Review of Warcraft (2016) by Thequietgamer — 30 Dec 2016

When it comes to medieval fantasy movies the genre likely reached it's peak with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Those movies managed to balance a great deal many kings, kingdoms, magic, and fantasy races and make it all appealing to mainstream audiences. A huge achievement. Warcraft is not likely to have the same mainstream appeal. That's because in comparison the Lord of the Rings movies, it's much dorkier. Based off of the video game franchise, Warcraft is bursting with nerd appeal. Not a bad thing. It's just that the perhaps less grounded appearance of the certain aspects of the world and the stories full embrace of many different forms of fantasy magic as a driving force behind everything is going to be too much for some. Warcraft is likely to be a very niche film.

That's not to say Warcraft isn't a very well made movie. Everything it sets out to do it does so excellently with only some minor flaws to get in the way. For example, early on in the movie there are references to the larger lore of the series that go unexplained. It's not too important as the movie does a great job of focusing on the core plot, but those of us unfamiliar with the games are going to be left with some questions.

The story itself still remains easy to follow though, so long as you have a stomach for high fantasy. Like I said before, the plot does hinge on a lot of magical mumbo-jumbo. The conflict is still interesting though and filled with strong characters. I can't speak as to the movie's faithfulness to the source material, as I have never played any of the games.

The action is also impressive and the touches of humor that are neither too much or too little are appreciated, giving the movie a more human feel. This is also some of the best CGI you'll ever lay eyes on. The entire cast gives top-notch performances. While possibly a bit too nerdy for some, Warcraft is excellently realized fantasy entertainment. It's also a notable high-point for video game movies in terms of quality. With a great story, likable characters, an interesting conflict, and plenty of room for a sequel, Warcraft proves to be a very enjoyable start to what is hopefully a strong new series for medieval fantasy fans.