Warcraft Review

Warcraft is a 2016 action, fantasy film directed by Duncan Jones (Source Code), starring Travis Fimmel (Maggie’s Plan), Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand), Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger), Toby Kebbell (Fantastic Four), Ben Schnetzer (Pride), Robert Kazinsky (Pacific Rim), and Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands).  Based on the game and novels of the same, the plot follows the peaceful realm of Azeroth which stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another.


Positives:

  • Good characters
  • Good performances
  • Phenomenol visual effects
  • Good soundtrack
  • Good direction

Negatives:

  • Lackluster characters
  • Good but poor story

Plot:  The plot is an interesting one just not a compelling one.  Citizens of Azeroth fighting against the invading hordes of orcs is a pretty cool storyline.  Not really an original but a cool one.  It is pretty entertaining. The betrayal of Medivh as well as Gul’dan is pretty predictable. And the climax is pretty cool, just not really epic. (3 out of 5)

Characters: The characters are a bit of a mixed bag.  Anduin (Fimmel) is a likable character just not an interesting nor memorable one. He seems like a very flat character.  Khadgar (Schnetzer) is a young mage who left and seems like a more likable character than Anduin. Garona (Patton) is a human/orc half-breed who is a former slave who joins the humans.  Her being half-human and half-orc makes for an interesting character. Durotan (Kebbell) is completely badass. Gul’dan (Wu) is a pretty cool antagonist but a very one dimensional one. (3 out of 5)

Cast:  Good performances by the cast.  Schnetzer and Patton are really the only stand out performances. Paula Patton as Garona looks extremely sexy for a orc half-breed babe.  Terrific voice performances by Toby Kebbell, Dominic Cooper, Anna Galvin, Robert Kazinsky, and Daniel Wu.  Fimmel is decent as Anduin but the character could’ve been played by anyone. (3 out of 5)

Visuals:  Let’s just be real.  The visuals look absolutely amazing and the motion capture is to be commended.  The orc designs have a great deal of detail.  The landscapes have a grand look to them and are a beauty to behold.  Thumbs up for the costume designs and set pieces. (5 out of 5)

Score:  The music is just beautiful  Ramin Djawadi does a brilliant job with the soundtrack. (3 out of 5)

Writing: The writing is so-so, definitely hit the mark on some points while missing the mark on others.  Draka’s death is perhaps the most wasted of all the characters.  The ending battle sequence with Khadgar and Anduin against Medivh could’ve been a helluva lot better. More epic, more intense. Duncan Jones does a good job with the film but the film could’ve been written better.  Anduin’s battle with Blackhand should’ve been more extensive.  Garona’s “betrayal” is nothing but b.s. for a sequel bated ending.  How was Llane’s death by Garona’s hand suppose to bring peace.  Draka sending her son, Go’el, downriver.  See, the problem with the script is the fact that instead of making this a stand alone that way all the focus could’ve been on a better story. (2 out of 5)


The Verdict:  In the end, Warcraft is a good attempt at adapting a game into a movie although it does have its share of issue.  Despite many issues concerning the predictable plot, bland characters, and messy script the film does feature great cast, interesting characters, great action, good soundtrack, and terrific visuals.  Warcraft gets 3 out of 5.

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