My Warcraft Movie Review.

O.k., I admit I am late to the party on this one.

    I have finally seen the Warcraft movie, and as with every other Blizzard fanboy and World of Warcraft fan this is the movie I have wanted for years and years.  So, the question is, how did it hold up to my expectations.

    For the most part yes.  I thought the story was good, though it felt rushed at parts.  The characters were great, and the special effects were fantastic.

    I would love to start with the special effects.  The orcs look real.  This is not just fan service, or me being a part of the crowd on this.  It is fantastic the different facial expressions, movement, and emotions the orcs are able to convey.  This is one of those cases where there are scenes where you question how much is practical effects, and how much is CGI.  When the orcs share the screen with humans they look like they belong there and you don’t feel like they are face at all.  All the orcs look distinct and different and even though they aren’t part of the “cast” some of the orcs we know make cameos.  Kargath Bladefist is seen in the background, so is Grommash Hellscream. There are members of the Laughing Skull clan, and other tribes you have seen playing around Azeroth and Outland and it’s fantastic that it is not just a bunch green figures that look the same.

     The story was good with a few difference from the Lore. (I may have some spoilers below)  I thought it flowed pretty smooth for the most part, and was easy enough to follow.  For a non-wow person it might be a little tougher, but I still think the story should be easy enough to follow.  It has been said that about forty minutes of screen time cut from this movie, and it shows here and there where it feels there is a sharp cut in the flow of the show.  I feel there were some critical moments and scenes that were cut to keep the story to the two hour mark, and I hope there is a director’s cut on the horizon so we can see what was taken out.

     I liked the characters well enough.  I had some issues with Khadgar at first, but grew to like him as the story progressed.  Duratan is fantastic and eats up the screen whenever he is on.  Garona has a heartbreaking character arc and the character is used very well.  Lothar is great, and I liked King Lane well enough.  Medivh is very good and Ogrim Doomhammer and Blackhand are both very well done. I did think Gul’dan was a little one note-evil, but that fits his character. 

     My biggest problem there was that some of these characters didn’t have enough screen time to make you care enough about them. Ogrim Doomhammer should have had a few more moments, Callum, Lothar’s son is hard to care about as his character is not well developed, and the list goes one the less important any character is to the overall arc.

Here is where I start with SPOILERS… so if you don’t like SPOILERS… Don’t read further.  I won’t feel bad if you do.

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     The changes to the story I thought were great.  The biggest change I felt was Garona’s arc.  The changes were subtle, but worked well.  Instead of being half-draenei/half-orc she is half human in this story.  The movie strongly suggests she is actually Medivh’s daughter (sorry Medan, you won’t exist in the movie cannon) On Blizzardwatch podcast I’m pretty sure they said that in the novelization of the movie that relationship is confirmed.  The other big change to her arc is that instead of killing King Lane because she was Mind Controlled, she killed him because she was given a choice.  And the outcome of that is beautiful and heart wrenching and made me tear up a little.  Everything the character builds in the movie is destroyed as she makes the right choice.

      The other big change I can think of off the top of my head is the Khadgar isn’t cursed with old age when he takes out Medivh when Medivh is possessed by Sargeris. It does not go into the explanation of Medivh always having been possessed from his birth because of reasons I don’t want to go into here, and I’m actually glad the movie didn’t.  That would have been wasted screen time I think for a more general audience.  It doesn’t even name the demon he is possessed by.

     Of course, Lothar Kills Blackhand (Doomhammer did in the cannon) Durotan is killed by Gul’dan to great purpose, which is a better change from the original story, and so on.  I am happy with the changes made because they all made sense.

      Now, the one thing I didn’t like was because of the time constraints was the lack of character development. The big sore spot with this was Callun? Callum? Lothar’s son.  When he gets killed we are supposed to care, even though the movie didn’t have time to build that relationship and give us time to develop any attachment to him.  Instead we had two or three quick scenes that seemed forced into the movie just so we know who he is.  I don’t think Lothar’s performance is why we feel nothing, I think we didn’t have time to develop any feelings to be hurt here.

     So, if I were to rate this movie, it would be four to four and a half stars.  It does what it accomplishes, it’s a fun thrill ride with wonderful special effects that makes you want to run back to the theater to see it again.  I wouldn’t put it on as high a pedestal as Captain America: Civil War or Winter Soldier, and it is not going into my top ten movies of all time by any stretch. (Do a director’s cut that lets me change that please) But I recommend it for a good couple hours of fun.

Lag.