Five years after its release, the WoW movie Warcraft: The Beginning is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. The film is currently at number 3 in the Netflix charts for the most streamed movies worldwide. It’s time to revisit the film.
What is the situation regarding the film? Recently, the WoW movie Warcraft: The Beginning has also been made available for streaming on Netflix for all subscribers at no additional cost. And apparently, the film has struck a chord.
Five years after its theatrical release in the summer of 2016, the movie is now being watched extensively worldwide. The visually stunning fantasy epic currently ranks 3rd (as of July 9, 2021) in the global Netflix charts for most streamed movies.
Great fantasy film with a big fan bonus
What is it actually about? The film’s storyline is largely based on the story of the very first Warcraft game. Specifically, the strategy game Warcraft: Orcs and Humans from the 90s.
It tells the story of how the Orcs came to Azeroth and the dark schemes of the warlock Gul’dan. We also meet important characters like the Orcs Durotan and Orgrim, as well as the mages Medivh and Khadgar.
The film revolves around the first battles between Orcs and humans and ends with a clear hint at a sequel. After all, at the end, the young Thrall is sent on his fateful journey. Unfortunately, nothing has come of that so far, as the film received rather lukewarm reviews from international critics at the time.
Why should you still watch the film after 5 years?
I, Jürgen Horn, and our WoW demon Cortyn both ventured into the cinemas back in 2016 and watched the film from the perspective of a (relative) WoW noob and an absolute WoW fanatic.
Curiously, we both enjoyed the film and had our fun:
- This is the opinion of an unknowing person: I liked the epic action, the surprisingly emotional Orcs, and the few details I remembered from the strategy game as a non-WoW player. For example, the sheep spell! You can find the full review from a WoW noob’s perspective of the film here.
- This is the opinion of a WoW fan: Cortyn, as a big fan, was able to enjoy the film even more because the many locations and situations were immediately recognizable. One felt right at home. A film review from a WoW expert’s perspective can be found here.
The film primarily targets fans who already know what kind of floating city it is, who Medivh really is, and what that weird bubbling creature in the water is supposed to be.
Those unfamiliar with the WoW universe might be a bit lost, but they will be rewarded with epic battle scenes and some really well-crafted Orcs. Such lovingly designed CGI characters are still hard to come by outside of Avatar, and the WoW movie has certainly utilized some of that potential.
Therefore, it’s still worth watching the good old WoW movie Warcraft: The Beginning, especially if you already have a Netflix subscription and it costs you nothing extra. And who knows, perhaps the late success of the film will ultimately inspire the decision-makers to finally create the long-awaited sequel.
