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Jun 10, 2016 · It is repetitive. It is numbing. And just as it’s ending, “Warcraft” leaves all kinds of plot threads dangling for the ambitious possibility of a sequel. But you’ll be likely to cry “Game Over” because this first one is easily a contender for the worst movie of the year. Advertisement. Fantasy.
Jun 10, 2016 · 29% Tomatometer 233 Reviews 76% Audience Score 25,000+ Ratings Looking to escape from his dying world, the orc shaman Gul'dan utilizes dark magic to open a portal to the human realm of Azeroth.
- (233)
- Duncan Jones
- PG-13
- Travis Fimmel
- Orc this way.
- Verdict
By Leigh Singer
Updated: May 2, 2017 5:51 pm
Posted: May 31, 2016 4:32 pm
Do you know your Azeroth from your Azkaban? Your Frostwolf Clan from your direwolf guardian? Your Elwynn Forest from your Council of Elrond? If you picked out the above Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings comparisons from those of Warcraft, the RTS and MMORPG franchise now making its movie debut, congratulations: you’re already ahead of the game, and no doubt a large chunk of the audience that director Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and his team are targeting with this latest fantasy franchise. And it puts you at a considerable advantage when it comes to one of the unavoidable challenges when trying to realize, and orientate newcomers around, a long-established, complex fantasy world.
Whereas J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien were able to build up their mythologies over many books (and their screen adaptations across several hours of viewing), Jones and co have the unenviable task of cramming a rambling, diffuse gaming multiverse into a stand-alone, two-hour-and-change epic and still lay the ground for potential sequels. No easy task when citadels named Ironforge and Stormwind might distract you with thoughts of 1970s heavy metal bands than help you focus on a brand new lore of the rings.
What’s refreshing about Warcraft, though, is that despite the inevitable information dump – in a nutshell, warrior orcs from dying world Draenor find a magical gateway into peaceful Azeroth and come up against its human (and dwarf and elf) inhabitants – the emphasis from the very beginning is on its character. Indeed, some may overlook just how bold a move it is to kick off proceedings with an orc couple, Frostwolf leader Durotan (Toby Kebbell) and Draca (Anna Galvin), prospective parents worrying about the fate of their clan and their newborn. You don’t get much more, well, human, that that. And only after their journey begins do we meet the actual people, chief among them Lothar (Vikings’ Travis Fimmel), right-hand man to benevolent King Llane (Dominic Cooper). Naturally the kingdom is perturbed to find signs of unwanted visitors, particularly those bearing the hallmarks of The ‘Fel’ – dark (well, green actually) magic that warps its users as much as its victims and surroundings – a magic that ruthless orc chieftain Gul’dan (Daniel Wu) wields to seize Azeroth for his own.
In a time when too many bloated movie blockbusters feel like they’re impersonal video games, it’s heartening to see that an actual game can be transformed into an authentically involving movie. Yes, it suffers from an overcrowded mythology, occasional clunkiness, a few iffy casting choices (Fimmel’s Lothar in particular) and won’t attain Avatar box...
Dec 10, 2020 · You're dead, kid. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands doesn’t only straddle the line between life and death – it straddles the line between what was and what could be for Blizzard’s 16-year-old ...
Feb 5, 2020 · Warcraft 3: Reforged Review. 7. Review scoring. good. Reforged is an uninspiring remaster, but Warcraft 3 itself is still a great game nearly two decades later. Leana Hafer.
Jun 9, 2016 · The film fully embraces its source material, for better and worse. Within 10 minutes of the movie starting, it's already throwing dozens of strange character names, epic locations and other bits ...
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Jun 10, 2016 · The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and ...
