"WARCRAFT"
Genre: Fantasy
PG-13, 123 mins
Director: Duncan Jones
Starring: Toby Kebbell, Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper, Ben Foster
Release Date: 06/10/2016
Some scathing reviews of the bold indie director Duncan Jones’, WARCRAFT are so vitriolic in their aim to tear down this first installment of this series that it’s hard to remember a time when critics may have actually still enjoyed the magic of cinema or appreciated the draining efforts it takes to bring a film to life on he big screen. As a defender of recent films like Fantastic Four and infinitely more so, Batman V Superman, it’s disheartening to see so many willing to cast aside all the redeemable qualities this film achieves despite its notable shortcomings.
That statement in itself may be enough to make some readers turn away, but hear out the rest of the argument for why critics are having much more fun ripping this film to pieces than they should.
Crafting a demanding, strategy game based franchise like WARCRAFT is an inherently nearly insurmountable task from conception. With heavy pressures from distribution company Universal/Comcast, production companies Legendary and Atlas, as well from the game’s creators at Blizzard Entertainment, add the dire importance of it’s need to please an eager fan-base and it’s a miracle the movie was finished at all. As an ambitious director known for creating fearless genre exploring films, Duncan Jones aspires to achieve emotional resonance, thematic depth and visual achievements within his well thought out works. Yet WARCRAFT is inevitably a victim of too many hands pulling at the project from start to finish. Regardless, no matter how stretched thin it may be, to condemn the film completely, especially which such bitter contempt, is to ignore its cinematic successes, which there are certainly a handful of.
The film’s opening is a very strong, impactful one. Beginning with a voice over revealing the current state of war between man and Orc, it feels like a typical action driven blockbuster opening with an expected epic fight sequence. Instead of leading into a large battle set piece, the story then transitions to modern time with a surprisingly refreshing intimate bedroom scene between Orc chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, Durotan (Toby Kebbell) and his very pregnant yet determined war bound mate, Draka (Anna Galvin), pondering the fate of their son’s future in their dying world, Draenor. It’s quite the juxtaposition to shift from the initial sword-fighting scene to a close up on the very visibly expressive face of Durotan as he watches his wife sleep. The fear for his mate and their unborn child’s safety is immediately recognized through profoundly well-done motion capture effects as Toby Kebbell conveys inner turmoil through subtle facial acting which would be lost in an attempt to apply heavy practical makeup.
With incredibly emotive eyes, Durotan and his wife beautifully capture the bonds of a loving couple, and the worries that prelude parenthood in a troubled world. It’s worth noting that virtual new-comer, Anna Galvin, holds her own up against the Andy Serkis prodigy Kebell, as their very real performances gracefully emerge through the layered special effects. Not only does this scene help set up the many plot points, but it also initiates the most powerful emotionally thematic intent of the film, which is despite physical differences we all strive for unity, happiness, love, acceptance, family, traditions, honor and the hope for a bright future. These ideals are personified through the Orc /human half-breed, Garona (Paula Patton), who straddles the line between species, identifying with neither while still striving to satisfy the same basic needs of both. Other worldly looking creatures are suddenly humanized, and the tender depiction of Durotan and Draka’s love solidifies their arc as the heart of the film though a soulful and importantly very relatable dynamic between two parents who love each other, their baby and their people.
Meanwhile, the corrupted and dangerous shaman warlock Orc, Gul’dan (Daniel Wu), wields the dark magic of the Fel to open a portal to Azeroth, a peaceful world that has avoided conflict for many years, in hopes of sending in foot soldiers to make a path for the eventual total takeover by the rest of the Horde. Using this premise as a metaphor for an important environmental issue, Jones shows a barren wasteland that was once plentiful which has now been brought to ruin by a power hungry leader. Through his abuse of natural resources for personal gain without limitation, he is responsible for devastation and death. In a socio-political statement, Jones further explores the unapologetic, continual drainage not only of the land as a power source, but also the exploitation of people. Their essence is literally drained out of them to fuel a deadly system instated by a greedy warmonger. The idea of exploitation is further depicted by Grona’s enslavement for not being a purebred race.
What follows is a scene right out of Prince of Darkness, where Durotan and Draka storm through the portal alongside the Horde’s best warriors in hopes of making it out the other side into ‘grass is greener’ Azeroth. What ensues is a haunting visual sequence with a turn of events that quickly propels the danger of the situation for both parents and baby.
When Gul’dan and his soldiers touch down, Draka begins to give birth right then and there. It is through this tense scene that Jones takes another opportunity to comment on the exploitation of Draenor’s citizens as Gul’dan scoops up her new-born child proclaiming him a new addition to the Horde army, It’s a commentary on modern caste systems, as well as the conveyer belt, pre-determined mentality of society pumping out the next group of future whatevers without questioning the system’s morality or the people’ lack of choice in the matter.
From this the audience is thrown into the human world, where the various kingdoms and its peoples are swiftly established. As we jump from locale to locale, it’s hard not to feel a sense of rushed exposition as characters and circumstances are briskly flown through in order to accelerate the many plot points the film must cover in a short time span. Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel), mighty warrior and protector of King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper) is introduced alongside other key players like Lothar’s sister, Lady Taria (Ruth Negga, making for a Preacher reunion), Medivh the guardian of Tirisfal (Ben Foster), and the young mage Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer), who has run away from his apprenticeship.
Here is where much gripe occurs. Many complain of the overstuffed plotting, that the mound of necessary information is too thick to digest naturally without the nagging feeling of being ushered through events, only left to wade through dull, explanatory dialogue without a chance to become sincerely immersed in the world or engaged by its too many characters.
While not wholly disagreeing with this sentiment, there are some wild accusations in discourse of this film regarding claims against the script’s inability to deliver distinctive roles and fluid intermingling story lines. Perhaps there was an unrealistic initiative to include so many details and an underestimation of the audiences’ ability to handle such an expansion on the story’s rich lore. But what could be impenetrable to some may not require as much of a reach for others to comprehend the WARCRAFT universe. There is no denying that a fan of the game will have an upper hand with the mythology, but there is an obvious respect for the source material and a noble attempt at capturing its beloved aspects. Whether it’s accessible to unfamiliar audiences will depend on the viewer’s open-mindedness and willingness to give the film a fair chance before counting it completely out.
Even going in green to the series, it’s not too difficult a challenge to ascertain the plot points or the relationships between characters. One could certainly still enjoy the film even if not every detail of the story is completely clear. The general set up is fairly efficiently told, but also leans towards a bare bones minimum time allotted for information to be related in often times generalized dialogue. It would have serviced the ambitions of the film much more to trim out some details while shining light on others, but given the probable push and pull from the studios, it was surely an arduous, combative process at hand for Duncan Jones, both as an director used to having more creative control as an independent filmmaker, as well as an avid fan of the game itself.
While WARCRAFT is dismissed as a derivative, trite, garbled mess by cruel critics, others are able to find the joy and appreciate the gusto in which this all in fantasy film embraces wholeheartedly. Capturing the mythical spirit of Harryhausen’s late works, Jones dutifully establishes a fantastical realm of creatures with visually stunning vistas. Lothar’s badass Gryphon is a highlight of the film’s sense of wonder as it sores past snow capped mountains a la the eagles in The LOTR & Hobbit series, and the brought to life Golem additionally plays into the throwback fantasy film homage. The level of digital detail is further complimented by its impressively textured 3D effects, which come highly recommended for theatrical viewing. It was surprising however to not see a special thanks to Peter Jackson, especially since WETA was involved. The dire wolves look as though they are waiting for Azog The Defiler to join them in battle.
Despite critics’ accusations of WARCRAFT taking too many conceptual and visual cues from other, better genre films, it’s hard to judge it so harshly for doing something that almost every other film does. It’s rare to find movies that are completely unique, as most of them borrow from similar films in some capacity or another. The Lord of The Rings and Avatar seem to reign as the gold standard of the fantasy film, though honestly at this juncture, love it or not, The Hobbit should really take the crown in Jackson’s work because that early 2000’s CGI of LOTR is starting to show its age. As undeniably influential as Jackson and Cameron’s films are to the genre, does that mean they’ve got a stranglehold copyright on the entire look of fantasy realms and its creatures? Dwarves, orcs, swords, armor, kingdoms – at some point they are going to start looking somewhat similar. The creature design and proportions are unique enough to the film that it feels coherent within its own context and translates well from the aesthetics of the game.
The special effects in general are quite an accomplishment with an exciting depiction of the awe-inspiring powers of magic. Treated with a sense of wonder, the incantations evoke colorful bursts of light that envelop everything around them. What could easily look cheesy seems full of life and mystery, so much so that not even the characters fully understand the magic’s far-reaching powers. The use of spectacular symbols in the spells is something of what one may expect to see from Marvel’s Dr. Strange in the future.
As far as the practical makeup effects go, Garona’s teeth are no doubt distracting and make for somewhat forced speech as Patton tries to talk through them; though, it’s clear to understand why the designers made the choice. She needed to look mostly human with merely hints of Orc physique, and the over bite tusks is their defining look, but ultimately her half breed nature does not translate as it should. Some other Orc-like features aside from simple tinted green skin would have serviced the character much more. On the other hand, the special effect of Gul’dan’s heartless use of the all-consuming Fel magic is genuinely unsettling, prolonged and at times boldly grotesque in its ravishing effects on a victim’s body.
The transitioning the story of WARCRAFT into film form is quite a feat considering the dense level of material to be sorted through. Interestingly enough, critics damn the film for both its simplicity and over complications. The script is definitely flawed but still leaning towards the path it should be on. The goal of trying to create simplicity of story within a complex universe is just about way the best way to present the film to unfamiliar audiences without the world feeling completely inaccessible to the non-gamer. Critic response to this approach makes it seem like simple story telling equates to lazy or ineptness. But take something like Ridley Scott’s Legend, where the plot could not be more basic, and still the world the film portrays could not feel more alive and fulfilled. Speaking of borrowing from other works and simplistic stories, Avatar has been nailed by many for being merely an alien re-telling of Pocahontas, but that didn’t stop it from cementing its unrivaled status of the highest grossing film of all time. There’s no argument that WARCRAFT is on the same level as Jackson or Cameron’s work in this genre, as their cinematic achievements have nearly set an impossibly high bar for the fantasy film. Unlike Duncan Jones, either seasoned director is stranger to the intense demands of blockbuster filmmaking from eager, hard to please audiences either. James Cameron is a titan of his time, and as Peter Jackson would agree, taking on adaptions of a much beloved series is its own tricky tight rope of hopefully achieving a delicate balance.
Jones is deserving of more credit for so fearlessly approaching an insurmountable undertaking of a film that has more going against it than most lesser dedicated directors would be willing to attach their name and reputation to. Seeing such a project though, even to what may be a bitter end, takes honorable commitment and demonstrates a rare quality of passion that can be lost when directors attempt massive high-risk franchises.
The Verge posted a great interview with Duncan Jones, who speaks of the many trials and tribulations he faced while directing WARCRAFT.
"There’s a lot of competing priorities as to what Warcraft needs to be," he admits. "After that experience, it will be very satisfying to go back to an indie where it’s me and my producer, and whatever me and the actors decide we want to do."
For as much of a struggle as it was to please avid fans and meddling corporations, Jones still strived to extend a personal part of himself into the film. Thematically there’s more happening than meets the eye, and greater topical discussions surface from the story. There’s a desire to capture the essence of what makes a game like WARCRAFT appealing to it’s millions of players, while also providing newcomers with the simple joy of an immersive fantastical theatrical experience.
As The Verge interview states, “There is a line to be sketched between that aspect of Jones’ work and his father’s own explorations of being a misfit and outsider. But it’s abundantly clear that Jones has been able to use his own astute sense of emotional empathy to elevate genre material — and that ability is what got him the Warcraft gig in the first place."
As big of a spectacle as the film is, there’s a surprisingly humanistic overlying tone, which is no doubt its strongest quality. Mirroring the player’s ability to experience the game as either a human or an orc, the story is told through the eyes of both races, establishing a multi-perspective platform to bring forth deeper thematic metaphors within the content. Unlike a typical war film of black and white ‘good vs evil’, Jones makes a point to honor the openness of the game’s structure by sharing both sides of the conflict. As the dual protagonists grapple with betrayal from both their guardians, it becomes quickly apparent that Durotan and Lothar have more in common than not.
They share the same enemy, and alongside warchief Blackhand (Clancy Brown), Gul’dan’s ruthlessness knows no bounds. Gul’dan’s a effectively imposing villain, and though it would be great to see more of him, it ultimately may have detracted from his mystique. In such a politically astonishing era, it’s refreshing to see a story of two very different peoples come together for the sake of peace against a world destroying opponent who doesn’t play by the rules of integrity and will stop at no lengths to serve his own self-righteousness no matter who or what he consumes. Despite their physical and cultural differences, both Durotan and Lothar are two pillars of their communities who feel the burdens of ensuring that the future of their culture remains safe.
Durotan realizes that Gul’dan’s energy source is literally sucking the land dry and the Fel’s dark magic has twisted his mind. He knows that in order to stop Gul’dan’s power hungry rampage, he and the humans must come together to affect change in the current system or else all hope will be lost for all living things. The king and queen feel this weight, as well as Medivh, for they are acutely aware of the looming uncertainty that the future holds and what that means for those trying to find their identities in an unstable society. The Orcs cherish the importance of passing down traditions between generations and learning greatness from ones parents and peers is paramount to their upbringing. But when Durotan and his tribe see Gul’dan disregarding their common codes, they see that he regards winning over honor. He doesn’t have his own people’s interests at heart and readily dismisses their values and way of life. This is when Durotan’s survival instincts shift his allegiance away from his Orc leader.
There’s a representation of people trying to understand each other’s cultures in an earnest attempt to blend as one peaceful society in a new world. WARCRAFT is a very open film in this way, supporting a positive international outlook through an acceptance of other appearances and customs. Jones’ explores the antagonistic elements of each society, while highlighting their capability to cultivate non-judgmental heroes willing to see past race. There’s an importance placed on preservation while showing mindfulness that each culture, while steeped in tradition, still always has its own propaganda.
Orcs have the physical capability to crush men, as they are well aware of man’s frailty and marvel at our weakness in the face of their dominating strength. But they respect the need for peace and work together for a common unity in the face of mutual doom. Coming from a race that believes war solves everything, Durotan recognizes the flaw in his people’s dated mindset.
Progressive in its social equality stance, inter-racial relationships are encouraged in the film through King Llane and Lady Taria, Grona and Lothar and Grona’s Orc mother and human father. There’s also an emphasis on lovers being torn apart by war and societal expectations. Grona’s parents suffer this, and parents are separated from their children, as King Llane must leave his wife and family to defend his country, as does Lothar and Durotan. Even Medivh has lost his mate when forced to sacrifice his personal life for the sake of his public duties. The bonds of friendship are also questioned as betrayal runs rampant amongst so called allies. It’s without saying, power and war rip apart everything in its path.
The film spends time exploring the socio-political ideologies of the all creatures involved while infusing themes of tolerance throughout. Unintentionally, some fantasy films exploit cultural appropriations to make aliens or societies that are foreign to us seem more relatable to a mainstream audience—like Jar Jar Bink’s “Me-Suh” for example. WARCRAFT is very smart in not doing this, as doing so may ironically have alienated some international audiences. But as its massive success in China demonstrates, this film was knowingly made for audiences everywhere. What helps make it reach out to so many people is that although it’s a film centered on war, it heavily promotes a strong humanitarian message, advocating for the possibility of peace. Durotan sees the wreckage that is left in war’s wake and believes a compromise without mass murder is possible. He tries to rally the support of his clan while convincing his friend, Orgrim Doomhammer (Robert Kazinsky) that they should support this new way of interaction in order to survive.
There’s a theme concerning individuals contending with the struggle of finding an identity within a much larger scheme. Durotan coming to terms with his change of allegiance once he visualizes Gul’dan’s devastating intentions, Khadgar deserting a program he was groomed for from birth in order to find his own path, Orgrim forced into making a choice whether to stay loyal or stray away for the sake of doing the right thing, Lothar’s son striving to step into the role of a young soldier in the shadow of his father’s greatness, and Garona looking to find her place in a world where as a hybrid she fits in no where.
The heart of the film lies in these difficult choices and the relationships between its characters, but there are also some other interesting references that work within the present themes. Durotan’s newborn gets both a Moses and Superman reference, as his parents give there all to save their son from the dangers of a dying world while also destining him for greatness with the expectation of unifying opposing races and bringing peace out of the rule of a vicious madman. Like Moses, their baby is sent off on a river raft and deemed the savior of his people, one day meant to lead them to redemption and erect a new home and start a beginning for their way of life.
There are also strong female character who are willing to fight to save their children—Dakka, in hopes for a better future, so willingly offering her services as a soldier right before she goes into labor, captive humans desperately trying protecting their babies, the small blue alien begging Garona to save her poor child from her ill fate, and Lady Taria, almost knowingly sending her husband to an impossible battle in order to protect not only their children but entire kingdom.
The downsides of WARCRAFT come with the discrepancy between the quality of characterization of the Orcs and the humans. Because the strongest actors are Orcs, the human story line suffers from the unevenness of bravado. The humans are just not as compelling and makes one wish the whole story were about the Orcs—then again, that would defeat the purpose of the whole thing. There are some times when it’s challenging to understand the Orc’s dialogue, so a second watch with subtitles will be beneficial. It feels as though there was a calculated decision to cast lesser known actors for the sake of allotting as much as possible to the VFX budget. If the human parts of the script were more engaging, this wouldn’t have mattered as much.
Yes, the script is weighed down by the forcibly explanatory nature of the pacing and dialogue which was needed to kick start this sequel reliant cinematic universe. As a consequence, much of the story is told instead of shown, and a plot driven film isn’t the best vehicle to carry the metaphors and greater meanings that Jones is trying to infiltrate into the movie.
Regardless of a wobbly narrative, WARCRAFT still has a lot going for it and doesn’t deserve the intense hate it’s unfortunately received. Frankly, to deem the film as “soulless” just isn’t fair. It’s got a robust score reminiscent to the war theme in 300: Rise of an Empire, but is less industrial or aggressive. Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi constructs a versatile score full of lively tribal beats, and yet the low bass cooing interwoven is soothing with delicate emotional swells. There’s also a nod to The Hobbit and Avatar’s themes as well.
The film’s got good charisma, and the audience responded very well to the humor injected throughout the script. There were lots of big laughs and strong reactions during many moments, even a riotous roar of clapping during one pivotal scene. The comedy isn’t over the top like some complain of the Marvel franchise; it’s relatively subtle at times so it doesn’t completely feel like the studio thought a random joke should be inserted here and there to lighten the mood. The film is somewhat a hard PG-13 when it comes to violence. The battles are similar to the uncut edition of The Hobbit: Battle of The Five Armies, just not so many beheadings, but gore-fanatics will be pleased to know there's still a lot of thrashing, ripping and smashing happening.
Given patience, WARCRAFT can be an enjoyable adventure to sink into. There’s a strong humanist overtone through fantasy archetypes that presents a perspective from both sides and there’s a real world applicable weight to the issues at hand. Jones pleads a lesson to be had, to work smarter, not harder and this mantra is as relevant as ever in current world events. Any good adaptation should translate easily to newcomer audiences, and this film does require active viewing especially from non-gamers. Although it’s not impossible to grasp the general plot, a second viewing will be in order to determine a real judgment call to see if it will be liked more or less in time. With truly unexpected twists and turns, and an unconventional ending, the story boldly raises its stakes and doesn’t back down from the challenge of making an impact through otherwise outlandish characters.
Critics can be downright brutal, quickly unforgiving, and sometimes appear as if they childishly conceive reviews based off click bait one-liners and meta witticisms. WARCRAFT has bared the brunt of many cynical opinions, and it’s quite possible that despite setting up the next films competently, the series may end up getting The Golden Compass’d. It’s not the best live action non-human oriented fantasy film out there, but Duncan Jones wrestles down a massive undertaking and ends up producing a daring and fun flick that should at least be given a fair chance. Is it really the travesty it’s been made out to be? Looks like you’ll just have to go see!
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