Based on the massively popular video game series first released in 1994, Warcraft follows in a long line of epic fantasy films popularized by The Lord of the Rings series. It is your fairly typical 3D CGI-heavy film that involves humans and fantastical creatures known as orcs fighting over a magical land known as Azeroth. Although it attempts to dumb down the esoteric details of the Warcraft universe, the film feels like it is catered to the millions of role-playing gamers engrossed by Warcraft. The film even at times feels like a video game, with the overhead views of massive battlefields controlled by magic and specialized weapons and ending with a final Boss Level-like fight sequence. While the special effects are well done with an obviously big budget and the story has original fantasy elements, the movie will entice Warcraft gamers but overall does not contribute much to the fantasy genre. Audiences have gotten used to stunning CGI and may feel let down when there already is great fantasy storytelling with The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.
KEITH on Reels 