WARCRAFT from Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures (6/10/16)

[Bosco685]

Hopefully the Warcraft fans find it to be better than noted. Having multiple films get slammed by reviewers so far this year.

 

[fantastic_four]

It's disappointing if the reviews are accurate. I'd expected Duncan Jones to do a lot better with it.

 

He didn't have a lot to work from. I enjoy the game quite a lot and I'm generally interested in the story, but it isn't original nor as compelling as the Lord of the Rings-inspired fiction it borrowed from. Most of the elements of the story were a sketchy afterthought to dress up the real-time strategy game it was meant to support throughout the 1990s and were later ret-conned into the wider story now present in the games and that we'll see in the movie.

 

But I expect the real problem is that we're not going to be able to identify with the CGI orcs. In the game they're the rough equivalent of Star Trek Klingons with a society centered around warriors and honor, but they were envisioned to be multiples of the size and strength of a human. Yet humans are supposed to be on some kind of equal footing with them in combat? It's difficult to imagine that will be at all believable, or that we'll be able to identify with entirely animated characters. That weirdly have females a fraction the size of males that look like human females with tusks.

 

Again, I love the game...but the story has always had too many stupid elements to it for me to take that part of it entirely seriously. And I couldn't imagine how they were going to get around those problems on film without simply removing the hard-to-swallow elements. Which they didn't do in an apparent effort to keep it mostly consistent with the games. I expect I'll enjoy this film, and I think there will be a market for a sequel. But the company that produces the game, Blizzard Entertainment, usually doesn't release anything that they don't think will be both a critical and commercial success, so I don't think they will be satisfied with cranking out a sequel to a critical disaster. Extreme quality has always been their thing, so from this they will realize that film isn't their bag and it'll be one and done.

 

But that's assuming they even have a say in it. They were bought by Activision several years ago, and it's possible that parent company will force a sequel to be made.

[Ken Aldred]

I've played Elder Scrolls, Kingdoms of Amalur, and Diablo, and you can largely ignore the extremely derivative and overly familiar nature of the character types and the main storyline when you're off questing or are engaged in some intense fighting, not so much if you're just sat passively watching a film: that's easy to imagine.

 

Good point about the CGI orcs, and reminds me of the green Martians in John Carter, and obvious problems with relatability and suspension of disbelief if someone doesn't even really like the source material and genre to begin with, quite as much as we do.

[fantastic_four]

I've played Elder Scrolls, Kingdoms of Amalur, and Diablo, and you can largely ignore the extremely derivative and overly familiar nature of the character types and the main storyline when you're off questing or are engaged in some intense fighting, not so much if you're just sat passively watching a film: that's easy to imagine.

 

Yep. I'm heavily biased towards medieval fantasy, so if the gameplay is spectacular as World of Warcraft's is, the story can be relatively mediocre.

[Gatsby77]

I suspect this movie will bomb by blockbuster standards but ultimately be considered a "success" because the entire thing is just an advertisement for the game that will lead to new players and buyers for it.

[fantastic_four]

I suspect this movie will bomb by blockbuster standards but ultimately be considered a "success" because the entire thing is just an advertisement for the game that will lead to new players and buyers for it.

 

I doubt it...the game is over a decade old now and has had declining membership for a while. It'll be a success because of the Asian market...the game is huge in China, Taiwan, and Korea.

 

Blizzard actually sells in-game gold for $20, and the amount of gold you get varies by region. Basically the more people play in your region the more in-game gold you get for real-world money, and Chinese players get twice as much gold as American players while Taiwanese and Korean players get four times as much. It works out that way because Asian players are swimming in in-game gold because they play so much that Blizzard has to give those players more in those regions to entice them to pay real-life money to get it.

[Rodey]

I suspect this movie will bomb by blockbuster standards but ultimately be considered a "success" because the entire thing is just an advertisement for the game that will lead to new players and buyers for it.

 

I doubt it...the game is over a decade old now and has had declining membership for a while. It'll be a success because of the Asian market...the game is huge in China, Taiwan, and Korea.

 

Blizzard actually sells in-game gold for $20, and the amount of gold you get varies by region. Basically the more people play in your region the more in-game gold you get for real-world money, and Chinese players get twice as much gold as American players while Taiwanese and Korean players get four times as much. It works out that way because Asian players are swimming in in-game gold because they play so much that Blizzard has to give those players more in those regions to entice them to pay real-life money to get it.

 

Great. Now Americans are lazy at playing video games!!

[revat]

I suspect this movie will bomb by blockbuster standards but ultimately be considered a "success" because the entire thing is just an advertisement for the game that will lead to new players and buyers for it.

 

I doubt it...the game is over a decade old now and has had declining membership for a while. It'll be a success because of the Asian market...the game is huge in China, Taiwan, and Korea.

 

Blizzard actually sells in-game gold for $20, and the amount of gold you get varies by region. Basically the more people play in your region the more in-game gold you get for real-world money, and Chinese players get twice as much gold as American players while Taiwanese and Korean players get four times as much. It works out that way because Asian players are swimming in in-game gold because they play so much that Blizzard has to give those players more in those regions to entice them to pay real-life money to get it.

 

Great. Now Americans are lazy at playing video games!!

 

This movie is going to rock Asia pretty hard even if it fails elsewhere , and I think they knew that going into it

[Bosco685]

The studio did those huge display pieces across Asian shopping areas most probably for that very reason. Including an entire throne room.

[PhoKing]

Watching this movie on Saturday for FREE thanks to T-Mobile deal.

[paperheart]

$46MM opening day in China- new record for non-weekend opener, smashing AoU's $28MM. playing on 67% of all China's screens. other films in the market have to have dropped dead including X-Men.

[Bosco685]

REVIEW: Duncan Jones' WARCRAFT Is Better Than Critics Say. SPOILER FREE

 

How do you write a review for a movie that is at 23% (currently) on rotten tomatoes and has critics going ?

 

This is a CGI-heavy film and there is no way that this could have been made without it. Judging a video game movie for having TOO much CGI and being like the game is weird. In the words of Big Daddy “The only reason Styx catches a bad rap is because most critics are cynical a**holes.” The same can be applied to Warcraft. For example, orcs are big brutes that are twice the size of their human counterpart. Some action sequences get a little blurry, but that is something that can be hammered out in future films and it doesn’t detract from the movie at all. The battles, all in all, are still pretty epic. The orcs won’t bother (at least they shouldn’t) fans of the franchise. The battles were entertaining and left me wanting more of them and that is a good thing.

 

The acting itself is exactly what anyone should expect from Warcraft kinda cheesy, but a guilty pleasure cheesy… If that makes any sense at all. If you don’t know what I’m talking about look up some of the cinematics for any of the Warcraft games. Freaking entertaining, but cheesy at times. The only character I had a problem with was Medivh. His character was kind of dull for someone who has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Another thing that left me bewildered by critics was the character Garona and the possibility that she is a mixed (half human/orc) raced character. The film itself doesn’t reveal exactly, but she really is half Draenei half-orc . Really? This is what you had a problem with? A film full of magic, orcs, elves, griffins, a floating island, dwarves and humans armed with ridiculously heavy and outrageous armor and a mixed orc is the one thing you whine about and think is weird? #MixedOrcEquality

 

Overall I thought this was a good popcorn movie. It’s a great adventure that any fan of the franchise will love. Those not familiar with it can still enjoy the movie, but maybe not as much. I will say this however, it will only get better. Blizzard, Legendary, and Duncan Jones created a starting point for 22 years of games. This is only the beginning and it’s only going to get better.

[paperheart]

both the NYT & Rolling Stone recommend watching the movie stoned. coincidence or critic conspiracy?

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/warcraft-20160608

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/10/movies/warcraft-review.html?_r=0

[DougC]

This movie is far from terrible and doesn't deserve the critical pan it receives for not being LotR, but the -script does not do the movie any favors. Watching the movie you are beat over the head with lore that isn't explained stuffed between (great) CGI battles, and at 2 hours it drags in parts. I do not think any of the love subplots made sense or helped the movie with character depth. They could have been trimmed up and the run time could have been lowered to 1:40 for a much better (imo) and more focused movie.

 

All in all this movie feels more like a prequel installment of a franchise that was making its third movie.

[Bosco685]

This movie is far from terrible and doesn't deserve the critical pan it receives for not being LotR, but the -script does not do the movie any favors. Watching the movie you are beat over the head with lore that isn't explained stuffed between (great) CGI battles, and at 2 hours it drags in parts. I do not think any of the love subplots made sense or helped the movie with character depth. They could have been trimmed up and the run time could have been lowered to 1:40 for a much better (imo) and more focused movie.

 

All in all this movie feels more like a prequel installment of a franchise that was making its third movie.

 

So maybe a critical conspiracy?

 

 

On a more serious note, good to hear it is not the assumed dog noted by critics.

[fantastic_four]

This movie is far from terrible and doesn't deserve the critical pan it receives for not being LotR, but the -script does not do the movie any favors. Watching the movie you are beat over the head with lore that isn't explained stuffed between (great) CGI battles, and at 2 hours it drags in parts. I do not think any of the love subplots made sense or helped the movie with character depth. They could have been trimmed up and the run time could have been lowered to 1:40 for a much better (imo) and more focused movie.

 

All in all this movie feels more like a prequel installment of a franchise that was making its third movie.

 

So maybe a critical conspiracy?

 

It doesn't sound like it. This movie needed to start from the beginning and explain everything slowly and thoroughly, not present hard-to-swallow sentient species, never-explained back-story elements, and action sequences that seem too far-fetched to believe if you're not already familiar with the story from the games. And I'm hearing from all over--both non-fan critics and critics who are hardcore fans of the game--that they didn't do that. I'm surprised by it.

 

Planning to see it this afternoon. I think I'll like it a lot given that I'll already understand the unexplained elements.

[Bosco685]

It doesn't sound like it.

 

You cut out an important piece with that post.

 

 

 

Although it does feel like critics this year have made it a point to come down heavy on a film if it appears to not be running on all cylinders.

 

[Gatsby77]

Wow - the domestic Friday estimates are in, and it looks like The Conjuring 2 did 50% more business than Warcraft yesterday.

 

In fewer theaters...

 

and at 1/4 the budget...

 

 

Ouch

[TeddieMercede]

Wow - the domestic Friday estimates are in, and it looks like The Conjuring 2 did 50% more business than Warcraft yesterday.

 

In fewer theaters...

 

and at 1/4 the budget...

 

 

Ouch

 

It's destroying in China - going to be the highest grossing film ever over there. Sounds like Europe is fine also where gaming is also extremely popular.

[Bosco685]

You are not kidding about China!

 

Warcraft Pulls In $145 Million In China In Just 4 Days

 

Universal and Legendary may not win the weekend box office with their video game adaptation Warcraft here in the U.S., but in one of the world's largest markets for film, it's no contest.

 

Warcraft has obliterated expectations in China, earning $145 million over its first four days in theatrical release.

 

For context, Star Wars: The Force Awakens earned $125 million in China...during its entire theatrical run.

 

Warcraft now has a worldwide total of $277 million from 51 markets so far with 23 launching this weekend, per Variety's math. It’s opened as the number one film in 45 of those markets, with launches starting May 25.