Movie Review # 518: Warcraft (2016)

Well everyone, today, we are going to be reviewing a film that I surprisingly never saw back in 2016, but should have probably seen whether I would have liked it, or not. It is a film that is based on a video game. Released in the summer of 2016, the movie is Warcraft.

Plot: When a demonic magic called Fel magic, humans, and orca from another world must stop this magic from getting out of hand. Can humans, orca, and other races unite together to stop this evil magic from spreading further if possible?

Okay, the setup of this film is really clever. I had plans to watch this film with a friend of mine last night. Before seeing it, I honestly did not find myself going in with high expectations. Still, after watching it, while not not quite one of the best video game adaptations out there, it is still very fun. First of all, Warcraft is one of those films that, even if you haven’t played the Warcraft video games, you find yourself somewhat immersed, and engaged in this story. Seeing as that did not seem to be the case as much with say something like the Assassin’s Creed film (which was released at the end of 2016), that is likely saying something. Yes, this film had problems too, but one could still be more positive to it nonetheless. Anyway, the characters are also very well thought out, even villains like the orcs. Oh, and that’s another thing. The storyline seems to feel rather similar to say the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. I mean you have these towns, and cities that are very identical, or similar to the ones that were set up in the Lord Of The Rings movies, and/or books. Not to mention that the orca in this Warcraft seem to be more fleshed out this time around. Sadly, the humans, and orca end up still being bitter enemies. But hey, at least we get to know the orc species more, you know? The world building was also very good, with there being humans, and orcs, along with dwarves, elves, and other creatures too. As I’m writing this review, you may be thinking that this film is basically ripping off Lord Of The Rings, right? Well, I assure you all, that is not the case. This film still has it’s own story. Finally, as far as positives go, Warcraft has really cool epic moments, along with some interesting twists.

Still, there were some areas where the Warcraft film could have likely improved. First of all, some of the characters could have been developed a little better. Also, certain events near the end seem to feel unresolved somewhat. Additionally, there were certain aspects of this world building that didn’t seem to be thoroughly explained, most notably in regards to how the whole Fel magic worked, and things like that. Finally, the CGI with some of the backgrounds, and some of the non-human characters, might look it could be potentially dated a few years from now, or even more.

And that’s my review for Warcraft. Though not quite one of the best video game adaptations out there, you might find yourself enjoying whether or not you have played the Warcraft video games. Yes, it’s possible that one might enjoy this film more if going through the Warcraft video games in the process. Regardless, definitely give this film a watch if you either like video games, or if you like stories that are of the fantasy genre.

Final Grade: B