on
WARCRAFT (2016, 123 minutes, PG-13)
The
Quick of It -
This
year has been a raging storm of action films.
We finally have WARCRAFT to add to the list of entertaining forays into
the video game adaptation. This was one
in the making, a number of restless years waiting for the right release date.
I,
for one, know enough about the PC game "Warcraft" to recognize
similar aspects incorporated into the film but never stepped foot on their
"World of Warcraft" servers.
I know if I had, there would be large gaps of time lost to that game...
large. This movie pays homage to both -
bird's eye view of the towns and battles, the rich visuals of the settings, the
depth of worldbuilding shown in the people and places. They went so far as to make the scenes both
gritty and yet have those clean textures found in the video game. That had to be a chore.
Director
Duncan Jones is more known for being the son of the late David Bowie. His top billing is MOON, and he took on this
project with the right mindset. His
results were shockingly good. The story
was made stronger after a rumor of 'tropish' beginnings in script writing and
the level of CGI for the orcs is astounding.
This is a major reason that this film can be respected rather than left
in a gutter thinking it a shameful work.
With
a film with so many moving parts and rich background, it is hard to not be
distracted from the many brief glimpses of character building. There is enough to see Travis Fimmel, of
"Vikings" fame, show his usual quirks you have come to love. Paula Patton (of M:I GHOST PROTOCOL and
PRECIOUS), even as a half-orc, is a lovely and talented female lead. And to round out this strong casting, you
have Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Robert Kazinsky, and Daniel Wu.
The
US reception was poor but the international sales made the movie a
success. I am thankful for this since
America seems to want controversy and hate more than just enjoying a good
flick. Hollywood is doomed to soon bow
to the whims of a larger world rather than its continental audience. I think this maybe a chance for greater
success to those smaller projects that deserve a fair shake.
Grade:
B+
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