find my copy of PS:T.

Movie? No.

HBO-Produced mini-series in the vein of rome or Band of brothers would be much better, since atmosphere, long storyline, mood and concept of different physical reality take more than few hours to get immersed into.

Burton and cronenberg would be good directors. There are several others tho´...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Rabbitt92 17 years ago

The story is the best of any game that I have played (KOTOR is the only one close). However, I do not think that it would make a good movie because it would not have the time to draw the audience in as the game did. The success of the story in the game was because it was gradually revealed after hours and hours of gameplay. That same effect would be impossible to recreate in a film IMO. I'm just thankful that I had a chance to experience this story - it was truly amazing.

[–] barlowe2003 16 years ago

However, I do not think that it would make a good movie because it would not have the time to draw the audience in as the game did. The success of the story in the game was because it was gradually revealed after hours and hours of gameplay. That same effect would be impossible to recreate in a film IMO. I'm just thankful that I had a chance to experience this story - it was truly amazing.

Oh yes it would. There are some movies, especially European movies, that have slower and more patient pacing. If a PS:T film were in the hands of someone who was trying to make an action-thriller, it would be a complete disaster. I could, however, imagine a film version of PS:T accomplishing this in a manner that any confident film might, but that is only if the director doesn't try to mold the material into anything other than what it is.

[–] tjacob_87 17 years ago

I'm not an avid gamer, but my friends forced me to play this game because they know I enjoy a great story. And Planescape Torment took my breath away, every moment-every step I made towards the majestic finale. It just leaves me in awe, and in shock to hear that the team behind it have gone out of business. After this I've tried playing Baldurs Gate (very crap), Icewind Dale (very crap), Oblivion (so n so), Final Fantasy (very crap). I've read the DragonLance Saga books (awesome), Lord of the Rings (awesome), Thomas Covenant (awesome). However, to all the fans of these titles and the forgettable titles such as Eragon, Harry Potter etc. - PlaneScape Torment absolutely blows them away. It takes you to a world you can NEVER imagine. And no other RPG game even comes close to it.

Deep down I think they should leave it alone (not making a movie I mean), and let it bask in its glory. Something so precious, I would be upset to see it ruined ;)

[–] bonehunter22 17 years ago

I really don't understand why you think that Baldurs Gate is crap... it's the second best game ever, right after PST. If PST would get 10/10, BG would get 9,98/10 imo. I'm talking about the whole Baldurs Gate series, BG, BG - Tales of the Swordcoast, BG II, BG II - Throne of Bhaal.

I agree with most here, that a movie can't capture the perfectness of PST, it's just not possible!

And I also don't want to see a remake (yet), as graphics are imo still not good enough to show Sigil and all the chars detailed enough.

PST is already perfect!

[–] shen-nung 17 years ago

I want a book and a movie.

The problem is that there is already a book and it sucks. I want a book with dialogue from the game. (and I have downloaded something along the lines of that)

And I want a movie that truly can deliver on how great PS: T is. It won't happen. Ever.

It would need to be more than one film and they would all need a fairly high budget. Nothing too extravagent but the cost would still be there. If you consider how badly the game bombed at retail then i dont think any producer would be willing to pick up the tab, unless he is an avid fan with more money than sense.

So in my mind the film will either be cheap or dumbed down for mainstream viewing. And i'd rather people just left it alone than have that happen.

It would be amazing though, to see the atmosphere of sigil in a movie with people speaking the "chant."

To be honest I'm praying for a decent re-make. Nice graphics, improved gameplay, same characters, same atmosphere, same story.

[–] dragonfiregames 17 years ago

Judging from current trends i think a film would slaughter the glory that is Planescape: Torment. The book had such awsome potential but was turned into such a sloppy mess. How do you screw a book up that had the dialog there for you? The closest thing i can give to you people is the other Planescape setting books. The author is J. Robert King who did an awsome job on them. They are all set in the heart of the Blood Wars. They are, in fact, called the Blood Wars Trilogy. I beg of you to read them. Great books!

[–] dtr19 17 years ago

I really think that this game would make an excellent series of movies, but not one movie. As far as which ending, I personally *SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME (if you haven't you need to)* think that the ending when you merge with your mortality and bring everyone back to life, and than finally end up finishing the romance side of the story with Fall From Grace. The dialogue that that creates is much better than without that. Also, you'd have to have The Nameless One merge with the first properly and have the orb, so you can learn who you really are and your name. Just my personal opinion here. I would like to see a sequel though. Maybe something like The Nameless One fighting in the Blood Wars as a battlemage, and Morte comes to him to let him know that one of his friends from before is in trouble and needs him. So it could start off with him trying to figure out a way to get out of there, and than helping out his friend, and even tracking down each one of his old friends, and some new ones. Add a few new planes to it, and maybe some more parts of Sigil, and you've got yourself a pretty good start to a game.

[–] markku-nissinen 17 years ago

for some reason, something like this came up to my mind after i finished the game.

[–] barlowe2003 16 years ago

I think the Planescape setting in and of itself is too awesome for one movie, but the story of Planescape: Torment, should be confined to one, if possible. Just as there can't be a sequel to the game (it is self-contained and perfect as it is), it wouldn't be appropriate for it to be divided into two or three parts. None of them would be coherent or satisfying by themselves.

It's like making a two or three hour movie out of a 500-page novel. OF COURSE some things will be cut and streamlined a little (like the Mausoleum, the wererat warrens, some quests and NPC's in the Hive, Lower Ward, and Clerk's Ward, and Curst etc.). But I think it's possible to preserve the essentials.

[–] grim-mephiston 16 years ago

therein lies the reason why most, if not all rpg greats will never become a movie; no matter how much you try and please then fanbase, they will never get it right, simply because of the amount of choices you are able to make during the course of the game.

That, and the fact that the story has been told already, delivered in a nice 4 cd interactive package called planescape: torment, so anything they really base it on will be either retelling a story (in other words, repackaging it) or spinning it (that is, mangle it horribly so that it is a shell of its former self).

Either way, it'll turn out less than expected, and no director, writers or actors could pull it off effectively (not to mention you can't have the Transcended One without Tony Jay, because that'd be like having unicron from the transformers without orson welles voicing it).

Mark it down as one of those "i wish" moments, that hopefully never gets put into practise.

[–] demonwarp66 16 years ago

The closest thing i can give to you people is the other Planescape setting books. The author is J. Robert King who did an awsome job on them. They are all set in the heart of the Blood Wars. They are, in fact, called the Blood Wars Trilogy. I beg of you to read them. Great books!

by all the gods, do not do this!!!

do not for one second think to tarnish the planescape setting with its rendition by the above author.

instead, read pages of pain by troy denning and begin to understand why the blood wars trilogy is so poor in comparison.

there are two things that clearly define the spirit of the world of planescape and they are torment and pages of pain. i would love to see film adaptations of both. but as has already been mentioned, there are too many myriad choices for torment to be done correctly.