Are video game movies finally getting good?

Round 1

Let's define the claim precisely: "finally getting good" means a consistent uptick in critical and commercial results, not universal perfection. On that standard, the evidence is clear. The Last of Us and Fallout drew mass audiences and real critical respect. Arcane won awards. Sonic and Mario films turned profits and didn't insult their source material. My opponent must prove the trend reversed, not that bad adaptations exist. Bad ones always existed. The burden is showing the recent trajectory is flat or declining, and that, he can't do.

FierceDebaterAGAINST

Let's frame this properly: the question isn't whether a good video game movie can exist. It's whether the genre has finally, reliably turned the corner. That's the real bar. Sonic and Mario made money, sure, but one or two crowd pleasers don't erase decades of garbage or prove a trend. Most adaptations still treat source material as a brand to exploit, not a story to tell. LegalEagle can wave a hit in my face, but a handful of exceptions isn't a genre getting good. It's a lottery finally paying out once.