I know people are ripping on the lore but it can't be an worse than Fox's "adaptation" of the X-Men. Being a big comic book nerd it took restraint not to walk out of that one because the lore was non-existent.
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Americans caring about script?
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
I'm going to see it anyway, but I think after LotR everyone has newfound expectations of what a fantasy movie CAN be. And there is no reason that Warcraft couldn't have been of the same quality as LotR, it has a ton of lore and story to draw from and they could have cut it down to whatever size would have made the best movie. They could have fleshed out the characters and done a great job, by the state of reviews, it didn't quite hit that mark.
It's not about "video game movies always suck." It's that they don't HAVE to suck. Especially when there's a lot to build upon to make a great cinematic experience. And it's even more amusing coming from Blizzard who can tell stories even in their tiny promo cinematic trailers for expansions. I don't know where those guys were during the storyboarding process.
I'm going to see it anyway, but I think after LotR everyone has newfound expectations of what a fantasy movie CAN be. And there is no reason that Warcraft couldn't have been of the same quality as LotR, it has a ton of lore and story to draw from and they could have cut it down to whatever size would have made the best movie. They could have fleshed out the characters and done a great job, by the state of reviews, it didn't quite hit that mark.
It's not about "video game movies always suck." It's that they don't HAVE to suck. Especially when there's a lot to build upon to make a great cinematic experience. And it's even more amusing coming from Blizzard who can tell stories even in their tiny promo cinematic trailers for expansions. I don't know where those guys were during the storyboarding process.
Except Tolkien >>> Blizzard and LotR had 3 movies funded.
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Americans caring about script?
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
Well the script part was my interpretation. I imagine its more like gorgeous movie word, but uninteresting film.
Well, that's not quite my take.
The story was certainly nothing too special - but it was fine, and the Orc characters were better than most characters in Hollywood spectacle movies. Human characters were "meh" - and maybe that was part of the reason.
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Part of that is of course the fault of the script writers as they did change some things from the original book. Still, it's "John Carter of Mars" and was sort of a Mars version of Conan to put it simply. Meaning that it was a pulp work of fiction and there really wasn't any "deep" story.
However, the John Carter books are some of my very favorite books of my teenage years.
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
I'm going to see it anyway, but I think after LotR everyone has newfound expectations of what a fantasy movie CAN be. And there is no reason that Warcraft couldn't have been of the same quality as LotR, it has a ton of lore and story to draw from and they could have cut it down to whatever size would have made the best movie. They could have fleshed out the characters and done a great job, by the state of reviews, it didn't quite hit that mark.
It's not about "video game movies always suck." It's that they don't HAVE to suck. Especially when there's a lot to build upon to make a great cinematic experience. And it's even more amusing coming from Blizzard who can tell stories even in their tiny promo cinematic trailers for expansions. I don't know where those guys were during the storyboarding process.
Except Tolkien >>> Blizzard and LotR had 3 movies funded.
Yes, Tolkien is better than Blizzard, not sure why that would mean they can't make a good movie?
Games of Thrones is garbage as far as literature goes and is hugely inferior to Tolkien's work, yet the TV show is very well done, so it's possible. Quality of how a story is told in a cinematic manner is not reliant on it's source material. If you have 4 hours of character building and you need to fit it into 90-120minutes of screen time, then you have to reassess how much of the story you're going to tell in the first installment in order to have a good end product. If they had crammed LotR into 90 minutes, I think it would have been a hot mess.
I mean, Peter Jackson was almost universally panned for stretching The Hobbit into 3 films and adding new stuff. So source material can be used in all sorts of ways, for better or worse. One story being better than another doesn't mean that they can't have quality movies.
"An epic fantasy adventure with all the trimmings – but none of the personality
The role-playing video game ‘World of Warcraft’ was a clunky Frankenstein thing, cobbled together from the most obvious parts of countless fantasy franchises. So a certain level of respect is due to ‘Moon’ director Duncan Jones for attempting to inject new life – and a hint of relevance – into this tired, so-last-decade concern. Sadly, his best intentions aren’t enough: like its ten-foot anti-heroes the orcs, ‘Warcraft’ is noisy, lumbering and not terribly bright. "
I didnt care about WoW lore or "story" when I played the game (it should be a virtual world not force feeding me stories). I thought the movie preview was cringe worthy. No way I would spend time seeing it anywhere.
critics rarerly have realistic expectations when it comes to movies so who gives an f what they think? anyways i dont think it'll go down as one of the great ones but i'm pretty sure it'll be enjoyable and it will probably rake in a ton of cash. (from the movie goers, not the guys with screeners that bitch about everything)
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Americans caring about script?
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
Quit bashing Americans. You obviously has some issue with us. Try keeping it to yourself.
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Americans caring about script?
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
Right, because only Americans consume American movies. It's not those same superhero movies that are smashing global box office records or anything...
Try harder; your hipster hatred for America isn't shining through hard enough yet.
"An epic fantasy adventure with all the trimmings – but none of the personality
The role-playing video game ‘World of Warcraft’ was a clunky Frankenstein thing, cobbled together from the most obvious parts of countless fantasy franchises. So a certain level of respect is due to ‘Moon’ director Duncan Jones for attempting to inject new life – and a hint of relevance – into this tired, so-last-decade concern. Sadly, his best intentions aren’t enough: like its ten-foot anti-heroes the orcs, ‘Warcraft’ is noisy, lumbering and not terribly bright. "
That seems more an inference into the reviewer's opinion of Warcraft as a whole, (which is pretty spot on in my eyes), it could honestly apply to most videogame properties fantasy or otherwise, even the best of them are nothing more than lifting popular tropes from films like Star Wars, LOTR, Disney, Anime etc... .
Hence why the two mediums rarely mix well.. AT least when they're relying on the stories told in games. The worlds and lore feel lesser because they are in most cases.. Which makes for ho-hum movies. That need to rely on other things for entertainment: effects, humor, good acting etc... which doesn't always translate well for the audience.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
"I would say that Game of Thrones has been given the right platform by HBO. It is a series that follows very real human emotions and events."
Also: bewbs! And blood. Sometimes both.
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Americans caring about script?
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
Right, because only Americans consume American movies. It's not those same superhero movies that are smashing global box office records or anything...
Try harder; your hipster hatred for America isn't shining through hard enough yet.
Explosions sell in any language; the problem with the Hollywood studio system is that in their eternal pursuit of profit they aim for the lowest common denominator, they create a huge over-blown CGI mess that anyone can understand in any language, and they remove any nuance and subtlety that won't easily translate. As a result they are turning the entire industry into a juvenile, moronic plotless, characterless clusterfuck of CGI.
People that listen to movie critics get what they deserve - bad advice that leads to missed opportunities. Might as well throw knives at your own feet.
The worst comments I've heard about it were that there's too much in it. Some people like it, others love it. I have no doubt that it will be a fun time for anyone that is willing to try to enjoy it.
Have played: Everquest, Asheron's Call, Horizons, Everquest2, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer, Age of Conan, Darkfall
Honestly, I think it's getting hated for one reason. Because they are releasing in the US last and all these movie critics make their money from reviews when films are new.
They want to pan it in the hope they punish movie studios for doing this and it doesn't become more common. Truth is, whether they make a sequel is down to how it does in China. America isn't the be all and end all it used to be.
Also to people who say this is based on wow? it's not based on wow at all, it's based on the original warcraft game.
The CGI looks cartoonish, which just clashes with the live actors badly. I agree with the author of the article, the entire movie should have been CGI. I'll watch it when it's on one of the movie channels or for rent on line cheap, but it just has no appeal to me as something I would want to see in the theater, in spite of my WoW nostalgia.
I am not a wow fan, but I plan on seeing the movie, it looks fun, that is why movie critics never give most fantasy movies or good ole blow up stuff action movies very good reviews I think they forget some folks go to a movie just for fun not to see it is an Oscar contender. I am sure it wont be the worst I have seen and not the best, just a way to chill one afternoon. I will never understand why some people just nitpick everything down to the atom's, it is what it is..
I don't listen to critics. I never have and I never will. They are good for one thing though, I know if they trash a movie that I will like it and if they are slobbering all over a movie, I will most likely hate. My youngest daughter who plays wow, want to see it as do I, so we will be going.
We saw X-men this weekend and loved it. The theater was packed so I guess none of those movie goers pay any attention to the critics either.
Agreed. And Warcraft je incredible movie, watched it 3 times in one week. And was fun all three times as first time. For last 30 I can't remember I did something like this.
Warcraft is not this goofy universe that people think, why does everyone keep saying the movie needs so much humor? Warcraft is comic book fantasy, with about 80% serious/ 20% lighthearted and that's pushing it. Now, I haven't seen the movie, but if there 10-15% of the movie being lighthearted, I think they did ok with the Warcraft theme.
I've read a few books, one about Thrall, one about Arthas. Those were pretty gritty and had some jokes/light humor, but for the most part were very similar to Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones (maybe not as obsessed with Death as GoT).
Now Playing: Bless / Summoners War Looking forward to: Crowfall / Lost Ark / Black Desert Mobile
They went wrong with the whole action movie angle. Bad idea. There are a couple angles which would have gotten it better critical reviews.
1) Make this a movie strictly about the torrid love affair between Garona and Lothar. 2) Film in 8mm 3) Hire a hipster as a director. Doesn't matter which one, just any hipster. 4) Give the movie a $0 budget 5) Release the film in 100 theaters only.
Perhaps an american can explain what it might be about the movie that american critics don't like?
My American mate that saw it described it as "another John Cater of Mars." Which having never seen that film but knowing it bombed I asked him to elaborate. He explained to me that while he felt that the film makers spent quite a lot of time on the fine details like the lore and the CGI they seem to have forgotten to give that same care and attention to detail to the story itself. In other words gorgeous movie world, terrible script.
Americans caring about script?
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
Well the script part was my interpretation. I imagine its more like gorgeous movie word, but uninteresting film.
Puts you to think.
Isn't that like most RPGs plot goes?
Awesome and rich lore, somewhat weak and bland plot.
Comments
Are we talking about planet Earth here - where Avatar and superhero movies do more business than just about anything?
It's not about "video game movies always suck." It's that they don't HAVE to suck. Especially when there's a lot to build upon to make a great cinematic experience. And it's even more amusing coming from Blizzard who can tell stories even in their tiny promo cinematic trailers for expansions. I don't know where those guys were during the storyboarding process.
The story was certainly nothing too special - but it was fine, and the Orc characters were better than most characters in Hollywood spectacle movies. Human characters were "meh" - and maybe that was part of the reason.
However, the John Carter books are some of my very favorite books of my teenage years.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Games of Thrones is garbage as far as literature goes and is hugely inferior to Tolkien's work, yet the TV show is very well done, so it's possible. Quality of how a story is told in a cinematic manner is not reliant on it's source material. If you have 4 hours of character building and you need to fit it into 90-120minutes of screen time, then you have to reassess how much of the story you're going to tell in the first installment in order to have a good end product. If they had crammed LotR into 90 minutes, I think it would have been a hot mess.
I mean, Peter Jackson was almost universally panned for stretching The Hobbit into 3 films and adding new stuff. So source material can be used in all sorts of ways, for better or worse. One story being better than another doesn't mean that they can't have quality movies.
"An epic fantasy adventure with all the trimmings – but none of the personality
The role-playing video game ‘World of Warcraft’ was a clunky Frankenstein thing, cobbled together from the most obvious parts of countless fantasy franchises. So a certain level of respect is due to ‘Moon’ director Duncan Jones for attempting to inject new life – and a hint of relevance – into this tired, so-last-decade concern. Sadly, his best intentions aren’t enough: like its ten-foot anti-heroes the orcs, ‘Warcraft’ is noisy, lumbering and not terribly bright. "
http://www.timeout.com/london/film/warcraft
Sure sounds promising....
anyways i dont think it'll go down as one of the great ones but i'm pretty sure it'll be enjoyable and it will probably rake in a ton of cash. (from the movie goers, not the guys with screeners that bitch about everything)
I had fun once, it was terrible.
Try harder; your hipster hatred for America isn't shining through hard enough yet.
Hence why the two mediums rarely mix well.. AT least when they're relying on the stories told in games. The worlds and lore feel lesser because they are in most cases.. Which makes for ho-hum movies. That need to rely on other things for entertainment: effects, humor, good acting etc... which doesn't always translate well for the audience.
For every minute you are angry , you lose 60 seconds of happiness."-Emerson
Also: bewbs! And blood. Sometimes both.
The worst comments I've heard about it were that there's too much in it. Some people like it, others love it. I have no doubt that it will be a fun time for anyone that is willing to try to enjoy it.
Have played: Everquest, Asheron's Call, Horizons, Everquest2, World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Warhammer, Age of Conan, Darkfall
They want to pan it in the hope they punish movie studios for doing this and it doesn't become more common. Truth is, whether they make a sequel is down to how it does in China. America isn't the be all and end all it used to be.
Also to people who say this is based on wow? it's not based on wow at all, it's based on the original warcraft game.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
Agreed. And Warcraft je incredible movie, watched it 3 times in one week. And was fun all three times as first time. For last 30 I can't remember I did something like this.
Rent it for a few bucks when it reaches video release, like I do with those grade-B horror movies.
"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee
I've read a few books, one about Thrall, one about Arthas. Those were pretty gritty and had some jokes/light humor, but for the most part were very similar to Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones (maybe not as obsessed with Death as GoT).
Looking forward to: Crowfall / Lost Ark / Black Desert Mobile
1) Make this a movie strictly about the torrid love affair between Garona and Lothar.
2) Film in 8mm
3) Hire a hipster as a director. Doesn't matter which one, just any hipster.
4) Give the movie a $0 budget
5) Release the film in 100 theaters only.
If you don't believe me, just check out Metacritic
http://www.metacritic.com/browse/movies/release-date/theaters/metascore
Oh! It also helps if the movie is so unknown that nobody goes and sees it.
Oh! The other way to score 80+ is to be Marvel, Disney, or Michael Bay.
Crazkanuk
----------------
Azarelos - 90 Hunter - Emerald
Durnzig - 90 Paladin - Emerald
Demonicron - 90 Death Knight - Emerald Dream - US
Tankinpain - 90 Monk - Azjol-Nerub - US
Brindell - 90 Warrior - Emerald Dream - US
----------------
Isn't that like most RPGs plot goes?
Awesome and rich lore, somewhat weak and bland plot.