Warcraft movie MEGA THREAD

[RuneDK]

I'm not understanding why it looks like a bad movie? The characters are well explained for 2 hour long movie, and you can understand the situation. I would give it a 8/10. If you like Lord of The Rings, then Warcraft should be right up there. And unlike LOTR, there isn't a lot of wasted time. My other complaint is the movie should have been 3 hours long, to fit more of the Warcraft story, cause there's a lot of Warcraft lore.

How were the characters well explained....Gul'dan...bad orc that can control the fel..Lothar...badass that is just a badass...Durotan - Warchief of the Frostwolf clan....Ogrim Doomhammer - zero explanation, Khadgar - pretty much unexplained aside from a powerful mage that left the kirin'tor. Llane - just any other king of the alliance. Garona - half orc half something. These weren't good explanations of these characters. As a person who is a fan of the universe I know who all these people are....however people who aren't fans will probably wonder why or how gul'dan is as powerful as he is. Why did khadgar leave the kirin'tor. The importance of Durotan and Draka and who their baby actually is. I could keep going on, but I'll stop there. The end of the movie was a complete mess and all over the place. I'm not saying I hated it, as a fan of the universe I loved it. However, as a movie it is pretty decent. Not great and not bad. The aspect of time as well was horrible...one minute Garona hates all the alliance, the next scene she's all hunky dory. How long did that take? etc etc.

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6 is a rating for bad movies. No way! I loved a lot of parts like the introduction to the "boom stick", the "Garona and other Orc in the cell" or "Blackhand castration" dude...i loved a lot of parts.

But it's true that some things seemed odd like the King asking for Garona to...you know what And what @JustRob said about Gul'dan cheating and geting away with it but when was Lothar every Orc steped aside with Honor. It's a very strong scene but is sad the Orcs didn't give a fuck about Gul'dan cheating against another Orc but is OK with Lothar, a Human.

I know, maybe is because the Orcs just had to step aside and not actually kill Gul'dan. Then they were just asking him to respect the Honor code and tradition and not threatening to kill Gul'dan directly.

They were just asking to respect the code of honor and not threatening to kill him. I loved that whole scene.

6 rating isn't bad on a ten scale. 5 is average...under 5 is bad. Get your head out of your butt. 6 is slightly above average. As a fan I give it an 8 mostly due to how much it was all over the place at the end and poor display of time. As a movie, I give it a 6. slightly above average because it caters to the fans more than non-fans.

[Aori]

How were the characters well explained....Gul'dan...bad orc that can control the fel..Lothar...badass that is just a badass...Durotan - Warchief of the Frostwolf clan....Ogrim Doomhammer - zero explanation, Khadgar - pretty much unexplained aside from a powerful mage that left the kirin'tor. Llane - just any other king of the alliance. Garona - half orc half something. These weren't good explanations of these characters. As a person who is a fan of the universe I know who all these people are....however people who aren't fans will probably wonder why or how gul'dan is as powerful as he is. Why did khadgar leave the kirin'tor. The importance of Durotan and Draka and who their baby actually is. I could keep going on, but I'll stop there. The end of the movie was a complete mess and all over the place. I'm not saying I hated it, as a fan of the universe I loved it. However, as a movie it is pretty decent. Not great and not bad. The aspect of time as well was horrible...one minute Garona hates all the alliance, the next scene she's all hunky dory. How long did that take? etc etc.

I don't understand how people felt the ending was a mess, I thought it was a rather clear cut intermission before the stories continuation. We don't need to know how important Thrall is yet, he is a non factor right now. I didn't really see any major issue with the character explanations either, it is like you're looking for backstories for every character.

The Garona transition is hopefully better explained in the cut footage.

[Cooper]

Then really, Warcraft is not a fiction for you. Not since 2002 when they retconned the two first wars. You're more for a Tolkien kind of fantasy with absolute bad vs absolute evil . As a side note (I'm sure you already know this) much of Tolkien's works are based on WWII.

No, they are not, considering he started developing the mythology for Middle-Earth during World War I - the war in which Tolkien actually served. WWII may have influenced his writing in "Lord of the Rings", since he wrote it largely during that war, but it was not "based on" the second World War.

[RuneDK]

I don't understand how people felt the ending was a mess, I thought it was a rather clear cut intermission before the stories continuation. We don't need to know how important Thrall is yet, he is a non factor right now. I didn't really see any major issue with the character explanations either, it is like you're looking for backstories for every character.

The Garona transition is hopefully better explained in the cut footage.

Some of the characters needed backstory. Durotan, Gul'dan, Khadgar and possibly Med'ivh. We needed to know more of who Durotan was. We also needed to know how Gul'dan became as powerful as he is. Khadgar in and of itself, needed a back story. If you don't understand why, then you're being bias because you know about him. The general audience who aren't warcraft fans...have no idea who khadgar is other then some powerful mage who abandoned the kirin'tor. Then Med'ivh could have more story, but since they force the end it's kind of okay not to.

[Aori]

Some of the characters needed backstory. Durotan, Gul'dan, Khadgar and possibly Med'ivh. We needed to know more of who Durotan was. We also needed to know how Gul'dan became as powerful as he is. Khadgar in and of itself, needed a back story. If you don't understand why, then you're being bias because you know about him. The general audience who aren't warcraft fans...have no idea who khadgar is other then some powerful mage who abandoned the kirin'tor. Then Med'ivh could have more story, but since they force the end it's kind of okay not to.

This wasn't a problem with LOTR.. why is it an issue here?

[RuneDK]

This wasn't a problem with LOTR.. why is it an issue here?

Cause Warcraft has twenty years of story where some of these characters role and history actually matters...

[Gadzooks]

Then really, Warcraft is not a fiction for you.

That's not your call to make.

[Thimagryn]

I don't think those backstories matter much in the grand scheme of things. What we needed more of was character development.

Gandalf has an extensive backstory that was not explained whatsoever in the LOTR movies. Even his death and return was briefly mentioned in the second movie, a full 3-minute scene out of the entire series. All we know of Gandalf is that he's an old wizard who becomes more powerful after the other old wizard became bad. That's it. Everything else we know is character development within the movie. His interactions with the Hobbits, his guiding presence, his initiative at the Council of Elrond, etc.

[Gadzooks]

Not since 2002 when they retconned the two first wars. You're more for a Tolkien kind of fantasy with absolute bad vs absolute evil . As a side note (I'm sure you already know this) much of Tolkien's works are based on WWII. I'm not saying Tolkien works are bad. I absolutely love him. I completely understand Tolkien's vision of war cause he suffered one and that is a fucking horrible experience . And is completely ok for you to prefer it over Warcraft. I like them both, knowing how different they are one from another. Warcraft is not so absolute as the Middle Earth was. It was in the beginning, with the first two games, but it deviated in WC3 and found a completely new way with the relativity of two grey sides.
Don't take it personal.Peace.

LOTR was not based on WWII, he said so himself - the whole WWII is fan based, and is not supported in his notes or comments. He wrote the key scenes and plot pre-war - if it was based on any war, it was WWI. He wrote the stories while WWII was raging - how he could know the end of the war, about the horrors of what the Nazis were doing, and the over-arcing story of the war is flat out impossible, and would have required a complete rewrite after the war, which didn't happen.

Anyway, my point is, the movie doesnt have to be a complex study of Orc self esteem to be entertaining. The story is muddled and hard for the average audience, who has nothing invested in the lore or story, to grab onto. It's confusing and unfocused. The ticket sales reflect this, in part. For a movie, you have to pick a side - this is Warcraft, not War and Peace.

[Zoldor]

Saw it. Enjoyed it. And there was some folks I knew weren't players or general fans in there. Seemed happy with it. It was quickly paced for sure, but overall not bad. I've seen a lot worse video game movies. In fact, I can't think of a better video game film. First Mortal Kombat, while awful, was a good time. I hope it recoups enough of the production to have more of them. I'd enjoy seeing a little more.

[Zaqwert]

Trying to compare Warcraft with LOTR is like trying to compare Katy Perry to Beethoven.

[Mormolyce]

Lothar just flew in with a gryphon, killed a bunch of Orcs, killed his puppet leader, took the king's body, got saluted by the other Orcs, and then decided to fly away right afterwards. This all happened right after they defeated the Humans yet failed to get all the other Orcs through the Dark Portal, which Gul'dan also got pretty angry at.

Yeah, it just kind of seemed like he had more of a personal stake in Lothar particularly. They'd already killed Llane.

He may have simply lost his temper but I tend to think Gul'dan is patient enough to let that one slide rather than risk alienating the Horde more. Which ultimately he did.

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Saw it. Enjoyed it. And there was some folks I knew weren't players or general fans in there. Seemed happy with it. It was quickly paced for sure, but overall not bad. I've seen a lot worse video game movies. In fact, I can't think of a better video game film. First Mortal Kombat, while awful, was a good time. I hope it recoups enough of the production to have more of them. I'd enjoy seeing a little more.

I mean if you exclude the ones that are good-bad like Mario Bros or Uwe Boll's House of the Dead, I agree :P

IMO, this movie should at least get a cult following.

LOTR was not based on WWII, he said so himself - the whole WWII is fan based, and is not supported in his notes or comments. He wrote the key scenes and plot pre-war - if it was based on any war, it was WWI. He wrote the stories while WWII was raging - how he could know the end of the war, about the horrors of what the Nazis were doing, and the over-arcing story of the war is flat out impossible, and would have required a complete rewrite after the war, which didn't happen.

Anyway, my point is, the movie doesnt have to be a complex study of Orc self esteem to be entertaining. The story is muddled and hard for the average audience, who has nothing invested in the lore or story, to grab onto. It's confusing and unfocused. The ticket sales reflect this, in part. For a movie, you have to pick a side - this is Warcraft, not War and Peace.

I disagree with the idea that a movie can't show both sides and how war is a shitty thing that happens between two groups of people who aren't all bad. That is a complex theme for a 2 hour fantasy movie, sure. And the execution of this film is by no means flawless.

I think that it deserves praise for its intentions though, it did its best to be faithful to that story and took some pretty big risks. It ends inconclusively, the good guys don't win, several of the most prominent sympathetic characters die horribly. And even from a fanservice perspective - they were quite restrained. Most of the Warcraft universe fanbase these days are more familiar with WoW - in fact a lot of people actually thought of this as a WoW movie. Even of those who remember the earlier RTS games, Warcraft 3 is a much bigger draw. Even Warcraft 2. The fact they chose to faithfully tell the story of Warcraft 1 and not skip to the more popular eras was a bold choice in itself.

So even though it didn't always come off as well as it could've, I think we should remember it as a movie with good intentions. Unlike a lot of video game adaptations...

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I don't think those backstories matter much in the grand scheme of things. What we needed more of was character development.

Gandalf has an extensive backstory that was not explained whatsoever in the LOTR movies. Even his death and return was briefly mentioned in the second movie, a full 3-minute scene out of the entire series. All we know of Gandalf is that he's an old wizard who becomes more powerful after the other old wizard became bad. That's it. Everything else we know is character development within the movie. His interactions with the Hobbits, his guiding presence, his initiative at the Council of Elrond, etc.

I agree that the movie needed more time with its characters. It's too focused on telling the story really.

Also I think a small amount of humanity injected into them might've made the movie more appealing overall, particularly to non-fans. There are a few human moments to get the audience's sympathy, but not really enough. Durotan was well done, to an extent Orgrim, I wound up liking Khadgar by the end and Medivh was almost there. I thought Lothar was a bit wobbly personally, seemed like a Game of Thrones or Vikings character wandered onto the Warcraft set at the start. And his son's storyline was clearly an attempt to give him emotional investment and character but comes off a bit cliche. Probably could've handled that differently.

Overall it didn't bother me too much, but there's definitely room for improvement if they make a sequel.

[Sentynel]

Right down to the green makeup running out on Garona's nose in her last moments of the movie showing her, and her clearly brown nose coming through.

They didn't use makeup to make her green. It was made during post-production with computer effects.

[Tackhisis]

It was made during post-production with computer effects.

But it is still was made badly, allowing unexplainable pink/red coloration through.

[JustRob]

I don't understand how people felt the ending was a mess, I thought it was a rather clear cut intermission before the stories continuation. We don't need to know how important Thrall is yet, he is a non factor right now. I didn't really see any major issue with the character explanations either, it is like you're looking for backstories for every character.

The Garona transition is hopefully better explained in the cut footage.

The character development was piss poor. And that's because it's Warcraft, and because it's Warcraft there's a shitload of characters you have to include. But there's so many, there's no time for any actual development.

There's Llane, Lothar, Khadgar, Medivh, Garona, Gul'dan, Durotan, Doomhammer, Blackhand. And those are just the main characters.

Usually a movie focuses on two or three characters so they can develop them properly. But here there was no time for that because there were so many. And the whole Lothar's son thing feels like it was thrown in because the movie makers felt like "THE MAN'S SON JUST DIED, FEEL SORRY FOR HIM". But ultimately I didn't really feel anything because Lothar never had a son originally and he got so little screentime that I didn't give a shit about him.

The only reason I felt bad when Llane died was because I know the original lore. But even then, it has less meaning in this movie. In the original lore, the murder of king Llane was the turning point in the war, the humans lost morale and Stormwind was razed to the ground. Here Lothar flies in like it's nothing, takes Llane's corpse, kills the orc warchief, the rest of the orcs let him go for God knows why, and then they go back to Stormwind and go "YEAHH FOR AZEROTH FOR THE ALLIANCE" like they somehow just achieved a great victory.

The whole mak'gora thing was bullshit. They're in a fucking war. You don't let the highest ranking general of the other army just walk away if you have such a perfect opportunity to kill him. War isn't beautiful, there is no honor in it.

[JustinJgh]

The character development was piss poor. And that's because it's Warcraft, and because it's Warcraft there's a shitload of characters you have to include. But there's so many, there's no time for any actual development.

There's Llane, Lothar, Khadgar, Medivh, Garona, Gul'dan, Durotan, Doomhammer, Blackhand. And those are just the main characters.

Usually a movie focuses on two or three characters so they can develop them properly. But here there was no time for that because there were so many. And the whole Lothar's son thing feels like it was thrown in because the movie makers felt like "THE MAN'S SON JUST DIED, FEEL SORRY FOR HIM". But ultimately I didn't really feel anything because Lothar never had a son originally and he got so little screentime that I didn't give a shit about him.

The only reason I felt bad when Llane died was because I know the original lore. But even then, it has less meaning in this movie. In the original lore, the murder of king Llane was the turning point in the war, the humans lost morale and Stormwind was razed to the ground. Here Lothar flies in like it's nothing, takes Llane's corpse, kills the orc warchief, the rest of the orcs let him go for God knows why, and then they go back to Stormwind and go "YEAHH FOR AZEROTH FOR THE ALLIANCE" like they somehow just achieved a great victory.

The whole mak'gora thing was bullshit. They're in a fucking war. You don't let the highest ranking general of the other army just walk away if you have such a perfect opportunity to kill him. War isn't beautiful, there is no honor in it.

Orcs think differently than humans.

Come on man.

[Tackhisis]

then they go back to Stormwind and go "YEAHH FOR AZEROTH FOR THE ALLIANCE" like they somehow just achieved a great victory.

They had cut off the orcish reinforcements and freed the most civilians with minimal losses. That's quite a victory.

[Vitrino]

That's not your call to make.

It wasn't my intention but I can't get your point.
You want Warcraft to be something that isn't. I'm just telling you that.
Warcraft is, since 2002 and specially later on with World of Warcraft, a two sided story, with two grey factions.
It's ok if you don't like Metzen's work.World is all about different opinions.
But Warcraft won't come back to the days where orcs were evil and humans were good.
Making the movie took 10 years mostly because of this. Sam Raimi was more of your opinion that a fantasy franchise should show a story about "good vs evil", but Blizzard didn't want it that way. They felt it was not faithful to their franchise. And that doesn't mean Raimi's idea and yours were bad or wrong.Maybe it's the other way around like you say and ticket sales are reflecting it. It's just it wouldn't have been what nowadays Warcraft is about.
And forgive me if I did sound like I was telling you what you must like or dislike, it wasn't my intention.

[Tackhisis]

a two sided story, with two grey factions.

In the movie we saw an ultimately evil Orc faction and a reasonably good human one. What 'grayness' you are talking about?

[Vitrino]

In the movie we saw an ultimately evil Orc faction and a reasonably good human one. What 'grayness' you are talking about?

In the movie we see an evil orc leading the Horde to do evil things. But we also see genuinely noble orcs desperately trying to end with his rule. Thats a grey faction.
And we also see the humans defending their lands, ruled by a noble king betrayed by one of his two best friends, and abandoned by the other six human kingdoms besides the elves and dwarves. That's also grey.