Having not played Warcraft, or even seen the trailer properly, I’ll just say straightforward that I didn’t have any expectations while watching it. And to write a longer review would be a waste of time because Warcraft (2016) demands more simplicity critique-wise.
The Good and The Bad: The visuals are literally super stunning. This might be the best-looking averagely plotted film of the year (yeah I haven’t seen Independence Day 2 yet), but I only recommend this to friends who like what’s on the screen and what’s not beneath it. Warcraft is a superficial treat, if you try to dig deep below its surface, like your first crush on a girl who’s out of your league, then you’ll likely end up with emptiness, because the damn story is mumbled up.
I mean just start the film, and the first hour you won’t know what’s going on in the storyline, but ironically the second hour is deeper in cinematic value, with an ending which was actually quite well-written and directed with emotional finesse.
Still, you can’t ignore the bad acting of almost all the cast. This is literally a film where the computer-animated orcs had stronger expressions than the human ensemble! Paula Patton is unconvincing, I have no idea what Ben Foster (yeah from 3:10 to Yuma, which is one of his best roles) was doing here, and even Dominic Cooper ultimately proves he’s better on TV than on the big screen. Tony Kebbell’s acting as the heroic orc was the best.
The Verdict: Alas, not all video-game film adaptations are supremely likeable. Prince of Persia (2010) remains one of my most cherished for this genre. But Warcraft succeeds only in the production value of $160 million, and not with the quality of its script. Still, you have you to admit it was way better than the no-brainer Gods of Egypt, now that was a disaster!
The Rating: 2 out of 5.
