Warcraft Movie Review

Story: The orcs (warrior beasts) in the hope of a new world, move to Azeroth. It is controlled by an evil wizard named Fel, who draws power from human soul. The wizard prompts his army of orcs to conquer more lands and get more human prisoners. Will there be an end to this havoc?

Review: If the trailer of Warcraft gave you the faintest hope that the film will be a welcome break from Hollywood’s usual fare of uninspired screen adaptations of video games, by the climax you'll know it was all wishful thinking. The over-plotted narrative takes you through the troubled lives of orcs who are forced to wage a war against humans.



The film wastes too much time conjuring up the parallel worlds. There is magic, wizards, spells, majestic birds and mystical places. Director Duncan Jones is every bit sincere, doing his best to find the film an emotional anchor. There is a tender story between an orc and his pregnant wife right at the beginning which starts off this tale on a moving note. But the earnestness wears out soon.

Don't be surprised if its non-human characters steal your heart over the human ones. Orc chieftain Durotan is the most likeable one in the movie. He lives for his honour and doesn't believe in his clan's savage ways. There is also a knight who is completely devoted in protecting his kingdom and a friendly wizard who turns evil and must be controlled by a novice. These are interesting subplots that are plagued by melodrama. From father-son ego tussle to mushy orc-human unrequited love story, every trick in the book has been used to evoke tears.

Despite the sincerity, the film suffers from the lack of a solid screenplay, which is silly in parts with a persistent stale feel to it. You wish the writers had invested half as much in the writing as they did in creating good CG visuals. How can you save a story that lacks soul?

This dreadfully boring film ends with the hope of a sequel. It’s time to introduce the makers to John Lennon. ‘Make love, not war…’