Review: Warcraft 4K UHD + Screen Caps

THE MOVIE — 2.5/5

The game-to-screen adaption doesn’t exactly have the best track record ranging from guilty pleasure (Tomb Raider) to the downright terrible (BloodRayne, In the Name of the King, Doom). I’m honestly not entirely sure where the latest, Warcraft ranks with the rest. It’s not so awful that I wanted to tear my hair our nor however was it good enough to warrant much praise. As someone who has never played World of Warcraft, not even a single second, I was a bit lost with some of these characters that clearly fans understood and appreciated.

On the plus side, the plot is simple enough (from back cover):

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orcs warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, an unlikely set of heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their families, their people and their home.

Warcraft does feature a quasi-recognizable cast including Dominic Cooper playing the king who, frankly, looked ridiculous in his armor, Ben Foster doing well not hamming it up for the camera too much (but comes close near the end) and Paula Patton who perhaps was one of the few highlights playing a character named Garona (I had to look it up). She actually possessed charm and screen presence even beyond painted as if she stepped off of the set of Star Trek. Toby Kebbell meanwhile continues his “winning” (following the wretched Fantastic Four) streak as the CGI character Durotan, a classic character from the game.

Then there’s Travis Fimmel who I’m not entirely familiar with though he’s mostly known for his lead role on the AMC series, Vikings but based on pictures, it’s easy to see why he was cast. And for the most part, he’s a serviceable hero but, as the case was with Cooper and Patton, doesn’t get a whole lot to work with.

The film was helmed by Duncan Jones whose brief career has shown promise especially following low budget sci-fi dramas Moon and, especially for me, Source Code, the closest feature adaptation of Quantum Leap we’ll ever get, and in itself a great flick. I’m not entirely sure why Jones was chosen for such a big budget film like Warcraft but it doesn’t seem like he was the best fit, however I’d venture to guess he delivered the best adaptation possible, and based on some fan reactions, succeeded, just for this novice, I found it more confusing and worse yet, features characters I couldn’t care any less for.

In the end, Warcraft had plenty of potential and as video game adaptations go, it’s not horrible but barely passable. However, fans will probably get much more enjoyment out of while others who are unfamiliar will find it hard to follow.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5

This release comes housed in the 4K UHD black slim case and a glossy slip cover. Inside is the redemption code for the Digital HD copy.

Deleted/Extended Scenes (13:57; HD) – There are 11 scenes that were either cut down or eliminated included here though nothing of great note nor anything that would’ve made the movie more understandable.

Gag Reel (3:25; HD) – Line flubs and all around on-set antics.

The World of Warcraft on Film (TRT 33:50; HD) looks at bringing the classic and popular game to life in a live action film and covers casting, visual effects and other aspects. It’s split into 6-parts, Origin Story (4:54), The World of Talent (5:35), The World of VFX (5:09), Outfitting a World (6:16), The World of Mo-Cap (6:50) and The World of Stunts (5:06).

The Fandom of Warcraft (6:36; HD) explores the popularity of the game series and their excitement for the feature film adaptation.

Warcraft: Bonds of Brotherhood Motion Comic (53:47; HD) is a companion piece with the movie.

Warcraft: The Madame Tussauds Experience (7:32) is a tour of the figures museum in London.

ILM: Behind the Magic of Warcraft (2:59; HD) is a comparison feature breaking down the effects work done.

Warcraft Teaser (2:23; HD)

4K UHD VIDEO – 4.5/5, BD VIDEO – 4.5/5

AUDIO – 4.75/5

OVERALL – 3.0/5

Overall, on a technical level, Warcraft isn’t terrible but in today’s and age and the advancement in the visual effects realm, it’s should be a given especially with a big budget tentpole. Outside of the VFX, and as someone unfamiliar with the source material, I found the film to be dull and filled with thinly written characters. The 4K UHD release offers great video/audio transfers (both UHD and BD) and an average selection of special features.