Warcraft getting panned by critics?

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I'm not sure whether I should say that I'm surprised since it is a movie based on a video game, however it seems like it's still doing well in the box office and I'm getting buzz that the audience likes it, though some people say that they don't like it. How well is it doing in the UK? Have you seen it and if so, did you like it? Do you agree with the critics?

Dang, I was really hoping this one would do great. I am an old veteran of Warcraft, so I still want to see it.

To be fair, I'm not sure that it's nearly as bad as what it's being made out to be. Despite it being panned by critics, it has still so far made $70 million in box office sales in just the countries that it's been released in so far, doubling from last week and it's the top box office hit in Russia and Germany for the second week running. It's IMdB rating is 7.9 and has a popularity ranking of 2, meaning that it's the second most popular film right now. So, the contrast between audience and critics is bizarre. Additionally, Warcraft and WoW fans like it so much that they're purchasing multiple tickets to see it multiple times.

The most common complaint from critics is the pacing and convoluted plot that doesn't allow enough time for the characters to develop sufficiently in the available screen time (keep in mind that Universal interfered to get Duncan Jones to cut 40 minutes from the final script, so it was made with the best intentions but the distributor botched the film in the last minute by forcing it to run in 2 hours in order to get more screenings). If anything, I guess that this exposes the video game movie "curse" for what it really is - the narrative structure for video game plots and movie plots are very different and any scriptwriter trying to convert a story from medium to the other has to wrestle with the limitations of film as a medium (like trying to cram hours and hours of story and gameplay into just 2 hours and the plot of this movie is just technically the plot of Warcraft 1 trying to be told in movie form).

I still want to see it too but it's difficult to know who I can go with, with these kinds of ratings.

I already have a ticket to see it on opening day to make a judgment for myself.

I agree with Jono. Those who want to see Warcraft, but are skeptical about studio interference should be glad Universal turned down an offer from that hack Uwe Boll.

So, given that it's premiered this weekend in the states, did any of you go and see it? How did you find it?

I saw it and I still enjoyed it.

I saw it and liked it, but you definitely have to be a fan of the setting and mythos to really get into it. Otherwise, it's too many characters being introduced too quickly over a pretty thin "orcs invade and smash, humans defend home" plot. There's not much else they could do. Warcraft is cheesy fun even now, and the original game's story was nothing more than an excuse for pixels to stab each-other. Also the second half of the movie is much more dramatic than the first, Orgrim's betrayal is handled well.

It bombed in theaters in the West, but made more than enough money to warrant a sequel in China. Given that, expect more pandas next time.

Also there are apparently hours of character development that were cut out for the theatrical release, but per the director you'll never see a Lord of the Rings-style director's cut. The CGI budget didn't include the cut scenes, and with how CGI-heavy the film is it'd destroy the visual flow of the movie.

I've been following Duncan Jones on Twitter. Although he said that won't be a director's cut, he also said on Twitter that an extended edition is still possible but that it's a studio decision.

Also, I do think that some people who don't know anything about the game can still enjoy the movie. I went with a friend a friend to see it in theatres who didn't know anything about Warcraft at all but still liked it.