The Movies

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 185 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 138 out of 185
  2. Mixed: 40 out of 185
  3. Negative: 7 out of 185
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  1. KimP.
    Nov 11, 2005
    9
    It's really two apps in one: A tycoon game with a"movie mogul" setting; and a consumer-level machinima tool. You can play the game without really caring about your movies (you actually arent required to view them if you don't want to). You can *kind of* use the machinima side of it without playing the game. However, you do need to know how the UI works, and certain It's really two apps in one: A tycoon game with a"movie mogul" setting; and a consumer-level machinima tool. You can play the game without really caring about your movies (you actually arent required to view them if you don't want to). You can *kind of* use the machinima side of it without playing the game. However, you do need to know how the UI works, and certain 'eras' of film making are only unlocked after playing. As a tycoon game, it's first rate. I'm not personally a fan of games that require too much micromanagement, something most of this genre is guilty of. However, that being said, the tutorials, user-interface, and interactivity are an absolute triumph. I'm REALLY impressed. As a machinima tool, it seems REALLY powerful. Despite that, it's very easy to use. After playing the game part for 2 hrs, I went back, did the 'sandbox' mode to unlock a bunch of stuff, and created a 4 minute vignette subtitled film in about 15 minutes and was quite impressed with the results. (note, I didn't even view the tutorials for this part, so was lucky to find out that you need to build a post-production facility if you want to add audio or subtitle, and that is also where you export to WMV). I'm running it on a beta of Windows Vista, and had no bugs or crashes, though the ingame movie viewer was running a little choppy. 9 on 10 for The Movies. My only complaints are too much micromanagement (typical for this genre), and the problems I had with the speed of the ingame movie player. Otherwise, I loved it!… Expand
  2. MattDC
    Nov 21, 2005
    9
    The deeper you dig, the better it gets. This game is a wondeful evocation of movie-making through the eras. The attention to detail is astonishing and the longer you play, the more you appreciate the fact that Lionhead loved making this game. Critics have pointed to the diconnect between the movie-making and tycoon aspects, but this is a pretty insignificant objection. Ultimately, The deeper you dig, the better it gets. This game is a wondeful evocation of movie-making through the eras. The attention to detail is astonishing and the longer you play, the more you appreciate the fact that Lionhead loved making this game. Critics have pointed to the diconnect between the movie-making and tycoon aspects, but this is a pretty insignificant objection. Ultimately, it's fun, charming, funny and addictive. You can't ask for much more.… Expand
  3. busbfran
    Jun 2, 2014
    10
    The movies is one of the most addicting and satisfying games I have ever played! I would highly recommended this game to anyone! So enjoyable and rewarding! I can't stress anymore to tell people to buy this game! worth every cent! Sim and movie lovers will go crazy over this game! So much effort can go into the making of movies, ideas are endless! character development is amazingly good!The movies is one of the most addicting and satisfying games I have ever played! I would highly recommended this game to anyone! So enjoyable and rewarding! I can't stress anymore to tell people to buy this game! worth every cent! Sim and movie lovers will go crazy over this game! So much effort can go into the making of movies, ideas are endless! character development is amazingly good! all factors come together as one of the best simulation games ever! Highly underrated game! which will continuously have you coming back for more!… Expand
  4. Aozz101x
    Jan 17, 2014
    10
    ONE OF THE MOST FUN GAME THAT I HAVE EVAR PLAYED!!!!!

    seriously this game is so fun that i just want be the star of this game it has one most fun things ever
    this game and it expansion pack are a must you really should get this game if you are interested in making your own films
  5. Steven15ify
    Feb 21, 2015
    8
    One of my favourite simulation games to date. It has plenty of content and can be very difficult at times if you play the campaign. Hover I have to say that if you stretch the game time too much and let's say you reach the year 2090, it gets boring and, what I have found, no one will come to ask you for a job, unless one of you employees had died.
  6. MusAddict
    Nov 25, 2011
    10
    There aren't many games that I give a a perfect 10 score. The Movies is a perfect example of an imperfect, entertaining game that is expanded almost endlessly on your own personal imagination. The ability to craft your own short-stories with Sims quality characters (at least Sims back in 2005), and to voice act in your own movies is something unseen. If you're looking into animation, orThere aren't many games that I give a a perfect 10 score. The Movies is a perfect example of an imperfect, entertaining game that is expanded almost endlessly on your own personal imagination. The ability to craft your own short-stories with Sims quality characters (at least Sims back in 2005), and to voice act in your own movies is something unseen. If you're looking into animation, or anything of the sort, pick this game up for $10 and let your imagination run wild. Export the movies and share them with friends, or make them with your friends. There's hours of fun to be had here.… Expand
  7. orosznyet
    Sep 8, 2012
    10
    One of the most entertaining game i have ever played. Great atmosphere, great music and sounds, colorful world. The Sims thing is a little bit annoying me.
  8. SlasherV
    Oct 27, 2012
    10
    Amazing in every way. The Movies is an Addicting game that mixes Tycoon games like Roller Coaster Tycoon mixing that with Hollywood mogul and The Sims which is a mix that is really great.
  9. JohnLemon
    Jan 29, 2013
    8
    One of the most underrated gems I've ever seen. I can play this game any day. I simply can't tell what's so cool about this game. Basically, everything. I can close my eyes on repetitiveness only because it's really one of a kind game. People should expand on the ideas that this game has! Imagine The Movies, but where you're not choosing scenes, but creating them yourself! It's sad, thatOne of the most underrated gems I've ever seen. I can play this game any day. I simply can't tell what's so cool about this game. Basically, everything. I can close my eyes on repetitiveness only because it's really one of a kind game. People should expand on the ideas that this game has! Imagine The Movies, but where you're not choosing scenes, but creating them yourself! It's sad, that there's no Movies 2, or hell, any other alike game, i really love it, the idea is great and still needs to be executed much better. But, I'm pretty happy with this game.… Expand
  10. Jok`RdeMo
    Dec 3, 2005
    5
    Have not anybody noticed, that this game is boring? It is all the same throug all the game, just come new sets where to shoot movie and new speceffects. And about realism - were have you seen, that big movie companie cannot find enough janitors etc (because nobody comes to apply for job?)
  11. Bass
    May 1, 2006
    5
    This Movies is such a disappointment. What Lionhead have done is create a game that mixes scaled down elements from The Sims and Theme Park, with a poor quality movie editor thrown in as well. It almost feels as if the game was made 5 years ago, and that the developers have rushed its production, most probably to coincide with the releases of Black & White 2 and Fable. Graphics This Movies is such a disappointment. What Lionhead have done is create a game that mixes scaled down elements from The Sims and Theme Park, with a poor quality movie editor thrown in as well. It almost feels as if the game was made 5 years ago, and that the developers have rushed its production, most probably to coincide with the releases of Black & White 2 and Fable. Graphics aren't ugly but only ever bland at best, sound is very tongue-in-cheek and quickly becomes annoying due to the insesent narration throughout, and the interface feels like it had been designed for anyone 10 years old or younger. However the real frustration I have with the game is that it could have been excellent. I'm a huge fan of Lionhead and after completing Fable was eager to play the next big release from the developer, however The Movies is not what I was hoping for. I only hope that in the next few years there is a sequel that makes up for the obvious flaws in the game and provides players with a deeper, more pollished movie-making experience.… Expand
  12. Gnocchi
    Mar 9, 2012
    9
    While not perfect this game is an addictive simulation. Part sim part movie builder the games compromises both parts well. You will spend hours wasting away managing your cast, crew and other members to achieve rank one in the starts, movies and studios categories. The game and its goal (to be the best at everything) is the sum of many parts having to take care of attractiveness, salary,While not perfect this game is an addictive simulation. Part sim part movie builder the games compromises both parts well. You will spend hours wasting away managing your cast, crew and other members to achieve rank one in the starts, movies and studios categories. The game and its goal (to be the best at everything) is the sum of many parts having to take care of attractiveness, salary, trends, skills, media, money and the list goes on and on. The milestone rewards, award ceremonies and scientific advancements add a great feel of progression missing in a lot of sims, I was impressed by it. You can have a ton of fun without even making a custom movie ever. If you do want to however, you will find a robust enough system to support you. While it might not support some complexity some people crave from the movie making or even the micro manage sim point it is a fantastic game overall that comes together extremely well.… Expand
  13. thanaton
    May 14, 2014
    10
    I really wish there were more games like The Movies, it's a one of a kind gem. It's just simply so much fun to manage the movie studio and make your own movies.

    I highly recommend it.
  14. Barnes1987
    Mar 6, 2017
    8
    I wasn't sure what to expect when purchasing this game but i was more than happy with it. Definely one of the better simulation games for the time and well worth a look.
  15. Broyax
    Apr 12, 2020
    0
    L'exemple typique de la fausse bonne idée, laquelle a été mal dégrossie et grossièrement développée, à l'emporte-pièce et carrément bâclée dans ses mécaniques (très répétitives ici). Car on fait peu ou prou toujours la même chose et la gestion devient assez vite laborieuse... et fatigante.

    L'humour reste, quoi qu'on en dise, assez imbécile et les **** "films" qu'on peut... "réaliser"    L'exemple typique de la fausse bonne idée, laquelle a été mal dégrossie et grossièrement développée, à l'emporte-pièce et carrément bâclée dans ses mécaniques (très répétitives ici). Car on fait peu ou prou toujours la même chose et la gestion devient assez vite laborieuse... et fatigante.

    L'humour reste, quoi qu'on en dise, assez imbécile et les **** "films" qu'on peut... "réaliser" (entre guillemets !) sont anecdotiques, limités et ne tiennent en fait que du gadget superficiel là aussi typique dont on se lasse très vite...

    Enfin, l'aspect cartoonesque du jeu n'est pas très réussi et l'interface générale se révèle étrangement perfectible à l'usage... Pour l'époque, le jeu s'avére aussi étonnamment gourmand en ressources et globalement lent et saccadé.

    En vérité, une fois passé le temps -plutôt bref- de la découverte et de la pseudo-originalité, on se rend bien compte que le jeu n'a que des défauts qui s'accumulent et s'entassent les uns sur les autres. Alors il est temps d'évacuer le plateau, direction la poubelle.    … Expand
  16. Izoeros
    Apr 26, 2022
    9
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  17. JvM.
    Jan 4, 2008
    9
    Nice if you like to make random movies... Like me!
  18. Dalek
    Jul 26, 2009
    8
    Nice game, I enjoyed it in 2006. Nice graphics, I recommend this for people that like the sims or like to think and spend some time on this game. You can also learn what actors do in real life. The game gets harder when your in the 1990's on the actual thing and not sandbox. Your money gets lower and you need to post a lot of films.
  19. FaisalH.
    Feb 3, 2007
    9
    This game is a one-of-a-kind with an incredibly strong movie making engine. You can virtually make anything it it and that adds hours of gamesplay to it, though the tycoon part will bore you soon.
  20. TravisG.
    Mar 9, 2007
    10
    I absolutely loved this game.
  21. malthe122
    Aug 1, 2008
    7
    its a very good game but there is 2 very anyiong things

    1:if you make a video and use 1 backdrop in 1 scene then it dont take same backdrop next scene and therefor i only take the normal backdrop and that somethime smahs my movies 2:there is some scenes you can select you cdont have a system wer you by youself play the persons on the map and select all about wer they are going to and    its a very good game but there is 2 very anyiong things

    1:if you make a video and use 1 backdrop in 1 scene then it dont take same backdrop next scene and therefor i only take the normal backdrop and that somethime smahs my movies

    2:there is some scenes you can select you cdont have a system wer you by youself play the persons on the map and select all about wer they are going to and stuff like that.

    but all at all good game.    … Expand
  22. MikeG.
    Dec 8, 2005
    7
    Boring Cinema Tycoon with Sims elements No realism. Frivolous... Disappointment. Peter, the greed is one of the se7en sins. Black&White2, Fable and The Movies - developing all together was big mistake - this three games was crippled :( They could be masterpieces, but they came just regular average games. It's a pity... :(
  23. MikeG.
    Dec 8, 2005
    7
    Boring Cinema Tycoon with Sims elements No realism. Frivolous... Disappointment. Peter, the greed is one of the se7en sins. Black&White2, Fable and The Movies - developing all together was big mistake - this three games was crippled :( They could be masterpieces, but they came just regular average games. It's a pity... :(
  24. S.Omer
    Feb 19, 2006
    6
    The tycoon part is pretty boring.. big disappointment... I know people are having fun making movies, but the reviews are right about there not being a connection between the two.... how about if the developer hosted some movies for an in game cost, and the producer got cash for real clicks on their movies? We need more Sid Meier like developers out there.
  25. SeanK.
    Jul 13, 2006
    10
    One of the best PC games of all time.
  26. JonasHøiberg
    Jun 11, 2008
    9
    This game is one of the, if not THE, most entertaining tycoon titles on the market. In some way, I feel like it measures with some of the titles from the lost era of the 90's. You control every single little bit of how the studio is run, along with script writting and your actors' social lives. This is a great game.
  27. GeorgeE.
    Dec 14, 2004
    10
    Real cool. Like a tycoon game only more into what you do and form.
  28. LaRue
    Nov 19, 2005
    9
    This game is awsome! I love it! It's so realilistic! I gave it a 9.7
  29. jabbathefrukt
    May 25, 2013
    10
    This is one of the best games I have ever played and I still play it. You can create almost any kind of movie which will get based on your creativity. You will see the process when your movie get's filmed, reviewed and if you want, written. You have to think as a real studio owner and you have to deside how much money you will spend on each movie and how much time it will take to film in.This is one of the best games I have ever played and I still play it. You can create almost any kind of movie which will get based on your creativity. You will see the process when your movie get's filmed, reviewed and if you want, written. You have to think as a real studio owner and you have to deside how much money you will spend on each movie and how much time it will take to film in.
    The game will start on 1920's when the movies are in black and white. Then after like 12 hours of gameplay you will be in preset time and after that it will become future. Every year in the game an award ceremony is held and you will se how your studio is going to the top of filmaking.
    If you are an creative person or like having much control this is the ultimate game for you.    … Expand
  30. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    7
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good movie epta
  31. gold
    Jul 22, 2019
    10
    Идеальный симулятор создателя кино. В нём только один минус, который не так важен: создание сцен лучше было сделать в вид анимационного движка, а не ограниченное количество сцен, как показано.
    Итог: 10/10
  32. Sharpinho
    Dec 28, 2018
    9
    This game is pretty good. When is saw it for the first time, i was shocked. It is so unique and bright, that I wanna play it again
  33. Montanyolus
    Dec 25, 2022
    10
    The best tycoon/management game I've ever played. In 2022 is completely playable for free, because it's abandonware, you can't buy it any more, so give-it a try.
  34. MelodicVirus
    Nov 20, 2022
    8
    A fun business management / simulation game which gives you control of an up-and-coming movie studio. The Movies is full of appeal and is a highly enjoyable game to boot.
    One thing that I liked was the sense of progression you get in the main story. Seeing how your movies evolve overtime with the progression of technology is impressive for me as someone who has studied film in the past.    A fun business management / simulation game which gives you control of an up-and-coming movie studio. The Movies is full of appeal and is a highly enjoyable game to boot.
    One thing that I liked was the sense of progression you get in the main story. Seeing how your movies evolve overtime with the progression of technology is impressive for me as someone who has studied film in the past. It was also nice to see how specific movie genres become more favorable with audiences than others. For instance, science fiction films are more profitable during the 60s and 70s with the advent of the moon landing. There's plenty of fine details that I appreciated seeing during my experiences playing the game.
    I absolutely love the idea of being able to create your own short-form movies and upload them to the internet, it gives this game a quality that I haven't seen in quite some time. The ability to make something in a game, and then show it to a large audience to comment on is something that I long to see in modern games.
    Some issues I had were to do with the movie making interface and the gibberish language spoken by your employees started to get on my nerves after a bit. However don't let it take away from the experience, this game is still fun and highly playable regardless.
    I recommend this game to those who have experience with simulation games such as the Sims or have knowledge of business management or tycoon games.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PC Game of 2005
42
#42 Most Discussed PC Game of 2005
15
#15 Most Shared PC Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 62 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 62
  3. Negative: 0 out of 62
  1. GameSpy
    70
    Few games in recent years have been laugh-out-loud funny, but The Movies generates so much random silliness that - even when things are going wrong - you can still have a good time.
    Read full review
  2. Thunderbolt
    80
    The heavy micromanagement necessary in The Movies may not be for everyone, but it’s easy to see that this is a good game. There are enough unique touches so it never feels stale or derivative, even though parts of it may seem familiar to some gamers.
    Read full review
  3. Boomtown
    90
    From the gorgeous detailed graphics, humour, wonderful on-set animation and the entertaining radio news system, The Movies is a landmark game.
See all critic reviews »