Warcraft: The Beginning

It's easy to forget, but the world of the source material (just like the Warhammer Universe, for example) is an exploitation of Anglo-Saxon fantasy that takes its classic attributes to the extreme, from the warmly decorated armor of the forces of good, to the length and shape of the elven ears, to the grotesque disproportions of the forces of evil. In a similar reading, it's possible to see the film adaptation as something so bizarre (I nearly peed myself laughing – several times – during the opening sequence with the pregnant orc) that even a decade ago no one would have thought that, in principle, anyone could actually get away with making a feature-length live-action adaptation of the games' legendary blizzard cinematic sequences despite any comic relief. Warcraft, after all, can be seen rather easily as an exploitation of the colorful blockbusters filmed entirely in front of a green screen. Indeed, the process of throwing live actors into a completely surreal environment where they are forced to interact with a bunch of pingpongers and dancers with pockmarked faces is taken to the point of absurdity here, and it's terrible fun. Ironically, then, the chivalrous charge with flintlocks is what movie fantasy is sorely lacking – balls, ideas, and the joy of being entertained. I stomped my feet contentedly and was happy. This despite the fact that I'd tried the games and didn't care for them. Bonus subjective point for Travis Fimmel's acting, which reminded me terribly of waking up after a wild bash in a completely unfamiliar place among unfamiliar people and trying vehemently to pretend I fit in so as not to arouse suspicion before I can find the door. (30.09.2016)

As I've been playing WOW for 8 years now, I was excited to see this. At the same time, I was seriously apprehensive. I've never played the original Warcraft, but I'm at least roughly familiar with it and the film certainly didn't disappoint. As a player, I was pleased that I could easily recognize the locations without the need for text on screen. As a viewer, I was pleased that it was possible to immerse myself in the story even without any prior knowledge of the game. Thankfully, unlike in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the declarations of love, both straight and gay, were kept to the minimum, so there was no need to add entirely new characters to the story. The plot could simply race forward, which it did. I think it’s an excellent fantasy film, which not only didn’t disappoint me but made me look forward to the sequel (if there is one). On the other hand, what I didn’t like too much were the deviations from the game. If it continues along these lines, it will probably become a completely different story that will have very little in common with what the players know. (22.06.2016)