I am an ardent fan of the cinematic arts. Although I have certain genre preferences, I don’t let that stifle my curiosity and close myself to different flavors of entertainment. That said...I am a huge fan of science fiction, super hero and action movies! Even though this film falls within the sci-fi genre, please visit my other blog The Boxed Office for reviews, exclusively, on these types of movies.
The Cast:
I am a fan of Travis Fimmel as I am an avid watcher of the show “Vikings” on television. Watching him in this film was fun, although for me I kept seeing elements of his other character and had to wonder if it was just “him” coming through in both roles. That said, he did a great job as Anduin Lothar (one of the greatest warriors in Warcraft lore) and proved he can carry a film as well as a television series.
Paula Patton was Garona, a half-orc character torn between her Orc roots and her human sympathies. She did a great job in the role and wasn’t unpleasant to look at despite having some characteristics of Orcs. The chemistry between her and Lothar was evident and played well as a subplot.
Toby Kebbell was the main Orc lead in the film, Durotan, and although it was motion capture and voice acting, made a lasting impression with the role. Although the Orcs are the “bad guys” in the film, I never got that sense from this character, indeed, Kebbell made a valid connection when I began to actually care about his character.
The Plot:
The Orc Horde has destroyed all their enemies and now have to flee their dying world in search of a new home. That new home is the realm of men known as Azeroth, a place of peace and beauty. Led by the machinations of an Orc shaman named Gul’dan, a portal is opened connecting the two realms allowing the Orcs to invade.
After the Orcs arrive and begin their rampage of death and destruction, and effort to stop them is made and requires the help of the Last Guardian, Medivh, (played by Ben Foster) a human shaman dabbling with powers beyond his control, unbeknownst to anyone.
As the humans and Orcs clash, a young wizard named Khadgar (played by Ben Schnetzer) starts to put some pieces together about how and why the Orcs were allowed entry into the realm Azeroth and possibly how to stop them. What follows is a story of love, tragedy, and sacrifice set in the middle of spectacular effects and action, and delivered on the end of a blade.
A Word About 4D:
So…I saw this film in 4D. Nadine not familiar with 4D needs to now it incorporates 3D, then adds in tactile and sensory effects for a full immersion experience into the film. I like the medium, although truthfully, had I known to the extent I was going to be immersed into this film, I might have chosen another for the 4D experience. I can tell you that Orcs smell really, really, really bad. I must have been sprayed at least ten times (really, every time someone got their head caved in, there was splatter all over me). The chairs rumbled, poked, elevated, and descended along with the film. It was truly a fun time. That said…there was a woman sitting next to me that absolutely hated the experience and next to her was a man with his young child (about 6 years old) that had to leave halfway through the film. So, 4D isn’t for everyone and I suggest you wrap your brain around what 4D is all about before you decide to venture into this new territory.
The Verdict:
This film was a lot of fun. I think even without the 4D experience, this would still have been a great film as it had an interesting story that was presented from two opposing points of view to give the viewer a balanced perspective.
The good guys were to all good and the bad guys were not all bad, and that kinda is how it is in real life since people are flawed (and apparently some Orcs are honorable). I think it was an excellent idea to push this point in the film as it created a connection between the audience and key characters, regardless of their race.
The special effects were awesome. Just as a regular film, the CGI and cinematography was excellent. Add in 3D and the effects are brought to another level. Add in 4D and the experience is unparalleled. I felt like the Orcs were real. They looked real, they acted and reacted like real living and intelligent beings. They even smelled unique. This film kept up the special effects standard I’ve me to expect from current film technology…then raised the bar.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better…I heard the unmistakable voice of one of my favorite actors playing the key role of Blackhand, the Orc Warchief of the Horde. of course…I’m talking about none other than Clancy Brown!
This film was fun and engaging and was easily a 3.5 on my scale, but honesty….when you take in the whole 4D experience, despite the foul smell of the Orcs and constant splattering of brains, it bumped itself to four (4) cinnamon sticks in my cup of tea (which I would not be drinking during this film).
Rating: 4 / 5
