Seeing as how we too have locked ourselves in our personal fortress of solitudes (cough, studio apartment, end cough) to play the game, we took some extra time to compare and contrast a few of the movies that inspired some of the more anamorphic game play. We first analyze the movie for why it was worthy of being "adapted," and then look at how the film elements were incorporated into Modern Warfare's world. And in case we missed a few, tell us in the comments below which movies deserve a mention. (Possible spoilers. And by "possible" we mean "probable." Don't look at us like that. OK, fine, be that way. You've been warned.)
Black Hawk Down
Why this movie: Ridley Scott's gritty epic is the Saving Private Ryan of modern warfare on film. No movie has yet to match its attention to technical detail in regards to how a team of U.S. soldiers defend themselves when local militia, armed with rusty AK's and hate, wage a mini-war against troops in a downed helicopter. Each soldier looks like the man next to him, but a few (like Eric Bana's character or Josh Hartnet's) manage to stand out from the crowd due to their personality -- something Modern Warfare also does with the characters of Soap and Ghost. From RPGs to on the ground Humvee attacks, BHD is the definitive 21st century war movie.
What inspired the game: Modern Warfare 2 is the result of everything that came before it, and that includes its predecessor's inspirations as well. Though Call of Duty 4 borrows more liberally from Scott's war drama, this sequel still calls upon some of the film's most powerful moments, most notably with a humvee caravan moving through a hostile, militia-controlled town in the mission "Team Player." "Takedown," despite taking place half a world away from Black Hawk's locale, also channels the same claustrophobic intensity.
Heat and Miami Vice
Why these movies: Urban combat is something director Michael Mann excels at. Whether it's a shoot-out with a crew of thieves in the streets of Los Angeles or a vice cop's insertion into a hostage situation, Mann has the ability to create tension with laser precision to operational detail. The realistic sounds of the gunfire – real pops as opposed to foleyed bangs – and the way the men handle themselves, as though the weapons are extensions of their skill-set, are just a few of the touchstones the game has wisely incorporated.
What inspired the game: Make no mistake about it, this entire game plays like Mann, Tom Clancy and Bay went and made themselves a videogame.
There are so many moments throughout Modern Warfare 2 where the spirits of Heat and Miami Vice live on, from the attention to detail and nuance in the battlegrounds to the crisp, incredible audio quality. The "No Russian" mission feels like Heat's Los Angeles bank robbery sequence taken to a chilling, morbid new low, and the adventures of Task Force 141 feel like Crockett and Tubbs found themselves more partners. Honestly, the game even has some of the same flaws as Mann's films, focusing more on ambiance and grit rather than the quiet moments between the flying bullets. Still, for any game to approach this level of cinematic quality is rare – perhaps Mann will begin looking at Infinity Ward's tales as inspiration for his next work.
The Bourne Trilogy
Why these movies: The hand-held visuals achieve an adrenaline rush that has underscored many films in the genre since this first sequel to Jason Bourne's search for redemption via revenge.
The spy may not be a combat soldier, but he's just as lethal (if not more so) than his Modern Warfare counterpart. The Bourne aesthetic and attitude is on display in the new game, as is the attention to certain dramatic beats that lead to large plot twist for the main characters involved. Overall, Supremacy's in-the-middle-of-the-action feel is full of gritty realism, the type of violence that achieves concussion impacts for the sake of story and not just body count. MW2, and the franchise on the whole, would be wise to continue looking at these films for inspiration.
What inspired the game: Though we don't have anyone being killed with household appliances (yet), there is a certain level of realism and "edge-of-the-future" technology in MW2 that just screams Jason Bourne. From the "Takedown" chase sequence in Rio de Janeiro to the general globe-spanning nature of this story to some of the finer points of the plot that we'll avoid due to spoilers, this Call of Duty adventure definitely reminded us of Matt Damon's action-packed trilogy.
Red Dawn and The Sum of All Fears
Why these movies: One word: "Wolverines!" Someone in the Ward's story department paid careful attention to Dawn's post-apocalyptic war scenario and Fears' plot concerning a new Russian threat. Both films have certain plot details that lend a lot to the world and missions of MW2, too much in fact, for any scene-specific mentions may spoil the game more than you want. But if you've ever wanted your videogames to feature suburbanized combat or are just a fan of nukes going rogue, then we recommend giving both movies a slot in the Netflix queue before playing the game.
What inspired the game: Infinity Ward's various trailers, and the plot from the first Modern Warfare, have pretty much spelled out that there's a massive conflict coming with the Russians in this second installment. We'll refrain from getting into too many details, as the game's most powerful moments focus squarely on Russian affairs, but just know that the adventures of Jack Ryan and Jed Eckert will have new meaning for you once you've played through this game, particularly missions like "Exodus."
Now that World War II has been completely, exhaustively mined for gaming material, we're expecting plenty of World War IIIs to be conjured up by developers across the globe. Oh, and just in case you were wondering if the crew at IW has seen Red Dawn… one of the missions is titled "Wolverines!"
The Rock
Why this movie: We're surprised the entire film hasn't been borrowed for gaming purposes. Breaking into Alcatraz with the only guy who ever broke out (and who looks a lot like Sean Connery) and shooting up bad guys is perfect gaming fodder. And the movie is just kick-ass; it's Bay's best. There, we said it.
The action and the screenplay find a balance between story and gunplay that more recent action films lack. From an underwater break-in to a third-act showdown with the bad guys, one is hard pressed to find better material.
What inspired the game: While other films clearly inspired the mood, visual tone and plot for Modern Warfare 2, The Rock manages to pretty much serve as an entire level for the game (plus several other key moments). You've no doubt seen screens and videos depicting "The Gulag," which borrows liberally from the adventures of Connery and Nicolas Cage on Alcatraz Island. The sewer navigation? It's there. The shower room shootout? Definitely.
Elsewhere in the game, you have a soldier striking flares to desperately call off an imminent bombing. Still another level utilizes the underwater speedboats that Cage and Co. used to infiltrate the island prison. Throw in Zimmer, who co-scored the film with Nick Glennie-Smith (and who scores MW2), and it's 1996 all over again. Watch your ass, Ed Harris.
Every James Bond Movie
Why these movies: Why not? The franchise has waged hand-to-hand combat on such a global scale that it would make vets like Captain Price blush. Bond has battled baddies underwater (he's even worn a crocodile submersible!), he's chased them on land and has shot them out of the sky. 007 is a one-man army who wears designer suits instead of fatigues. He also gets all the girls, which is a perk. Stylistically, Modern Warfare may be more grounded in the worlds of Scott and Bay. But the scale of the battles, the international intrigue, and the stunts? That's all Bond. James Bond.
What inspired the game: We originally tried to consider specific James Bond films that inspired Modern Warfare 2, but the British spy's adventures started to dominate our list. It doesn't really surprise us that so many classic moments from the action/adventure franchise have made it over to the new Call of Duty game.
As one of the most influential and tenured brands in pop culture history, no doubt even some of the other movies on our list have been inspired by Bond. No doubt you'll recall more sequences, but here are a few that came to mind as we played through our various missions: Casino Royale's opening parkour chase and the "Takedown" sequence in MW2; the many times Bond has run afoul of clashing militant groups and the many times his enemies try to start World War III; the Goldeneye nukes; the vibe and cutting edge technology presented in the films, particularly the recent Daniel Craig relaunches.
And that's no doubt the tip of the iceberg. Though the spy genre is quite different from what Infinity War has produced, there's little doubt in our minds that there are some big, big fans of Bond in Southern California.
Cliffhanger
Why this movie: Stallone's last, good action film features some of the best cinematography the genre has ever seen. It's Die Hard on a mountain top, with Rambo playing bionic mountain climber Gabe Walker versus a very pissed off John Lithgow. The guy scales cliff faces and jumps from peak to peak. Glad we're not the only one who thought parts of this movie would work well in a game.
What inspired the game: MW2 features a level called "Cliffhanger," which incorporates a mix of Cliffhanger snow climbing and Vertical Limit's ice-pick leap from one mountain to another. Incorporating these plot points into strategic game play is full of win. It's the closest we've come to being an action hero without having to leave the house. So we got that going for us, which is nice…
Body of Lies
Why this movie: An espionage thriller set on the frontlines of the war on terror told from the perspective of its most loyal and best ground troop, Scott's Body of Lies chronicles the battles waged behind red tape and on the field with tense realism. It's global focus and take on the technical specifics of spying in a post-9/11 world provides an interesting context for games like MW2 to stage their operations upon.
What inspired the game: Scott is yet another creator whose cinematic efforts over the years have definitely inspired the IW team. From 2001's Black Hawk Down to the more recent Body of Lies, Scott's attention to detail and focus on the atmosphere of conflict remind us of the care and detail that went into Modern Warfare 2.
Body of Lies is more of a cerebral espionage tale rather than the explosive, breakneck world of Call of Duty, but the vibe we get from so many of the adventures of "Soap" MacTavish and his crew is right in line with Scott's vision for his war-torn films. The film's Middle East setting also has ties to the game's Afghan-set missions. As we've said in a few of these pieces, this movie didn't scream at us during any specific level, but when considering the overall product, it definitely came to mind.