1,129 reviews
I am not sure why there are so many bad reviews and low reviews. If you're a fan of mystical worlds and fantasy, wizards, kings and queens, mythical creatures such as deserts, orcs, elves and more, then already this has the foundations for a good film. It's not anywhere near Lord of the rings or The Hobbit, but it isn't cheesy and keeps you entertained. The fight scenes are really entertaining and I felt choreographed well. The CGI is really good with this film to the point where the creatures feel real and you forget they're fantasy creatures. The film is well-paced, and although it is just over 2 hours, the film never seemed to drag for me. I felt the film had the right balance of dialogue, action, fantasy and humour. I personally enjoyed it and recommend it is worth the watch.
- leonmessyb
- Jan 20, 2023
- Permalink
David Bowie's son Duncan Jones is the brilliant mind behind the film Moon (2009). It was also his debut film. Warcraft was his second.
I have watched this film 3 times over the past few years, and it never has lost its magic. The acting, story and visual effects are mind-blowing. It is dark and brutal, with a glimmer of hope. In contrast, Rotten Tomatoes and other "esteemed Hollywood critics" decided to bomb this film, with a ridiculous 29% rating. They were dark and brutal, without that glimmer of hope.
I know a bit about the background of this film, and that it was made outside of Hollywood structures, with major funding coming from China. It seems the only reason for them to be so unreasonably and selfishly venomous towards the film.
I have played the stand-alone game and liked it, but I am not a fanboy of the game. The film is an origin film, and the storyline is easy to follow, not so complicated as many critics allege. Duncan Jones is an extremely talented director, and I can only think how these reviews destroyed his intentions of a follow-up.
To give Warcraft 29%, and the infantile, by-the-numbers film Bumblebee (2018) 91%, you just know that RT is very much ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
I have watched this film 3 times over the past few years, and it never has lost its magic. The acting, story and visual effects are mind-blowing. It is dark and brutal, with a glimmer of hope. In contrast, Rotten Tomatoes and other "esteemed Hollywood critics" decided to bomb this film, with a ridiculous 29% rating. They were dark and brutal, without that glimmer of hope.
I know a bit about the background of this film, and that it was made outside of Hollywood structures, with major funding coming from China. It seems the only reason for them to be so unreasonably and selfishly venomous towards the film.
I have played the stand-alone game and liked it, but I am not a fanboy of the game. The film is an origin film, and the storyline is easy to follow, not so complicated as many critics allege. Duncan Jones is an extremely talented director, and I can only think how these reviews destroyed his intentions of a follow-up.
To give Warcraft 29%, and the infantile, by-the-numbers film Bumblebee (2018) 91%, you just know that RT is very much ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
- TheAlmightyFinger
- Feb 1, 2024
- Permalink
There were several constraints that the movie had to work with. There was the already established Warcraft mythos and stories, there was the terrible stigma of game adaptations and finally there was the matter of so many main CGI characters that had to look realistic, not like something Pixar or Disney designed. Given that, I was not expecting much.
Yet the movie exceeded all my expectations and gave me hope for the future. The story is something placed at the end of chapter III of the mythos and the beginning of chapter IV. In game, it is the story of Warcraft I, which was another bold move, considering the hordes (heh heh heh) of World of Warcraft players that weren't even born when that game was published. It pits the peaceful kingdom of Azeroth vs the war clans of the unknown Orc, fleeing from their dying world through a portal fueled by the very thing that destroyed it. A half human, half orc girl is instrumental in providing information about who the Orcs are, what they want and how they have reached the kingdom.
Characters were well developed, graphics were good, the script had few holes and the mature story was clearly well smoothed out. The only problem one could have is that it's just the first part in many, with the main conflict point resolved, but none for the character story lines.
Actors came from all kinds of TV series, Vikings, Preacher and Legends of Tomorrow to name a few. The only predominantly big screen actor out there was Ben Foster. It shows both the direction of cinema and TV blending together (and perhaps with games) and the fear of well established cinema actors getting caught in unsuccessful game adaptations. Perhaps with the success of this and - one may only hope - Assassin's Creed, things will begin to change.
Yet the movie exceeded all my expectations and gave me hope for the future. The story is something placed at the end of chapter III of the mythos and the beginning of chapter IV. In game, it is the story of Warcraft I, which was another bold move, considering the hordes (heh heh heh) of World of Warcraft players that weren't even born when that game was published. It pits the peaceful kingdom of Azeroth vs the war clans of the unknown Orc, fleeing from their dying world through a portal fueled by the very thing that destroyed it. A half human, half orc girl is instrumental in providing information about who the Orcs are, what they want and how they have reached the kingdom.
Characters were well developed, graphics were good, the script had few holes and the mature story was clearly well smoothed out. The only problem one could have is that it's just the first part in many, with the main conflict point resolved, but none for the character story lines.
Actors came from all kinds of TV series, Vikings, Preacher and Legends of Tomorrow to name a few. The only predominantly big screen actor out there was Ben Foster. It shows both the direction of cinema and TV blending together (and perhaps with games) and the fear of well established cinema actors getting caught in unsuccessful game adaptations. Perhaps with the success of this and - one may only hope - Assassin's Creed, things will begin to change.
First of all let me say that I never played Warcraft but I played other blizzard Games like Starcraft, Diablo and Overwatch. I enjoyed a lot this movie and want more, much more. I have to say that the movie is actually very good (not great, but very good). The CGI is awesome, they should as example to the next Hulk. The movie could be better? Yes, but honestly, this is probably the best adaptation of a video game. I had no problem to follow the story, the plot is simple (could be better). The names are very complicated to remember (lol). The orcs are the core of the movie, they are much more interesting them the humans in my opinion. I believe the director was so focused in have the CGI right that maybe he forgot the human actors. I don't understand why the "professional" critics were so harsh with this movie.
- morais-aniel
- Jun 11, 2016
- Permalink
My initial expectations were low, but the overall CGI and plot details are over the roof. All in all a good watch.
- erlendulvundskaarberg
- Jul 12, 2021
- Permalink
When the world of the Orcs Draenor is being destroyed by the evil fel magic that uses life-force, the powerful warlock Gul'dan creates a portal to the world of Azeroth and forms the Horde with members of the Orc clans. He also captures many prisoners to keep the portal. The king of Azeroth Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper) and his brother-in-law Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel) are informed by the apprentice of magician Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer) that he has found fel magic in dead bodies and the king decides to summon the Guardian of Tirisfal Medivh (Ben Foster) to protect his kingdom. Lothar and Khadgar head Kharazhan to meet Medivh and a shadow points a book to Khagdar and he takes it and hides. Anduin, Khadgar and Medivh and a group of soldiers are attacked by Orcs and they capture the slave Garona (Paula Patton), who is released by King Llane, and she shows the location of the portal. Garona is contacted by the Orc chief of a clan Durotan that wants to meet King Llane to stop the fel magic. Meanwhile Khadgar learns that the gate was opened with the help of someone in Azeroth. Shall King Lllane trust on Garona and Durotan? Whi might be the traitor?
"Warcraft" is a highly entertaining fantasy film with an abrupt beginning without development of the situation and characters. Most of the characters are unpleasant and non-charismatic. Maybe the fans of the video game have a big picture of Draenor and Azeroth. But the special effects are top-notch and the story is not bad. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Warcraft: O Primeiro Encontro de Dois Mundos" ("Warcraft: The First Encounter of Two Worlds")
"Warcraft" is a highly entertaining fantasy film with an abrupt beginning without development of the situation and characters. Most of the characters are unpleasant and non-charismatic. Maybe the fans of the video game have a big picture of Draenor and Azeroth. But the special effects are top-notch and the story is not bad. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Warcraft: O Primeiro Encontro de Dois Mundos" ("Warcraft: The First Encounter of Two Worlds")
- claudio_carvalho
- Jul 23, 2016
- Permalink
This movie is something that grabbed me from the word go! I am not a gamer! But this makes me want to check out the game! I truly hope they take this and run. The possibilities for this is ridiculous! PLEASE EXPAND upon this (hopefully) first installment of many more to come! The story is a wonderful beginning of an epic in the making. The character base and unfinished story is an incredible tease for what we all hope will continue to hit the big screen! I have yet to hear from others, anything at all negative! This movie has absolutely everything I look for Ina movie! The cast is superb and the opening for future movies is a drooling mess or anticipation!
- jahag-41235
- May 22, 2023
- Permalink
I'll keep this short, because people don't want to read long posts.
Here goes:
The good:
+ Visuals, stunning.
+ Acting was OK. I liked that it was serious in parts. Everything must not be "funny" and Disney all the time. I think it took itself less seriously than The Hobbit though.
+ The action -especially when Gul'Dan was involved - was really epic and well choreographed.
+ If you like magic, you get plenty of mage action in here.
+ Obviously some fan service here and there. I heard lots of people laughing and clapping hands throughout the movie. + The set- up for the sequel was nice.
The bad:
So, all in all: Are the critics right and the audiences wrong? Well, I do think that some critics should question themselves. This movie CAN NEVER GET 1/5. That is blasphemy. A lot of love and care was put into this movie. My girlfriend, who knows nothing about Warcraft, thought it was a good time.
Solid 3,5/5 from me. A movie worth watching in cinemas. You will most likely have a good time. It's no masterpiece, but it's an entertaining summer blockbuster.
Here goes:
The good:
+ Visuals, stunning.
+ Acting was OK. I liked that it was serious in parts. Everything must not be "funny" and Disney all the time. I think it took itself less seriously than The Hobbit though.
+ The action -especially when Gul'Dan was involved - was really epic and well choreographed.
+ If you like magic, you get plenty of mage action in here.
+ Obviously some fan service here and there. I heard lots of people laughing and clapping hands throughout the movie. + The set- up for the sequel was nice.
The bad:
- Pacing. The beginning is very fast. The first 20 minutes jump back and forth between locales. I'd rather have an slower pacing in the beginning, and then go all-in later.
- Some of the characters have very interesting back stories (especially Khadgar and Garona), but they're skimmed over. - We never really get to see much of the orcish world.
- The movie feels a bit short. You could easily add 20 minutes without the audience feeling bored.
So, all in all: Are the critics right and the audiences wrong? Well, I do think that some critics should question themselves. This movie CAN NEVER GET 1/5. That is blasphemy. A lot of love and care was put into this movie. My girlfriend, who knows nothing about Warcraft, thought it was a good time.
Solid 3,5/5 from me. A movie worth watching in cinemas. You will most likely have a good time. It's no masterpiece, but it's an entertaining summer blockbuster.
- CogburnSwale
- May 26, 2016
- Permalink
I didn't have any expectations for this film,and it completely blew me away!Visuals were stunning,acting really surprised me,action was incredible.I really can't wait for the sequel cause the ending set it up really well.Magic was also pretty damn cool.Orgrim was a ferocious bad ass.It was a damn fine film,best of the 2016 dare i say.Bring on more,and it finally broke the video game movie curse!Go see it,you won't regret it!10 out of 10 for me!I think that it will have a good reception from audiences and critics.Warcraft fans will love it.Direction was amazing,one of the best motion capture for a film i've seen,i really hope it does well in the box office and review department cause it was really amazing!
- randywwe412
- May 18, 2016
- Permalink
This movie got some bad reviews when it came out but i really enjoyed it. It isn't up there with Lord of the rings but it's not bad at all.
I don't play the game so i know little about the lore and it is kind of goofy in parts but this was a fun action fantasy movie.
The CGI is pretty amazing, the orcs might be the best looking fully CG characters i've ever seen in a movie. There's a few scenes where the lighting was just right so they actually look like real living things, it's very impressive.
The story feels rushed as there are too many characters who aren't fleshed out enough but the effects are great, the acting is good and the action scenes are chaotic and exciting.
I like Ben Foster and Dominic Cooper so it's always cool to see them in big movies. Y'all know Paula Patton's sexy orc lady is someone's kink as well, some people were very happy.
This is a fun time and i want a sequel but i don't think there will be one which is a shame.
I don't play the game so i know little about the lore and it is kind of goofy in parts but this was a fun action fantasy movie.
The CGI is pretty amazing, the orcs might be the best looking fully CG characters i've ever seen in a movie. There's a few scenes where the lighting was just right so they actually look like real living things, it's very impressive.
The story feels rushed as there are too many characters who aren't fleshed out enough but the effects are great, the acting is good and the action scenes are chaotic and exciting.
I like Ben Foster and Dominic Cooper so it's always cool to see them in big movies. Y'all know Paula Patton's sexy orc lady is someone's kink as well, some people were very happy.
This is a fun time and i want a sequel but i don't think there will be one which is a shame.
- Beard_Of_Serpico
- Feb 10, 2022
- Permalink
A pretty decent fantasy movie with all the necessary creatures, characters, stereotypes, stories, twists of plot, heroisms and falls from grace that make for a good movie of the genre. Top class if slightly unexceptional entertainment!!!
- tkatsoufris
- Jul 12, 2021
- Permalink
- BackwardsNinja
- Jun 4, 2016
- Permalink
I had no idea what was going on most of the time because I'm not particularly familiar with Warcraft's story. That being said, this is a decent movie, especially considering it's a video game franchise film...90% of the time video game films are very badly adapted to the screen.
To begin with, I have to say I'm not Warcraft fan. I played the game occasionally, but I never gave too much thought to it nor read anything related to this lore, so I'm not competent to say if movie is faithful to original story or not. But I am fan of epic fantasy and it's my favorite genre. The only thing that somewhat bothered me was that two hours is not nearly enough to tell this story proper. Fact that movie feels incomplete is acceptable, cause it is obvious this is just the base for movies that will follow and this franchise looks very promising. But even just introduction to this world can not fit in only two hours. It needs at least three hours, or even two movies for this part of the story to be told right. Beside that I have no other objections. It is very good movie. But they call it The Lord of the Rings for the new generation. That's where I must draw a line. However good this movie is it is not worthy to be even compared to LOTR. Not only it is blasphemy to say that Warcraft is better or equally good, but they are beyond any comparison. Even after fifteen years nothing came even close to LOTR, let alone overthrow it from the throne of the genre. Maybe this movie standing alone deserves higher rating than what I rated it, and if there was no LOTR maybe I would rate it much higher, but LOTR set standards so high for this genre and in every single aspect it so much better than Warcraft, that on the scale where LOTR is ten, I simply can not give this movie more than seven. Still, I warmly recommend this adventure to all genre lovers and I can not wait for the sequels.
7/10
7/10
- Bored_Dragon
- Oct 2, 2017
- Permalink
You know, there are films in which the first frame is clear that they will be so-so. Here the situation is reversed. After seeing the first frame, I immediately realized that it will be very cool.
Seriously, I'm all covered with goose bumps when I saw how much it is great. I was just literally shaking when I saw the gorgeous magic. However, better than in this movie magic effects have not been implemented in any fantasy films, it seems to me. I love Warcraft story so much and I think even if you don't know anything about the original story after that film you'll love it.
Would certainly recommend to both fans and non-fans alike.
Seriously, I'm all covered with goose bumps when I saw how much it is great. I was just literally shaking when I saw the gorgeous magic. However, better than in this movie magic effects have not been implemented in any fantasy films, it seems to me. I love Warcraft story so much and I think even if you don't know anything about the original story after that film you'll love it.
Would certainly recommend to both fans and non-fans alike.
I actually thought this film would be bad. Like most other video game movies I thought this was going to be a massive flop and just suck. This movie broke the video game movie curse with style. WarCraft surprised me even though I am a WarCraft fan.
If there are sequels WarCraft could easily be this generations equivalent of The Lord of the Rings. The acting was great, the effects were spot on and the action was epic. I was really impressed with the motion capture on the orcs, they looked amazing. Travis Fimmel as Anduin Lothar was a good choice. He did a really good job of portraying the lion of Stormwind. WarCraft has a lot of lore that could easily be made into a film series and I think this film did a good job of establishing the world of WarCraft for future sequels. Do I recommend watching WarCraft? Yes, WarCraft is a movie everyone can enjoy, although it may be too intense and violent for younger children. If you were a fan of the games there are Easter eggs for you. If you have never heard of WarCraft you will be amazed by the world and want more.
If there are sequels WarCraft could easily be this generations equivalent of The Lord of the Rings. The acting was great, the effects were spot on and the action was epic. I was really impressed with the motion capture on the orcs, they looked amazing. Travis Fimmel as Anduin Lothar was a good choice. He did a really good job of portraying the lion of Stormwind. WarCraft has a lot of lore that could easily be made into a film series and I think this film did a good job of establishing the world of WarCraft for future sequels. Do I recommend watching WarCraft? Yes, WarCraft is a movie everyone can enjoy, although it may be too intense and violent for younger children. If you were a fan of the games there are Easter eggs for you. If you have never heard of WarCraft you will be amazed by the world and want more.
- israphel-53548
- May 21, 2016
- Permalink
Knowing nothing about Warcraft, I expected the movie to be terrible, just based on previous experiences when it comes to adaptation from videogames, however I was greatly surprised by how good this movie was for most of it. From the start they didn't miss a step in laying out the story and the characters, their deep and complex nature and connections to and with each other. It's always tricky not sounding silly when talking about magic, orcs, dwarves, mages and what not, but the wording and delivery was spotless, led obviously by the great casting of Travis Fimmel. Although some of the "swording around" looked weird, the special effects were good.
Unfortunately, the movie took a huge hit by the end, it was just dumb and poorly written, after they had done everything so well. Overall, still a good movie and the way the actual final scene ended allowed to amend things and end up in a better position.
Unfortunately, the movie took a huge hit by the end, it was just dumb and poorly written, after they had done everything so well. Overall, still a good movie and the way the actual final scene ended allowed to amend things and end up in a better position.
- subxaero1989
- May 20, 2016
- Permalink
So, I just saw the movie in IMAX 3D. The theater was almost entirely full, and it seated about 550 people!
First of all, the CGI and visuals were amazing and all the orcs were spectacular. The music and cinematography was great and some scenes were so epic it's hard to describe. Some of the moments in the movie were among the best I've ever seen, and they really drew you in. Blew my mind really, I was hyped.
The acting was decent by most, and I enjoyed most of the characters. Gul'dan and Durotan were probably my two favourites. The movie really did have many awesome characters, but it's too bad that they weren't fleshed out more. Garona was probably the most fleshed out, and that is also why you sympathized with her.
The story was good, but very disjointed. Parts were messy and the editing was seriously not good. I mean, the scenes themselves were mostly well done, but they felt very unorganised, and different from each other. Besides needing more character development, and background story, the movie needed a significantly more cohesive and streamlined expression. It felt like a lot was left on the cutting room floor and you could tell they have been working on it for a long time. In the latter part it really picked up and the movie seemed more deliberate with longer scenes, and very thrilling action. The griffin was badass!
It really did stay true to the Warcraft universe and I loved that. It was very beautiful and yes, heartfelt. The emotions of the characters shined through, even if they did not have a lot of time to build them up.
Personally, as a whole, I rate it a 7.5/10. Could have easily been higher if the movie was more conjoined. Easily.
As a spectacle It was truly amazing. As I said in the beginning, some scenes are unlike anything I've seen before. I will definitely watch it again!
First of all, the CGI and visuals were amazing and all the orcs were spectacular. The music and cinematography was great and some scenes were so epic it's hard to describe. Some of the moments in the movie were among the best I've ever seen, and they really drew you in. Blew my mind really, I was hyped.
The acting was decent by most, and I enjoyed most of the characters. Gul'dan and Durotan were probably my two favourites. The movie really did have many awesome characters, but it's too bad that they weren't fleshed out more. Garona was probably the most fleshed out, and that is also why you sympathized with her.
The story was good, but very disjointed. Parts were messy and the editing was seriously not good. I mean, the scenes themselves were mostly well done, but they felt very unorganised, and different from each other. Besides needing more character development, and background story, the movie needed a significantly more cohesive and streamlined expression. It felt like a lot was left on the cutting room floor and you could tell they have been working on it for a long time. In the latter part it really picked up and the movie seemed more deliberate with longer scenes, and very thrilling action. The griffin was badass!
It really did stay true to the Warcraft universe and I loved that. It was very beautiful and yes, heartfelt. The emotions of the characters shined through, even if they did not have a lot of time to build them up.
Personally, as a whole, I rate it a 7.5/10. Could have easily been higher if the movie was more conjoined. Easily.
As a spectacle It was truly amazing. As I said in the beginning, some scenes are unlike anything I've seen before. I will definitely watch it again!
- Cephalicum
- May 28, 2016
- Permalink
- account-184-125611
- Jun 17, 2016
- Permalink
Hello.
First of all i have to tell you, i am a Warcraft fan and i had no expectations from this movie at all. I am NOT a Blizzard fan boy and i know when they do something poor and when they do something good.
If you like the cinematics that they make and if you like LOTR like me and fantasy, you will absolutely love this movie.
I was really scared about this movie being another video game movie chaos. Not by a landslide.
Warcraft is astonishing. The visuals are ground breaking, the acting is very strong and the emotional involvement between the viewer and the movie is breath taking. The familiar zones from Warcraft universe are all and are built exactly how they are suppose to be built, every Warcraft fan will feel like home and on the brink of shedding tears. I will watch this movie again in 10 June and gather all my friends that were not lucky enough to see it yet and go again, maybe twice. I need more, there has to be more Warcraft movies. Dunca Jones working alongside with Blizzard was a genius move and it shows throughout the movie. Almost 2 hours of pure awesomeness. 10/10 from me. GO SEE THIS MOVIE, you will not regret it !
First of all i have to tell you, i am a Warcraft fan and i had no expectations from this movie at all. I am NOT a Blizzard fan boy and i know when they do something poor and when they do something good.
If you like the cinematics that they make and if you like LOTR like me and fantasy, you will absolutely love this movie.
I was really scared about this movie being another video game movie chaos. Not by a landslide.
Warcraft is astonishing. The visuals are ground breaking, the acting is very strong and the emotional involvement between the viewer and the movie is breath taking. The familiar zones from Warcraft universe are all and are built exactly how they are suppose to be built, every Warcraft fan will feel like home and on the brink of shedding tears. I will watch this movie again in 10 June and gather all my friends that were not lucky enough to see it yet and go again, maybe twice. I need more, there has to be more Warcraft movies. Dunca Jones working alongside with Blizzard was a genius move and it shows throughout the movie. Almost 2 hours of pure awesomeness. 10/10 from me. GO SEE THIS MOVIE, you will not regret it !
- the_green_eye_t
- May 22, 2016
- Permalink
I came to the movie as a Warcraft player (I played Warcraft III and World of Warcraft). I know some of the lore and this made me understand what's going on. But from my objective side as a moviegoers I find this movie will be hard to grasp by mainstream audience because the lack of character building and fast pace of the story with lack of background.
Pros: - The long awaited movie of the much beloved Warcraft finally came out - Battle scenes are pretty epic and hard - Feels like a superhero movie with medieval settings - CGI quality is great
Cons: - Needs more screen time for storytelling - Lack of character building and depth - People without Warcraft lore will find the story is too fast and lack of backstory
Pros: - The long awaited movie of the much beloved Warcraft finally came out - Battle scenes are pretty epic and hard - Feels like a superhero movie with medieval settings - CGI quality is great
Cons: - Needs more screen time for storytelling - Lack of character building and depth - People without Warcraft lore will find the story is too fast and lack of backstory
- bintangnegoro
- May 24, 2016
- Permalink
Just finished watching the movie. As a major fan of the Warcraft universe and a big Blizzard fanboy, here is my wall of text:
I have to applaud the attempt at bringing this movie to life. Similar to Civil War having a ton of characters, the insanely detailed and rich lore of Warcraft is incredibly hard to fit into a 2 hour screen time. However, unlike Civil War, Warcraft isn't that well glued together and suffers from many things a lot of critics have mentioned. Nevertheless, I think the movie has received an unfair amount of bashing and is definitely a good video game movie which follows the source material closely.
I'll start of by saying that the CGI and the motion capture is amazing. Every single orc looks unique, moves and fights appropriately for their size and is menacing just like they are supposed to be. Lord of the Rings orcs are a joke compared to these bad boys. The true Orc stars are of course Durotan (the wise, young Frostwolf clan chieftain) and Gul'dan (the sinister, demonic warlock), who each shine in their own way. Durotan is probably the best developed character in the movie and his facial expressions are jaw dropping. Gul'dan is evil incarnate. The way he sucks the souls out of his victims is flat out terrifying.
The magic in this movie is of the hook, balls to the wall, full throttle powerful. It is spectacular and a breath of fresh air compared to the lackluster, weaksauce magic you get in Harry Potter and other movies. The sorcery action clearly establishes that mages are by far the most dangerous and lethal people (and orcs) to walk Azeroth. I was afraid I was going to hate Khadgar when I saw the trailers, but surprisingly he ends up being rather compelling. The human armor is interesting, colorful and exactly what you would expect from a human army in this universe.
While the armor is beautiful and shiny, some people wearing it aren't colorful enough personalities to make it work. The king, played by Dominic Cooper, is dull, uninspiring and is unreasonably friendly and naive (just like his Queen) when it comes to the interaction with the orcs. To me it felt unrealistic that both would be so open and friendly with Garona. A lack of prejudice on the human side made that side of the conflict seem too mellow, pacifist and boring in some cases. It is clear that a lot of hatred of the orcs was cut out of the movie (there is 30-40 minutes more available in the directors cut) since it was present in the trailers. This is a shame, since racial prejudice has always been a big part of the Warcraft lore. That makes the team up moments much more sweet when they actually happen.
Other characters, specifically Medivh, Garona and Lothar are reasonable, but lack anything particularly interesting about them. They work for the movie but the performances could have been better. Specifically Lothar didn't get enough time to develop his relationship with his family. Everyone could have used a couple more minutes to give them more spice.
The pacing in the movie, as mentioned before by many other reviewers, is bad. There is a bit too much jumping around from point A to point B, making each individual scene have less of an impact. As a result, the movie is not grounded enough to have proper world building, which in my opinion was what made the first LOTR movie so good. As such, a lot of mystery and wonder is lost because the movie doesn't leave the audience enough time to process what have happened. The movie has a lot of magic, but the magic of subtlety is not one of them.
While flawed in many ways, I think this a decent first attempt by Blizzard to get into the movie business. What is great about Warcraft is that it doesn't follow a lot of terrible and boring Hollywood clichés. The Orcs are much more than just useless idiots, as they are an actual people with feelings and code of honor. The movie is bold with its plot (thanks to the story being bold) and these risks taken make it much more enjoyable. The fact that Marvel is playing it too safe with their characters is one of my greatest pet peeves.
Warcraft has stunning visuals and a couple of very great and touching moments, but suffers from a story that is too rapid fire. 7/10 for me (and 7/10 for non fans also, if anything me knowing the story makes me more critical). Hopefully this movie gets the money and we get a sequel. The potential is there to get a great one.
I have to applaud the attempt at bringing this movie to life. Similar to Civil War having a ton of characters, the insanely detailed and rich lore of Warcraft is incredibly hard to fit into a 2 hour screen time. However, unlike Civil War, Warcraft isn't that well glued together and suffers from many things a lot of critics have mentioned. Nevertheless, I think the movie has received an unfair amount of bashing and is definitely a good video game movie which follows the source material closely.
I'll start of by saying that the CGI and the motion capture is amazing. Every single orc looks unique, moves and fights appropriately for their size and is menacing just like they are supposed to be. Lord of the Rings orcs are a joke compared to these bad boys. The true Orc stars are of course Durotan (the wise, young Frostwolf clan chieftain) and Gul'dan (the sinister, demonic warlock), who each shine in their own way. Durotan is probably the best developed character in the movie and his facial expressions are jaw dropping. Gul'dan is evil incarnate. The way he sucks the souls out of his victims is flat out terrifying.
The magic in this movie is of the hook, balls to the wall, full throttle powerful. It is spectacular and a breath of fresh air compared to the lackluster, weaksauce magic you get in Harry Potter and other movies. The sorcery action clearly establishes that mages are by far the most dangerous and lethal people (and orcs) to walk Azeroth. I was afraid I was going to hate Khadgar when I saw the trailers, but surprisingly he ends up being rather compelling. The human armor is interesting, colorful and exactly what you would expect from a human army in this universe.
While the armor is beautiful and shiny, some people wearing it aren't colorful enough personalities to make it work. The king, played by Dominic Cooper, is dull, uninspiring and is unreasonably friendly and naive (just like his Queen) when it comes to the interaction with the orcs. To me it felt unrealistic that both would be so open and friendly with Garona. A lack of prejudice on the human side made that side of the conflict seem too mellow, pacifist and boring in some cases. It is clear that a lot of hatred of the orcs was cut out of the movie (there is 30-40 minutes more available in the directors cut) since it was present in the trailers. This is a shame, since racial prejudice has always been a big part of the Warcraft lore. That makes the team up moments much more sweet when they actually happen.
Other characters, specifically Medivh, Garona and Lothar are reasonable, but lack anything particularly interesting about them. They work for the movie but the performances could have been better. Specifically Lothar didn't get enough time to develop his relationship with his family. Everyone could have used a couple more minutes to give them more spice.
The pacing in the movie, as mentioned before by many other reviewers, is bad. There is a bit too much jumping around from point A to point B, making each individual scene have less of an impact. As a result, the movie is not grounded enough to have proper world building, which in my opinion was what made the first LOTR movie so good. As such, a lot of mystery and wonder is lost because the movie doesn't leave the audience enough time to process what have happened. The movie has a lot of magic, but the magic of subtlety is not one of them.
While flawed in many ways, I think this a decent first attempt by Blizzard to get into the movie business. What is great about Warcraft is that it doesn't follow a lot of terrible and boring Hollywood clichés. The Orcs are much more than just useless idiots, as they are an actual people with feelings and code of honor. The movie is bold with its plot (thanks to the story being bold) and these risks taken make it much more enjoyable. The fact that Marvel is playing it too safe with their characters is one of my greatest pet peeves.
Warcraft has stunning visuals and a couple of very great and touching moments, but suffers from a story that is too rapid fire. 7/10 for me (and 7/10 for non fans also, if anything me knowing the story makes me more critical). Hopefully this movie gets the money and we get a sequel. The potential is there to get a great one.
- eduard-zavadskij
- Jun 9, 2016
- Permalink