Has there ever been a good video game movie? This year’s Sonic the Hedgehog movie was OK. So was Detective Pikachu. Those movies mostly survived by taking their video game source material mostly as loose inspiration and then forging their own trails. Most others, like Assassin’s Creed and the Tomb Raider movies rely too much on inserting nods to gameplay to ever really feel like their own thing, despite the big talent onscreen. And now, a new challenger: Oscar Isaac will take on the role of iconic spy Solid Snake for a Metal Gear Solid movie. Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who helmed Kong: Skull Island, is on to direct.
For those not in the know, the Metal Gear series is one of Sony’s more legendary franchises, the story of a spy/soldier of fortune type frequently tasked with staving off nuclear holocaust by infiltrating terrorist facilities and bringing the pain before a missile can be launched or some such. The games have always had a cinematic quality to them, so the adaptation was more or less bound to happen. But the games are also beloved for the playing style, which prioritizes strategy and stealth over button-mashing sessions. It’ll be interesting to see if the movie can capture the painstaking feel of a Metal Gear game while still being an engaging watch.
Isaac is a good choice for the role but, man, this guy is busy. He’s currently got an HBO series with Jessica Chastain in the wings and Marvel’s upcoming Moon Knight series for Disney+. Then there’s Dune, which has been delayed until next year, the lead role in an adaptation of a Brian K. Vaughn graphic novel and a co-starring gig with Jake Gyllenhaal in Francis And The Godfather. That means it’s not totally clear when he’ll find time for this but, hey, none of us have anything right now except time, right?
