Warcraft: The Beginning premieres tomorrow, but some critics have already seen the film beforehand. Read here what they have to say about the film.
The Warcraft movie comes to theaters tomorrow, and after the endlessly long production time and numerous bits of information, expectations are correspondingly high. Will the film be the new fantasy epic in the style of The Lord of the Rings, or is it just another botched film adaptation in the vein of Uwe Boll (who supposedly wanted to secure the film rights)?
The Reviews at a Glance
We also wanted to know how the film has been received so far and read several German and English-language reviews from preview screenings. In the following paragraphs, we summarize the different reviews.
Gamestar – “The Most Expensive Fan Film of All Time”
The Gamestar’s film review is like the archetype of the German gamer press review of the film. As a game editor and Warcraft fan, author Michael Graf is torn in his opinion. He finds the film really good as a Warcraft fan because it is bursting with loving details:
“As a Warcraft fan, I am not angry about what Universal and Blizzard have made of the universe, but rather excited to experience an Azeroth on screen that simply looks “real.””
On the other hand, Graf criticizes that Warcraft: The Beginning is likely rather a shallow fantasy flick for the mainstream audience without a Warcraft background, which is unlikely to leave a lasting impression. The Gamestar is not alone in this opinion; other major German gaming sites see it similarly.
IGN
With the words “Otherwise, the adaptation proves to be mediocre. But a wonderfully epic mediocrity,” author Jonas Gössling summarizes the film on IGN right at the beginning of his review.
He found especially the – in his opinion – outrageous dialogues, the miserable script, and the unnecessary love story to be terrible. However, he particularly likes the epic battles and the spectacular visuals.
Moviejones
A similar opinion exists from the movie portal Moviejones. There, the author also praises the wonderful attention to detail of the work and especially the work of director Duncan Jones:
“With Duncan Jones, they found the right man for this video game adaptation. With a lot of love and passion, he brings Azeroth to life.”
However, there is skepticism about whether the film has the same effect on mainstream audiences. A longer film that took more time to explain the world would have been, according to Moviejones, the better choice.
Filmstarts
German mainstream film portals like Filmstarts find the work good. Although the critique by Björn Becher does not compare with the fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, the Warcraft film is overall described as a “fast-paced and visually powerful start for a new fantasy franchise with room for improvement in sequels…”.
Filmfutter – “A Film by Fans for Fans”
Filmfutter, another movie review site, particularly praises the excellent CGI effects of the film but also criticizes that the film only fully resonates with Warcraft fans and those familiar with the background:
“Warcraft: The Beginning is a film by fans for fans, suffering, however, from somewhat flat dialogues and merely skimming the possible potential, but offering a great look with fascinating locations and could represent a next evolutionary step in computer graphics following Avatar.”
Kotaku – “The Warcraft Movie is not good”
The German press seems to mostly like the film, only criticizing its lack of mainstream accessibility. However, in the English-speaking world, the situation looks quite different! The already 40 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes offers no good omens.
The site Kotaku already reveals in the title of their review that the film is “not good.” It follows a merciless review, and author Jason Schreier – himself a WoW player – doesn’t believe that the film does justice to the game. He criticizes that the film takes itself too seriously; WoW is, after all, a game full of absurdities and exaggerations. His conclusion is therefore particularly brutal:
“I hoped that Warcraft would at least be entertaining, but honestly, I had more fun wiping in Molten Core for two hours.”
Variety
A similarly scathing review also comes from Variety. Critic Geoff Berkshire begins his article with the words, “Hollywood’s habit of turning video game hits into unbearable films continues.”
In his review, he criticizes especially the confusing storytelling – which likely only appeals to true nerds – as well as what he considers the cheap special effects and the ridiculous costume of the half-orc Garona: “It is hard to take… the character seriously, with her Star Trek alien-like green skin and oversized tusks that protrude from her jaw and look like a find from a Hollywood junk store, making it sound as if she has a mouth full of gummy bears.”
The Wrap
The most scathing criticism from abroad so far comes from The Wrap, as the title “Swords, Sorcery and Stupidity” leaves little good to be guessed. Author Alonso Duralde finds the film boring, devoid of fun, and not even unintentionally funny. His conclusion is particularly biting:
“Warcraft promises – or threatens – a sequel, but so did “Super Mario Bros.” And when I think about it, if I were forced to watch one of the two video game movies again, I would probably vote for the plumber.”
Hollywood Reporter
A better opinion of the film is held by Sheri Linden on the site The Hollywood Reporter. She believes that the film is quite a solid fantasy flick and particularly praises the technological implementation of the orcs:
“[…] the characters are well represented, and especially those who are partially digital creations belong to those that are best remembered. They have heart!”
Mein-MMO
We also watched the film and expressed an opinion. The special feature: from the perspective of a long-time WoW player: Warcraft: The Film We Have Been Waiting Years For? Critique of a WoW Fan. And we also took care of the other perspective: Warcraft: The Beginning Film Review from a Non-WoW Player.
Opinions diverge. But what do you think about the Warcraft film? Have you even managed to see it? And do you share one or the other opinion of the cited reviews? Write it in the comments!
