I’ve never played “World of Warcraft,” but I’m familiar with it. It’s an online roleplaying game that relies on multiplayer teamwork to drive its story. It’s an immersive experience that hosts vast landscapes and endless amounts of characters, with the story progression lying in the hands of the players. It’s also spawned novels, comics, manga, and both tabletop and card games.
It has also now spawned a film, but it isn’t a smooth transition. It’s not for a lack of trying, as screenwriters Charles Leavitt & Duncan Jones (who also directed) pour their heart and soul into bringing “World of Warcraft’s” terrains and characters to screen. Visually it’s a stunning film, with no shortage of world building (and lots more to explore in future installments). Where it lacks is in developing the characters, who show signs of personality, but feel restrained by the necessity to build this world.
One of the worlds, Draenor, is home to the orcs, who look like the Barbarian Brothers with an overbite. Their world is slowly dying with the only escape being to travel to the paradise that is Azeroth. The portal to Azeroth requires magic to strengthen its gates, which Gul’dan (Daniel Wu) yields. The only problem is in order to fuel the magic one must drain the life from living creatures, such as humans and animals. Gul’dan, being the power-hungry and heartless villain that he is, has no qualms with making sacrifices, but chieftain Durotan (Toby Kebbell) does, protesting the savagery. He feels the sacrificing of life goes against the honor of the Frostwolf clan and he doesn’t want to raise his newborn son in such dishonor.
Also having issues in raising his son, though this time being at the father’s hand and not society’s, is Sir Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel), military commander of Stormwind. He’s gotten word of Gul’dan’s plans to colonize Azeroth as his own and, through circumstances, teams with a bevy of people to protect it. Some of these include a mage by the name of Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer), the King of Stormwind (Dominic Cooper), the fabled Guardian Medivh (Ben Foster), and even Gul’dan’s own personal slave, Garona (Paula Patton), who is a half-orc.
All of these characters fit the archetypes they’re meant to represent: the hero, the ruler, the rebel, and the peacekeeper. The problem is they never feel more than an archetype despite the best efforts of the cast. Lothar has a sarcastic sense of humor, but it’s only shown occasionally. Garona is strong-willed, but one-note. Khadgar is honorable, despite renouncing his vows to the faction of mages, but nothing more. The King of Stormwind is just that, a king who spouts out motivational speeches of honor and dignity. Medivh is a powerful sorcerer who gets corrupted by the orcs and at one point is a true test for our heroes.
Credit goes to Jones &Leavitt for attempting to give each character a background, but each has so little time for there’s to shine. Lothar’s issues with his son are criminally underdeveloped, with the reasoning for their quarrel being frail: Lothar’s wife died during childbirth, which he blames his son for. His son has spent his entire life trying to win his father’s respect by being a seasoned soldier. It’s easy to see where this is going. The moment it leads up to holds no emotional impact because the buildup to it is so trite. Same goes for Durotan’s struggles with raising his son in a slowly devolving society, though that’s more and less because that story is being set up for the sequel.
That’s the biggest issue plaguing “Warcraft:” it’s all setup for future installments. This is the starter pack, but it doesn’t do much to entice one to purchase the next pack. It’s gorgeous to look at, but the worlds don’t seem lived in. The battle sequences are decent, but unspectacular. The CGI is phenomenal, joining the ranks of Disney’s “The Jungle Book” in being a breakthrough for the technology, but it’s not supported by a compelling enough story.
The reason video games have a hard time transitioning into films is because they rely heavily on interaction to fuel their stories. This is not a criticism, but high praise for the format, as it makes video games unique. Despite what many say, video games are art, employing interactivity to immerse the player into its world. To try and craft that into a film is an act of regression. For a game such as “World of Warcraft,” it’s almost an impossible feat, as its story can’t be contained in a two-hour film. Despite its best efforts, “Warcraft” can’t shake past the restraining mechanics of filmmaking.
Final Rating: C-
