Why You Should Ignore Film Critics And See Warcraft For Yourself

“Warcraft” is not a masterpiece.

You probably thought by the headline I was going to opine for 2500 words on the cinematic brilliance of “Warcraft” and why it deserves to be muttered under the same breath as “Lord of the Rings” or “Star Wars”. I’m as hyperbolic as the next guy, but I’m not quite that far gone. Not yet.

What I am, though, is saddened by the barrage of hate this film has received from mainstream film critics. The acting is laughable, the CGI is abysmal, the story is amateurish and cluttered, etc. These are some of the many complaints tossed at this film in article after article. “Warcraft” is doing boffo box office in China, and now I even read a piece from a reputable publication implying how ignorant Chinese people are for enjoying a movie that the respective intellectual writer deemed beneath any intelligent filmgoer.

To which I say, piss off you arrogant tool.

Yea, I know, that isn’t very nice. And generally I try to write thoughtful and respective film criticism when it comes to the medium that I love. That’s why I’m not calling this a review. I’m not going to venture into every facet of the movie and dissect what works and what doesn’t. I’m just going to tell you to stop listening to people who hate movies.

That’s right, hate movies. A critic is there to be critical, to see a film for whatever it is trying to be, and elaborate on why it does or doesn’t work based on that criteria and the artistry associated with it. They are not meant to dissolve into a pretentious sermon on how only the movies they fancy are deemed worthy of our hard-earned dollars, and how big, blustery epics lacking the Jackson stamp are too vapid for the common man. I’ve read many, MANY reviews (27% positive on Rotten Tomatoes) that drone on and on about how video games are horrible concepts to adapt, that following a storyline of an orc is ridiculous, this doesn’t hit the highs of the “Rings” trilogy, and blah blah blah about a million things that matter not at all except scream these people hate these kinds of movies.

You know who loves them, though? “Warcraft” fans. Spectacle fans. Movie fans. I’ve never played a single minute of this game – I have too much respect for my own free time and I’ve heard it consumes your very life force – but I know many that do. And of the ones I’ve polled (granted, my personal inquiry is not exactly scientific, but all are fans) they dug it. They loved the easter eggs for long-time players, they enjoyed watching their personal obsession vividly brought to life, and most importantly – they had fun.

Did it change their lives? Nope. Maybe it moved them to reflect longingly on their life choices? Probably not. Inspired them to build an orc orphanage in the inner city? Don’t break ground just yet.

“Warcraft” just isn’t that kind of movie. It’s not a thinking piece and it’s not wrought with soulful inflection. It’s a damn movie about an otherworldly realm where monstrous orcs follow an evil sorcerer – using a magic known as Fel that apparently turns everything Ninja Turtle green – to a new world known as Azeroth, as theirs is slowly dying. Once there, they seek to pillage and conquer Azeroth and make this their new home. Of course, we have heroes desperate to save their world from the orcs, and a female hybrid is stuck in the middle as both humans and orcs head to war.

For my money, critics can kiss my vector because I found the CGI-at-play mostly astonishing. At least 50% of the characters – not creatures, CHARACTERS – in this film are computer generated. Does it look like a video game at times? Absolutely. Is that a criticism? To mainstream critics it seems to be, which just shows how they obviously haven’t played a video game since Grandma took the Wii back, because cut scenes on a PC look better than most movies these days. At the very least, they look better than Apocalypse.

While director Duncan Jones isn’t breaking any new ground here, he IS trying. “Warcraft” is lofty and ambitious. It seeks to take fantasy films and CGI characters to new levels of emotional resonance, and closes in on these goals numerous times, even alongside solidly charming actors like Travis Fimmel, Ben Foster and Paula Patton. Jones also breaks down the typical fantasy walls by creating real stakes for our heroes on both sides of the war. You will come to like or even love a character and – unlike most films of this ilk – there is a very real chance they will not live to see the inevitable sequel. Which is a concept that creates genuine surprise when you’ve seen as many films as I have. So instead of simply trying to tear down everything Blizzard Entertainment and Duncan Jones are trying to accomplish, let’s also appreciate the achievements.

Everything you read above was to get to my rather succinct point: Ignore film critics and go see “Warcraft” for yourself. With every passing summer, mainstream critics seem more and more overrun with stuffy film snobs who refuse to appreciate cinematic eye-candy in the same vein as a thought provoking mind-bender. Each type have merits in their respective genres, is there not more than enough room to acknowledge the beauty in both?

If fantasy films are something you love. If escaping to another realm for a brutal battle between billowy green and blue magic or knights versus hordes of orcs are a tasty delight. Even if you just admire the raw ambitions of a director trying to stretch a genre with computer-generated characters and a story arc rife with raw potential for future installments. Then grab a seat and set your mind free, you won’t be disappointed.

“Warcraft” is not a masterpiece. But it sure was a hell of a fun time at the theater.