Warning: Possible Spoilers ahead!!!!
So finally the long awaited game to movie adaptation Warcraft is finally out and many people are wondering whether or not the movie is worth seeing. Now I am someone who has played all of the Warcraft RTS (real time strategy) games and played World of Warcraft since vanilla (the original game) so I had both a lot of bias and knowledge going into the movie. With that, I will [try] to remain as unbiased as possible when talking about the film. I was able to see the movie twice before writing this review so I was able to get dual perspective from overly excited fanboy and interested movie seeker.
Warcraft serves as a faithful adaptation keeping very true to the lore, for the most part, and making the audience feel like they are in the game themselves. Each bit of CGI was crafted wonderfully. Azeroth and Draenor looked spectacular and the denizens within them made for an even better sight. The orcs themselves stole the show. Whether it was in story, action, or just plain looks, the orcs accomplished it all. They blended in seemingly with the human/orc scenes and this movie showed the power of CGI. Each orc seemed so brutish in their own right and each had a presence of their own. The warlords; Durotan, Blackhand, Gul'dan, and the others that were shown, but not named, each had their very unique look. The humans on the other hand looked as if they came straight out of a video game. Their armor seemed cartoonish at times and Stormwind itself, while on the grand scale looked something out of a fantasy movie, inside it looked as if it came out of a childrens theme park.
The story of Warcraft stayed true to much of the lore, but at times there were slight differences that threw me off. One problem I noticed throughout the whole film is how much lore they throw out at audience. While someone like me was able to take everything in and understand pretty much most of it, I could see for someone who doesn't know a single thing about the lore could be lost very fast. With that, Warcraft takes the time to explain as much of the lore as possible, there's so much from the books and games that it's difficult to explain everything and get all the details within a two hour and some change movie. Regardless of the overload, the story still stays strong throughout the whole film and offers great scenes that drive the movie and its characters forward. Some of the story elements seemed useless, I'm looking at you Lothar's son, and seemed placed there only to move something else forward rather than itself. The development of all the characters is shown fantastically and every action chosen impacts everyone in the scene in some way.
On the subject of characters, each one really stood out. Particularly the orcs, well, mainly Durotan, but each character had very strong moments throughout the whole movie. The spotlight continuously shifted which worked really well and Warcraft was able to show different aspects of its universe. Many of the lines spoken seemed muddled at times though or were very cheesy. For every meh line though, there were powerful ones behind it.
As someone who has played the games for most of my life, there were so many little treats throughout the whole film. Little Easter Eggs were spread throughout the film that gave some humor and the uses of foreshadowing gave people excitement for whats to come. Warcraft can and will have many sequels to come not only from the lore, but from the movie itself. The ending with baby Go'el, who eventually becomes Thrall in the lore, probably one of the most prominent characters in the Warcraft universe, if found presumably by the Proudmore family. There are endless stories for the cinematic world to tell, this movie just acted as the bridge to bring those stories to the big screen.
So to close, one question remains, was Warcraft a good movie, I say yes. I enjoyed the movie both times that I saw it and honestly I can say those wont be my last. The movie does suffer from information overload and a few scenes that drag on or seem useless, but for what the movie was made for, it succeeded. This was probably the most faithful and accomplished game to movie adaptations that I have ever seen. Though as a verdict, I feel as if the average movie goer will not enjoy this film, if you like the lore of Warcraft or just like fantasy movies , then I think you will enjoy this film, but if either of those categories doesn't suit you then this film will not deliver. This movie was made for a particular audience and it captures that genre well. As a fanboy, I would give this movie a 8/10 for delivering fantastic visuals, story, and characters, but for also having information overload and some lines that really left an awkward tone in the air.
