10 Reasons Ocarina of Time Needs To Be Made Into A Movie
Image credit: Zelda Wikia
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still one of the best video games in history, period.
With a whopping score of 99 out of 100 on Metacritic, this N64 masterpiece, set in the magical world of Hyrule, remains a favorite of many fans, serious and casual gamers alike. So while we seem doomed to have Hollywood endlessly attempt to capitalize on existing properties, why not use an existing property people actually want to see?
Here are my top ten reasons why Ocarina of Time needs to be made into a live-action film:
10. The timing is right.
In Hollywood, everything old is new again. From Transformers to Ghostbusters to GI Joe to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, children of the 80s and 90s have seen most of the properties they loved growing up find new life on the silver screen. They're even coming out with a Monopoly movie, for the crying out loud. What's more, video games and comic books rule the story development landscape. If there were ever a time to capitalize on Zelda's enormous popularity, the time would be now.
9. It would have great characters.
A plucky hero and his sassy fairy guide, a beautiful princess, and an evil sorcerer: the characters in Ocarina have all of the trappings of memorable film personas. Then there are all of the secondary characters that made the game such a blast to play. I'd personally love to see Darunia, dance aficionado and leader of the rock-like Gorons, and Talon, the lazy owner of Lon Lon Ranch, brought to life on screen.
8. The action scenes would be amazing.
Over the course of his quest, Link uses all sorts of weapons and magical objects: a boomerang, a bow and arrow, the Hover Boots, and of course, the fabled Master Sword, just to name a few. Each of these weapons get pitted against many, many, enemies as Link jumps, flips, and strikes his way through Hyrule. There's a ton of of battle scenes and showdowns from the game to pull from, and each one would make an awesome action set-piece, right up to the great escape from Castle Hyrule at the end.
7. It would have great music.
Okay, the game is about an ocarina, a small egg-shaped woodwind instrument. As Link learns how to play music and begins to truly harness the power of the Ocarina, he summons everything from the rain to his horse. With music as a central plot mechanic, the film would have to have an excellent music score in order to do the game justice. Just imagine Epona's Song with a full orchestra.
6. It would be hilarious AND dramatic.
Like all great stories, Ocarina of Time is far from one-note. At times, it's so funny as to border on the outrageous. Remember having to round up all of those stupid Cuccos in Kakariko Village? Link could literally fly when he jumped off of buildings with them. Also, he gained strength by drinking milk. Then there's the whole destruction-of-the-Sacred-Realm-and-thereby-the-world thing, which would certainly make sure that the movie isn't just a screwball comedy. A well-balanced script with both comedy and drama is the mark of a box office winner.
5. It would have a cool time travel element.
Okay, the game is about an Ocarina. Of TIME. One of the best features of the game was the fact that, even after you collected the sacred stones and opened the Door of Time, thereby becoming an adult capable of wielding the aforementioned Master Sword, you still had to go BACK in time to play as a child in order to complete certain missions and clear the game. Also, the double vision of Hyrule as a peaceful, sunny kingdom before Ganandorf takes over and a dark, nightmarish one afterwards would be a lot of fun to play with, especially if the protagonist is forced to travel between both worlds.
4. The sets would be beautiful.
Link travels to some amazing places and sees some amazing things on his travels, and the game rendered them all in stunning 64-bit glory. Now picture the millions of dollars of a film budget bringing places like Zora's Domain, The Temple of Time, and The Haunted Wasteland to life. Like Rivendell from Lord of the Rings or The Capital from The Hunger Games, I can envision some amazing sets and locations lending this film some prestige.
3. It would have twists.
Apologies for the 18-year-old spoilers, but Ocarina has some great twists. Just when you think you've completed your mission, you run back to the castle to find that Ganandorf has absconded with the Princess. Each time you break the curse of a temple and free a Sage, the sage's identity is a complete shock (well, most of the time, anyway). And then there's the greatest twist of all: finding out that the mysterious Sheik, who aided you on your quest as an adult, is actually none other than Zelda herself! Of course, the filmmakers would have to come up with a few of their own surprises in order to keep Zelda die-hards from ruining the twists, but the story lends itself to some great secrets.
Photo credit: Etsy
2. People would pay to see it.
Did I mention that Ocarina of Time currently sits at 99 on Metacritic? That makes it the highest-rated videogame of all time. All time. And that title still stands, all these years later. If my appeals to the wonderful characters, breathtaking settings, and compelling storyline don't sway you, allow the fiscal reasons to do so. If you haven't guessed already, I'm convinced that people would pay a lot of rupees to see this movie, because:
1. It's a true epic.
In case the last nine reasons haven't convinced you, consider that Ocarina of Time has all of the elements of the truly great film epics throughout history. A young hero who doesn't fit in is called on a great quest and gets swept up in a story grander than himself. Finding himself faced with unimaginable evil, he must find the courage within himself to unite several magical objects and save the world. There is adventure, action, and romance. There is magic and there is the mundane. It spans both space and time - literally. It is practically made for Hollywood, and a wonder no one has attempted this yet.
Come to think of it, it would probably make a great trilogy...