Movies and video games are both enjoyable activities. But historically speaking, when these two mix, the results are often disastrous. While there is no shortage of contenders for this “worst-of” list (Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, etc.), Warcraft is certainly a notch above of the bunch. Despite sci-fi mastermind Duncan Jones’ valiant efforts to break the curse though, and while the fantasy game itself is epic in scale and enormous in stakes, the whole movie just can’t handle the load. Imagine Jean Grey desperately trying to control her powers. That is how this film succeeds and at the same time fails on so many levels.
As soon as the movie kicks-off, Warcraft wastes no time and plunges its viewers in a headfirst gryphon-ride into its mythical realm. This might be overwhelming for the uninitiated but for the devotees of the RPG, they will immediately embrace its world in the first minute. The orc world Draenor is on the brink of extinction and sinister orc/warlock Gul’dan (Daniel Wu) uses his soul-sucking magic to open a green portal that will send the orc horde to the human world, Azeroth. Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, Durotan (Toby Kebbell), questions the brutal ways of his clansmen and believes that co-existence without bloodshed is possible. On the other end of the spectrum, Knight Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel), along with the Guardian of Tirisfal, Medivh (Ben Foster) and the young mage Khadgar (Ben Schetzner) have been sent on a collision course by King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper) to stop the “plundering, dimension-hopping” orcs. This conflict leaves the half-orc, half-human slave Garona (Paula Patton) somewhere in the middle, torn which side to choose.
What elevates Warcraft from a typical fantasy film is that it offers something refreshing with its plot: the blurred sides of good and evil. Just like the game you will find yourself rooting for either race – the humans or the orcs, based on what morals you personally believe in. Of course notwithstanding that there is a main antagonist, these two battling races are essentially just beings fighting for their survival whom the evils of war find a way to corrupt.
Director Jones is tasked with balancing the lore and the soul of the film. It is clear how much love Jones has for this universe and his team’s visual effects do an incredible job in translating this love on-screen: from the primitive textures of the orc world to the glowing whoosh of magical spells. This attention-to-detail is impressive especially with the orcs: from their freakishly huge hands, hulky robust physiques, up to the rings attached to their tusks (yes, there are). Blended with a pulse-pounding musical score from Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones musical composer), Warcraft is easily one of this year’s biggest films that established aficionados will be more than willing to pay for.
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At times though, the source material may be just too rich that it becomes a disadvantage in effectively telling its story. For the first installment, Jones wrestles with so many characters, locations and subplots which result in fast-paced story-telling, offering no breathing room and ample time to fully-develop most of the characters. (Think of a one full season of GOT jammed into a two-hour film.) While there are a lot of scenes with exposition and minor characters are also used as plot-devices to get us emotionally invested, they all seem not enough as they are merely short backstories and fragments of characterizations. Hence, by the third act when some of these characters are lost, the emotional punch is weaker than how it should have been.
In his first lead role, Travis Fimmel (of TV’s Vikings) is perfectly cast here as Lothar, although there will inevitably be comparisons between him and his Lord of the Rings counterpart, Aragorn, as the former possesses lesser leadership qualities than the beloved LOTR hero. Ben Foster as the wizard Medivh is as also mysterious as one gets but his character is not that properly fleshed-out. Thus, when it comes to character progression, the intended effects are not as potent. Ben Schnetzer too is a welcome addition as he plays up the sidekick/comic relief card as curious mage Khadgar. Above all though, Paula Patton as Garona has the most beautiful arc among the characters as she plays a pivotal role that deals with her conflicted loyalties (my only gripe is that her mini-tusks look like last-minute Halloween bargain finds that they get in the way of me taking her seriously). Surprisingly, despite the orcs being a product of CGI and motion capture, over-all they are better portrayed than the humans. Toby Kebell’s Durotan gives a warmth to his character that is strong enough to carry the film on his own.
Warcraft ultimately feels like a sequel where audiences are expected to do their homework on the world’s history rather than a franchise-starter that effectively builds up characters for the next film. This movie would have been better served if it was thirty minutes longer (hoping for a director’s cut) or best, it’s depth could have been better highlighted as a well-funded TV series. With all the things it aspires to be in such a short run time, the end product comes out as a boisterous and flashy piece largely stripped of poetry compared to LoTR and GoT. Impressively staged yet disengaged, Warcraft is still short of the champion we are hoping for in video-game adaptations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65AjY_nRdqE
