There’s plenty to be skeptical about with this film even before walking into the theater. It’s a film about a video game that is world building and character building. This isn’t your typical game where you start at level 1 and go to 10 and that’s the end of the game. This is very expansive game that continues to build and evolve its playability around the world. There’s a lot that could be utilized for story telling and I felt they used enough to tell this story. They chose a few characters and built this film around them and that was fine. In fact, this film had so much content that it could’ve been two films and I would’ve be just as happy.
The basic premise is that one world is dying and so these beasts or “Orcs” must find a new world to inhabit lest they die. Paradoxically, the force that helps keep them alive kills everything else thus creating quite the conundrum. The other half of the story is that the world being inhabited must find a way to defeat these new villains and their magic to survive or be killed in the process. There really isn’t much to the basic story and that’s ok. The sub plots that all tie together make this film entertaining and enjoyable. The story of the slave girl, the king, the wizards, the warriors and the sacrifice for family all elevate this film into something uniquely special.
I understand that trilogies are a popular thing in Hollywood. I get it, I really do. That being said, I feel this film could’ve been two films and covered some of the missed opportunities in the story incredibly well. There is so much world building in this film that I felt the story suffered a bit. That’s my one big issue with this film. There was so much crammed into the movie. If this was two movies I feel the story would’ve been more developed and I would’ve understood the characters better. I didn’t fully understand the importance of the magic wielders or the counsel of wizards. They protect reality but can I get more to how that has been important and will continue to be important? If they had a second film I believe that sub plot could’ve been explored more and I would’ve been even happier with the film.
The computer animation in this film I was happy with. I don’t know how well it will translate from the big screen to home theaters. I hope it’s comparable. The magic sequences in this film had me wide eyed and smiling. I will always enjoy good film sequences that show the grandiose imagery of mysticism. This was a film that did well in that particular special effects category. I even enjoyed the battle sequence between the orc warrior and orc wizard. This is a special effects heavy film and thankfully I enjoyed the artistry that went into creating this world on the big screen.
“Warcraft” is in theaters now! I recommend a big screen viewing if you enjoy fantasy films and special effects films. The effort and time that went into making this film is worth the big screen ticket price. It’s not a great film but it’s entertaining and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would walking into the theater. Don’t expect a lot from the characters or story but do look forward to a visually stunning adventure that will have you shoving popcorn into your face at a possibly alarming rate.
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