Movie Review: “Warcraft” (PG-13)
Duncan Jones is a terrific filmmaker. Given his passion and humility, he’s an easy guy to root for. Both “Moon” and “Source Code” are thought-provoking sci-fi gems that are as rich in character as they are expertly crafted, which makes his latest effort — the messy, ambitious oddity, “Warcraft” —- all the more curious.
Based on the incredibly popular computer game, this massive epic delves into an age-old battle between orcs and mankind, sworn enemies looking to rid the world of one another. The focal point of the story is Durotan (Toby Kebbell), a well-respected, fearsome warrior orc who comes to the realization that perhaps the higher ups in Orcdom may not have the very best of intentions. Things are further complicated by the arrival Durotan’s son. He and his soulmate love their newborn child with all their hearts and will do anything to protect him, but neither entirely looks forward to raising their boy in a world this seemingly misguided. On the flipside, we have fearless human warrior Anduin Lothar, a heroic individual whose primary objective is to protect his own son, Callan (Burkely Duffield), a challenge that proves to become increasingly difficult.
During a battle in Middle Earth, Garona (Paula Patton) — a half human/half orc with no side to call her own — is ultimately captured by Anduin and his men, and eventually she finds herself learning the true nature of who she initially thought to be her enemy. Likewise, after a meeting with Durotan and his mighty squad, Anduin too realizes that perhaps he was quick to misjudge an entire species based on handful of bad orc apples.
As you’ve probably already gathered, Jones admirably gives us heroes and villains on both sides of a massive war, lending “Warcraft” a strange complexity that it isn’t always completely worthy of. There’s a lot going on here, and those not familiar with the game (admittedly, I’m one of those people) might find themselves baffled by a great deal of the goings-on.
It’s unfortunate that the majority of the human characters in this film are not all that interesting, but the orcs make up for it — most notably noble Duraton. As played by motion-capture king Toby Kebbell (Koba of “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”), Duraton is clearly the most compelling character in the movie. From the opening scene as we are witness to the birth of his son, Kebbell’s fierce beastie Duraton brings real heart to the movie. It’s that heart and commitment to the material that often transcends the cartoony, video-gamish nature of the proceedings, and I have to admit that Durotan and mate Draka make a couple of bold moves in this picture that are as surprising as they are dramatic. Paula Patton proves to be fiercely independent and oddly sexy (despite those goofy teeth protruding from her lower jaw) as Garona. It should also be noted that “Warcraft” offers up a pretty terrifying orc villain, too!
I wish the human characters fared as well. Sadly, they are a mostly uninteresting sort. Of the human contingent, it’s Ben Foster who emerges as the strongest of the lot. As a magical, all-powerful Medivh, Foster is at least given an opportunity to have some real fun with his role, particularly in the second half of the picture.
There is absolutely no doubt that Jones’ heart is in the right place here. He loves “Warcraft,” and it’s clear that he’s desperately trying to do right by the source material, but something has been lost in translation. Again, there’s a ton going on here — Jones himself has suggested that this is but a tiny slice of the incredibly dense, epic story that makes up the game — but as jam-packed as this movie is, it still feels like massive chunks are missing. There’s a romance of sorts involving Garona and another key character that is never fully realized, and even the union between orc and mankind feels slightly undercooked. Having said that, there is an appropriately campy vibe on display that at times reminded me of Mike Hodges’ “Flash Gordon” from 1980. Beyond that, there are heavy “Clash of the Titans,” “Avatar,” and — more obviously — “Lord of the Rings” influences at nearly every corner.
For my money, “Warcraft” is too ambitious and off-the-wall bonkers to be dismissed as a bad movie. It’s certainly convoluted and more messy than not, but it does have it’s moments. At the end of the day though, this is a film that will probably appeal most to the legions of “Warcraft” players out there. Whether or not they’re willing to leave their computers for two hours to watch the movie, however, remains to be seen.
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