As Dungeons & Dragons is the latest installment to try and break the "game movie trend", the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Childhood Game Movies.
Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. GAME NIGHT
Game Night is the kind of studio comedy that we need to see more often, in that it’s truly funny, is filled to the brim with dark comedy, and is unique in its concept and execution. The film offers plenty of twists and turns as we watch the fun cast of characters have a game night to remember. It’s the kind of movie that has so many creative choices and visual gags that you’ll want to see it in the most crowded theatre you can find in order to experience the infectious laughter. - Adriano
4. READY PLAYER ONE
Ready Player One is a nostalgic thrill ride directed by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Steven Spielberg. This book adaptation is sprinkled with countless cameos from some of our favorite fictional characters, and you can’t help but to fall into a trance with this flick. The tremendous visual effects make The OASIS feel incredibly real, leaving us to wish that we could take the leap into that virtual reality world and experience the video game for ourselves. - Paige
3. TRON
Whether your introduction to The Grid was 1982’s Tron or 2010’s Tron: Legacy, there is no denying that these films are amongst the few to truly make viewers feel like they are inside a video game. Story excellence aside, both films were groundbreaking in terms of special effects. Tron pioneered the use of CGI (fun fact: Tron wasn’t nominated for the Best Special Effects Oscar because The Academy thought the filmmakers “cheated” by using computers), and Legacy is one of the first films to fully embrace de-aging technology. They walked…while absolutely killing it in the process…so your favorite movies of the last 40 years could run. - Quentin
2. CLUE
I wish I had been old enough to see Clue in theaters enough times to catch each alternate ending, then argue with my friends about which one was the right one. Instead, I grew up singing along with that bop of a melody as the titles explained over and over how the killer was Colonel… no Prof Pl… no Ms. Pea… well, nevermind. This hilarious, exquisitely paced, well-crafted, and never-endingly quotable whodunit is too good to spoil, even if it is older than me. So, instead, I think I’ll just go home and sleep with my wife. - Amarú
1. JUMANJI
For me, there was never a question as to what deserved to be at the top of this list. Jumanji uses Robin Williams' enigmatic energy alongside some fantastic practical effects to create a memorable adventure. Be it the beating of the drum, the lion's tail sweeping across the piano, or David Alan Grier's distressed screams, this film is timeless. Knowing this, the sequels have flipped the script by showing you the inside of the game and the jungle itself instead of a rehash. This has let the sequels standalone while playing tribute to the original. - Nick
HONORABLE MENTIONS
WRECK-IT RALPH
READY OR NOT
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
FREE GUY
MORTAL KOMBAT (1995)
Photo Credits: Photo 1 - Sony Pictures Releasing; Photo 2 - Paramount Pictures; Photo 3 - Disney; Photo 4, 5 - Warner Bros.