Trailer Check: Warcraft: The Beginning (2016)

© Legendary Pictures | Source: stage3

I think I already mentioned it but, again, 2016 will be THE year for gamers.

I mean, first of all, we have SquareEnix expressing their love for their fans by adding an animated series and a movie to the already highly anticipated release of Final Fantasy XV. Then on May 20, Angry Birds: The Movie will be released, featuring the voices of some of our favourite actors like Peter Dinklage and Sean Penn. But that’s still not everything! Far more exciting will be the movie adaptations of the two fan favourites Assassin’s Creed and World of Warcraft, the latter of which I will focus on in this Trailer Check. 

© Buena Vista Pictures | Source: Guardian

So far, video game adaptations turned out poorly, more often than not. Just think about Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Super Mario Bros (1993) and Bloodrayne (2006), or better, don’t think about them. Granted, there were also some reasonably good ones, like Prince of Persia (2010), the first two Resident Evil movies (2002+2004) or Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005) – although calling them good seems to be a rather subjective evaluation; general ratings seem to differ slightly, but a fan’s heart loves what it wants to love. However, it would be nice for a change if a video-game-to-movie adaptation could do without rose-coloured glasses and a viewer’s determination to excuse and tolerate just about everything, just as long as it means they get to see their favourite characters on the big screen. 

And here’s where World of Warcraft comes in, because the trailer does seem extremely promising. Critics speak about the possibility of a new, golden era of video game movies, heralded by Warcraft: The Beginning, which will be released on June 10, and Assassin’s Creed, which is scheduled for December 21. The fantasy world created for Warcraft impresses with a love for details and a vastness reminiscent of Middle Earth from The Lord of the Rings saga. But just have a look yourself:

Calling this first impression of Azeroth anything less than beautiful would be a blatant lie. Like I said, the style of Warcraft reminds highly of Middle Earth and just maybe we really are looking at what is to become the next big fantasy epos.

© Legendary Pictures | Source: screenrant

Enemies will unite – Worlds will collide

Azeroth, the peaceful realm of humans, is on the brink of destruction. A whole tribe of Orc warriors, fleeing their destroyed world of Dreanor in search of a new home, have set their eyes on human territory, determined to take it by force if necessary in order to sustain their own survival. As the Dark Portal, the gateway between the two worlds, opens, Orcs and humans clash in a CGI-gestating battle that will determine their fates. But what neither of them reckons with is the approach of another threat that might exterminate both nations.

© Legendary Pictures | Source: aceshowbiz

The trailer promises, next to an amazing rendition of the fantasy realms, a wide array of fantastic beasts: massive wolves, gryphons, strange green babies – you name it. Another positive feature is that the Orcs aren’t depicted as mere enemies, but have their own motivations and a cast of heroes as well, giving them more depths as characters. All in all, the trailer certainly looks promising and let’s all cross our fingers that Warcraft: The Beginning won’t line up with the rest of all these mediocre (euphemistically speaking) game-to-movie adaptations, but will indeed ring the bell for a new, golden age of video game movies to come.