Blizzard's Warcraft from Legendary Pictures

[Chewie]

Movie wasn't anywhere near as bad as people are saying it is. I enjoyed it.

I think the worst thing it suffered from was that it tried to cram a lot into the run time and I feel it assumed the audience knew some of the lore behind Warcraft.

[renegadeleader1]

How does that make the script or acting better? That's what the movie is getting killed for: bad writing and acting.

Actually the biggest complaint I keep seeing from reviews isn't the writing or the acting, but the pacing.

[frothymug]

Movie wasn't anywhere near as bad as people are saying it is. I enjoyed it.

I think the worst thing it suffered from was that it tried to cram a lot into the run time and I feel it assumed the audience knew some of the lore behind Warcraft.

This is a completely valid complaint and I can see this being a major detraction from the overall experience. It's a movie mostly made for the fans, with the hopes that it will also draw interest from new players and get old players to resub to WoW. They should have Star Wars'ed the story and started where it was good... during the WC3 story arc and then did prequels if there was some demand for it.

I'll try to go and see it today.

[TangledThorns]

Actually the biggest complaint I keep seeing from reviews isn't the writing or the acting, but the pacing.

It was very fast paced but I didn't get bored once throughout the movie. Yes the film has flaws but the Orc SFX was amazing, very real and natural looking characters.

[seti88]

It was very fast paced but I didn't get bored once throughout the movie. Yes the film has flaws but the Orc SFX was amazing, very real and natural looking characters.

^this. The movie held my interest throughout. Yes ORC SFX were very nicely rendered.

I did wish to see more hammer wielding by ogrim tho heheh...

[TangledThorns]

I think Blizzard could of helped with promotion of the film by releasing a new Warcraft RTS game, it's been over ten years since the last one. Or at least re-released update versions of the original games.

[Duke Togo]

Well, this movie has pretty much died at the box office. Between the filming budget and the marketing, it's made its money back, but not much more. Unless this does big money in DVD sales, I'd be surprised if we saw a sequel.

[frothymug]

I went and watched this with my girlfriend last night. She and I are both pretty avid players (me more than her), and we both enjoyed the heck out of this movie. As the credits rolled, we sat there in our chairs discussing why the hell there is so much hate directed towards this movie. Trying to see it from a non-player's perspective, we still thought that it was a pretty entertaining spectacle of a movie. Any confusion as to who is who would be alleviated by a second watching, but you still don't need to watch it twice just to have fun.

Maybe it was hard to differentiate the different orc clans and leaders from each other, but it could easily be broken down into Frostwolves versus the rest of the Horde. Some actors' performances were not too inspiring, but I loved the hell out of Khadgar and Gul'dan. Anduin Lothar was a decent main character. Not as awesome as Aragorn, but he had the aforementioned other two to help carry the story for him.

Help me take off the rose-colored glasses. What is with all the hating on this movie?

And FWIW, the theater we were in had about 30 people in it. Nowhere near capacity, but there's still some interest.

[Dobber]

It's doing pretty good internationally, particularly in China.

Chris

[Tking22]

I went and watched this with my girlfriend last night. She and I are both pretty avid players (me more than her), and we both enjoyed the heck out of this movie. As the credits rolled, we sat there in our chairs discussing why the hell there is so much hate directed towards this movie. Trying to see it from a non-player's perspective, we still thought that it was a pretty entertaining spectacle of a movie. Any confusion as to who is who would be alleviated by a second watching, but you still don't need to watch it twice just to have fun.

Maybe it was hard to differentiate the different orc clans and leaders from each other, but it could easily be broken down into Frostwolves versus the rest of the Horde. Some actors' performances were not too inspiring, but I loved the hell out of Khadgar and Gul'dan. Anduin Lothar was a decent main character. Not as awesome as Aragorn, but he had the aforementioned other two to help carry the story for him.

Help me take off the rose-colored glasses. What is with all the hating on this movie?

And FWIW, the theater we were in had about 30 people in it. Nowhere near capacity, but there's still some interest.

Everyone on MW hates everything unless it's Star Wars, Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones. Accept that like I did, or you'll go insane. I only played the second Warcraft RTS, it was okay, switched back to Starcraft, I have zero love for, or even an understanding of the lore or franchise, and I thought the movie was fine. Nothing special, nothing ground breakingly, earth shatteringly horrible, it was a really expensive, good looking blockbuster. China loves it, it's breaking records left and right over there, I have zero doubt we'll see a sequel, probably with more marketing and other things pushed towards the Chinese audience, same thing they pulled with the latest Transformers movie.

[sh9000]

[TangledThorns]

I'm amazed at how much money it made in China. I expect a sequel just for that market alone.

[Big s]

China seems to be holding it up as a victory for the Chinese box office. They may have rescued this film from financial disaster and may have even turned it into a success if their numbers are correct.

[TangledThorns]

China seems to be holding it up as a victory for the Chinese box office. They may have rescued this film from financial disaster and may have even turned it into a success if their numbers are correct.

Imagine how much money the sequel will make if it has... PANDAS!!

http://classic.battle.net/war3/pandaren/

[Kanedas Bike]

Everyone on MW hates everything unless it's Star Wars, Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones. Accept that like I did, or you'll go insane. I only played the second Warcraft RTS, it was okay, switched back to Starcraft, I have zero love for, or even an understanding of the lore or franchise, and I thought the movie was fine. Nothing special, nothing ground breakingly, earth shatteringly horrible, it was a really expensive, good looking blockbuster. China loves it, it's breaking records left and right over there, I have zero doubt we'll see a sequel, probably with more marketing and other things pushed towards the Chinese audience, same thing they pulled with the latest Transformers movie.

The everyone hates all but 3 properties statement is pretty inaccurate, but I do fully agree that it's a tough crowd around these parts.

I kind of want to see this, just because, but no one I know does, or they're just as ambivalent about it as I am.

It's almost like the Warcraft name is hurting the movie w non-fans. "Oh, it's a Warcraft movie from that game everyone played 15 years ago." There's no luster w the general audience.

-b.

[Scyla]

Everyone on MW hates everything unless it's Star Wars, Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones. Accept that like I did, or you'll go insane. I only played the second Warcraft RTS, it was okay, switched back to Starcraft, I have zero love for, or even an understanding of the lore or franchise, and I thought the movie was fine. Nothing special, nothing ground breakingly, earth shatteringly horrible, it was a really expensive, good looking blockbuster. China loves it, it's breaking records left and right over there, I have zero doubt we'll see a sequel, probably with more marketing and other things pushed towards the Chinese audience, same thing they pulled with the latest Transformers movie.

I dislike Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead greatly. They are no fun to watch.

I might give the Warcraft movie a watch. A buddy of mine saw it and was entertained so it can not be all bad.

[Big s]

I guess the film is almost at $400 million in earnings due to the overseas box office and has become the number 1 video game based film of all time.

[Tking22]

Lol I mostly made my comment in jest, there's actually like 3 or 4 other things most people are apparently allowed to like... I mostly made that comment because I thought TFA was mediocre and overall a disappointment, a sentiment shared by few else, and many let that be known.

[frothymug]

Everyone on MW hates everything unless it's Star Wars, Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones. Accept that like I did, or you'll go insane. I only played the second Warcraft RTS, it was okay, switched back to Starcraft, I have zero love for, or even an understanding of the lore or franchise, and I thought the movie was fine. Nothing special, nothing ground breakingly, earth shatteringly horrible, it was a really expensive, good looking blockbuster. China loves it, it's breaking records left and right over there, I have zero doubt we'll see a sequel, probably with more marketing and other things pushed towards the Chinese audience, same thing they pulled with the latest Transformers movie.

Don't forget all Marvel movies as well... you're supposed to love them unconditionally.

Speaking of Marvel, Blizzard has great IP power and they may go the same route in developing everything they have into a movie empire. Starcraft would also make a great movie series. Diablo may be a bit too close to Warcraft, but it might be good enough to make it to the big screen too.

[Kanedas Bike]

Y'all so funny.

Well hopefully those that like Warcraft the game, and the movie, get their wish for more more and more.

-b.

[TangledThorns]

Everyone on MW hates everything unless it's Star Wars, Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones.

You forgot Macross in that sentence

[Falcon]

Well, this movie has pretty much died at the box office. Between the filming budget and the marketing, it's made its money back, but not much more. Unless this does big money in DVD sales, I'd be surprised if we saw a sequel.

I'm not sure you're correct- it looks like it's more than doubled it's money at the moment and it hasn't been fully released around the world yet. That doesn't include DVD sales either so I'm not sure how you wouldn't consider it a success as far as ticket sales are concerned.

Looks to me that the US isn't very relevant to the movie's success and opinions from that market has less of an impact compared to the global outlook which probably will give them reason for a sequel if they wish.

[Duke Togo]

I'm not sure you're correct- it looks like it's more than doubled it's money at the moment and it hasn't been fully released around the world yet. That doesn't include DVD sales either so I'm not sure how you wouldn't consider it a success as far as ticket sales are concerned.

Looks to me that the US isn't very relevant to the movie's success and opinions from that market has less of an impact compared to the global outlook which probably will give them reason for a sequel if they wish.

Marketing for big-budget movies is often equal to production costs. And my understanding is that the box office slowed down greatly in China after its rather huge opening weekend.

[seti88]

Is this the the first time the BLIZZARD logo intro is shown on a cinema screen?

I would think that's worth the price of admission esp to old blizzard fans! I remember when and the what-if blizzard made movies and watching BLIZZARD logo appear on the big screen!

I got a kick out of that...but anyway not too much of a blizzard fan anymore after activision crashed the party,,,

[frothymug]

Did you notice the characters frozen in the ice of the Blizzard logo during the intro?

[seti88]

There was ice yes, but i cant remember if i caught the characters... who were they?

[Duke Togo]

As for the "no one likes anything but xyz here" discussion, you have to realize how focused this forum is. We talk mostly sci-fi and fantasy films, and frankly, most films of those genres tend to be mediocre to bad. Some of you just like the spectacle and don't care about the rest, and that's fine. I'm a cinephile, and that doesn't quite do it for me. There are a great many films I could talk positively about all day long, but I doubt they'd generate much discussion here. You'd probably react to them the same way I'd react to a new Transformers movie.

[frothymug]

I saw three figures. I forgot what the first one was, but I saw the Lich King and Tracer.

[seti88]

I saw three figures. I forgot what the first one was, but I saw the Lich King and Tracer.

kerrigan!!

hmmm seems there was another!!

Edited June 23, 2016 by seti88

[Mr March]

As for the "no one likes anything but xyz here" discussion, you have to realize how focused this forum is. We talk mostly sci-fi and fantasy films, and frankly, most films of those genres tend to be mediocre to bad. Some of you just like the spectacle and don't care about the rest, and that's fine. I'm a cinephile, and that doesn't quite do it for me. There are a great many films I could talk positively about all day long, but I doubt they'd generate much discussion here. You'd probably react to them the same way I'd react to a new Transformers movie.

This.

As much as the MW community may have it's share of those who "hate everything", it's just as infested with apologists for any mediocre film or show that has genre trappings or tropes. Virtually every awful, forgettable genre film to be released for the last 20 years has enjoyed it's own host of supportive threads/reponses here on MW...and just because it was brought up, why not paraphrase Game of Thrones just to drive home the point; "It's all the same lecture really, just with tiny, tedious variations...", a lecture to the tune of It's not great, but it's not that bad. The way MW defends the very definition of mediocrity is as bad - if not worse - than the internet's jaded and angry cadre who just crap upon everything. It seems folks have an awfuly short memory and a VERY high tolerance for disposable product that caters to their worst tastes and tendencies.

I see nothing wrong with calling out mediocrity. If the abundance of it - and the people who complain about it - is a problem, I'd say it's time turn a critical eye toward why there is so much mediocrity rather than blaming those who demand better for their ever dwindling disposable incomes.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Mr March

[Tking22]

Lol, so much for not taking my comment too seriously. Isn't this the Warcraft film thread? I made my comment mostly in jest, mostly. I didn't expect to get multiple common sense responses on the basic nature of people liking things others don't, good god MW. And nobody said anything about not calling out mediocrity, there hasn't been any kind of influx of people complaining about stuff looking like crap, and I don't think anyone truly cares about anyone else opinion either way. And I stand by what I said, according to MW, 90% of everything is crap, unless it's XYZ. Come at me. I don't have a problem with it, nor do I care about what anyone else thinks, it's just how I feel and it's what I've observed since my time on this forum. Nobody should be bothered by others liking, or not liking what they like, like I said, I don't think anyone truly cares either way.

[Mr March]

I understand the instinct to be flippant, but honestly my post is a call to reason, not to call anyone out. The goal is not to be someone that hates everything or someone who can't think critically to save their life, but precisely to avoid labelling the critics as such just because you disagree. I think that vast majority of us all wanted Duncan Jones and the Warcraft movie to succeed. But just because some are happy with what they got, we don't have to crap all over everyone who was disappointed...and vice versa. There's never going to be an EASY explanation for why one likes or hates Warcraft. Not "you just like everything crap" or "you're a snob who hates it all". The point is to discuss it, on this "discussion board" rather than marginalizing each other. Perhaps that's fantasy, but there it is

[Tking22]

I understand the instinct to be flippant, but honestly my post is a call to reason, not to call anyone out. The goal is not to be someone that hates everything or someone who can't think critically to save their life, but precisely to avoid labelling the critics as such just because you disagree. I think that vast majority of us all wanted Duncan Jones and the Warcraft movie to succeed. But just because some are happy with what they got, we don't have to crap all over everyone who was disappointed...and vice versa. There's never going to be an EASY explanation for why one likes or hates Warcraft. Not "you just like everything crap" or "you're a snob who hates it all". The point is to discuss it, on this "discussion board" rather than marginalizing each other. Perhaps that's fantasy, but there it is

Oh I get it, I don't always mean to come off with the 0-60 vibe, I just do. I just don't think anyone minds people disliking or being disappointed in the film. It's pretty obvious Warcraft is no masterpiece, it will have it's fans, and it will have those that wanted and expected more. I just don't think any of it really needs to be stated, not to say nobody should voice their opinion of course, but that the fans will always be divided, and it shouldn't be a surprise that some people like it and many won't. And as Duke said, MW in general seems to flow in a particular way, some properties and films will always be more popular and given a slight leniency in content or appeal then others, I just don't think it should surprise anyone that things they consider to be crap and a wasted opportunity are perfectly fine, and what was expected to some. As you said, it's not great, but also not that bad, I think Warcraft will sit that way with most, but I can understand many people loving it for what it is was and hating it for what it wasn't or once again, could have been. This is a particularly crazy one, it was Duncan frakking Jones, I expected more, but not being a fan of Warcraft lore I felt it was fine.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Tking22

[Falcon]

Marketing for big-budget movies is often equal to production costs. And my understanding is that the box office slowed down greatly in China after its rather huge opening weekend.

It's made over 2.5 times the money back without complete coverage and DVD sales. Surely that's considered a decent success- there have been sequels that have been green lighted for less. Would probably garner a sequel by the look of things- I wouldn't classify this as a flop unless you're only looking at the US market...

[Big s]

It's like I said before, it's the most successful video game movie and like falcon said it's still in theatres.