Warcraft Review

Warcraft Movie Review:

I REALLY wanted to like this movie! I REALLY did, but from the first trailers, it seemed a bit iffy…

This movie has been critically panned almost worldwide and with good reason too.

I don’t base my views on other critics, but there are some major problems with this film.

The basic one is that… this film is a prequel which we had no need for! The entire events of this film should have been the first 15 minutes of the film.

Let’s go step by step.

First off, the story and setting is confusing to new audiences and unlike LOTR and Star Wars, the film makers don’t manage the world building effortlessly. I found myself a bit lost during the first 30 mins or so. I still can’t name the cities or the main characters.

The movie starts with them, going from place to place, confusing the audience and killing any kind of anticipation of the orc raids. Plus, the orc raids are not shown at all, we can’t even connect to the peril they pose!

Then comes the story itself. It’s a bit weak, despite this huge premise, the story falls flat.

The acting is amateurish at best and despite the effort taken in costume and sets, the scenes all look a bit fake and not realistic (Like LOTR – Made in 2001!)

Paula Patton plays an attractive half human, half orc character. But how did she come to be? it’s not made clear, since it seems human have never encountered orcs before!

Who were the other species in the movies? Dwarfs, elves? They have nothing to do, they are not explained properly or used in any impactful sort of way.

Characterization is mostly improvised through dialog and we come to understand important character moments because someone says it out loud in dialog…

The writing of the film is to blame for all these issues!

Then comes the pacing of the film. This film has very uneven narrative, sometimes things happen fast, sometimes it get too slow. Some of the plot points are completely confusing and seem like it was written by a 6-year-old trying to fix the script!

For example, a book important to the plot is conveniently located via ghost/ convenient plot point of some ancient power, which leads to no great revelation, just more confusion!

The ending has no build up, the villain and his twist is out of the blue and seemed forced and clichéd.

Now finally I come to the good parts of the film.

Some action sequences are decent. The visual FX is good at times, VERY video gamey at times.

Overall I have nothing too good to say about this film. Despite how much effort, hard work and time it went into making this film, it’s quite a disaster.

Duncan Jones the director has made some GREAT films in the past, but his step into big budget action adventure is more of a misstep than a success.

This entire movie sets up for sequels which we are not going to get… so it’s pointless seeing this film!

Rating: 5.5/10

(Would have given it 3.5, but out of respect for the hard work needed to make such a film, giving it 2 points more)

Verdict: Avoid! Unless you are HUGE world of Warcraft fan and this movie makes 100% sense to you!