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Warcraft

10 June 2016English2h 3m
out of 10
Mixedlukewarm or divided
Monk Score · 5 scored reviews · 6 not rated

Passionate effort, but the story lacks the depth its world demands.

Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Director's earnestness and passion
  • Criticised: Weak narrative depth and originality

Audience

User score 4.5 out of 10 from 2 ratings, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 1 audience review ↓

Not streaming in India

Critic consensus

What 11 critics are saying

Critical reception for Warcraft is predominantly negative, with most reviewers finding it a shallow and disappointing adaptation that fails to match the ambitions of comparable fantasy epics like The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. A handful of critics acknowledged the film's earnestness and the passion behind its production, with some praising director Duncan Jones's effort to bring heart to familiar material. Common criticisms include a mediocre and cluttered narrative, weak scene transitions, and an overall lack of depth and originality. The visual effects received occasional acknowledgment but were generally not considered sufficient to redeem the film's storytelling shortcomings.

How the 5 scores spread

6 not-rated reviews aren't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 11 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (11)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    DNA India

    Film review ·

    Watch it once. It deserves that at least. Who knows, you might have a different opinion of how it should have ended...
  2. Top critic

    Rediff

    Film review ·

    Warcraft is, on every level, a disappointment, especially since you see what he's trying to do -- the kind of man-woman parity he's aiming for, mostly unseen in a film of this scale -- but then you see, frustratingly enough, that the film itself is a mediocre casing for any grand idea or deft nuance. It's mostly swallowed up by badly mumbled gibberish, like the villain in the climax chanting what sounds (a lot) like saying Eddie Izzard's name over and over again.
  3. Gulf News

    Film review ·

    The movie's strength lies in Jones' earnestness and his ability to add heart and grit to, let's face it, a story that we've seen over and over in fantasy films across the ages. That said, Warcraft is a welcome change from all the superheroes in spandex and capes that we've been inundated with since the beginning of the year. Not since the last Hobbit film have fantasy genre fans had anything significant to really sink their teeth into. And hopefully, Warcraft, in its promised sequels, will rise up to that challenge. (Someone also hand them the diversity handbook, please.)
  4. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    Warcraft is joyous fun. It might be cluttered and overwhelming at times, there is no denying that it is a film made with love. It is unafraid to be nerdy, it laughs in the face of mockery. It embraces its goofiness. When it beckons you to join in on the fun, let it.
  5. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    This dreadfully boring film ends with the hope of a sequel. It's time to introduce the makers to John Lennon. 'Make love, not war...'
  6. BookMyShow

    Film review ·

    Most of the scene transitions are off. This ends up affecting the narration, which already had nothing to boast about with its mediocre plot. Just over two hours, the film doesn't have any humour element. It is sad that the sublime efforts gone into post production were in vain due to its disappointing overall end result as a story.
  7. Filmfare

    Film review ·

    Overall, Warcraft has nothing new and exciting to offer in terms of cinematic quality. Even the visuals and effects, though remarkable in bits, aren't enough to make you sit through. A lot of it also looks all too familiar to Harry Potter, The Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones. Two moments of witty banter do get you to chuckle but it's not worth the ticket price, for gaming enthusiasts or otherwise.
  8. LiveMint

    Film review ·

    Warcraft is clearly a 3D fantasy adventure designed to appeal to fans of the novels and computer game series. For those unfamiliar with the worlds and wars within, let's just say Warcraft the movie is striving to be The Lord Of The Rings meets Game Of Thrones, but falls way short of its ambition.
  9. Scroll.in

    Film review ·

    Apart from fans of the popular video game World of Warcraft, the movie Warcraft is also of interest to two other sets of viewers: those who have been missing their regular dose of orcs, dwarves, wizards and kingdoms caught between sorcery and normalcy, and fans of Duncan Jones.
  10. The Hindu

    Film review ·

    I'm all for video games being turned into movies, but Warcraft lacks the depth and richness of literature.
  11. TheStatesman

    Film review ·

    Overall, Warcraft does not match real-life expectations, but would definitely appeal to its fans.

From our readers

Audience reviews (1)

2 ratings · user score 4.5

  1. Pranay JalviDec 2016
    3/10

    The epic battle at the center of "Warcraft" isn't the clash between humans and orcs. That's just what takes up roughly two hours of screen time. The true conflict comes from filmmakers trying to tell a story with soul and struggling against the inherent ridiculousness of the movie. Despite the noble effort of director Duncan Jones, who helmed the lower- budget sci-fi wonders "Moon" and "Source Code" , Warcraft just couldn't save itself from its unconventional and poor story tale.With its meticulously detailed realms built out primarily on soundstages and enhanced via CGI during extensive post-production, "Warcraft" aims for fresh and eye-popping and yet ends up shopworn and rather tacky. I am totally disappointed by Duncan Jones 'Warcraft'. I would give 1.5/5 for this heartless movie without any soul.

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