Film Preview: Warcraft (2016)

Page Revisions:

(November 8, 2015) Original
(March 3, 2016) New Trailer (#2) / New Posters (#8 & #9)
(May 1, 2016) New Trailer (#3) / New Posters (#10-#18)
(June 5, 2016) New Poster (#19)

Release Date:

June 10, 2016

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “An epic fantasy/adventure based on the popular video game series.”

Poster Rating: C- / C- (2) / B+ / B / D (2) / B- / B / B+ (9) / B+

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) The joint design presenting two sides of the same sword is thematically appropriate, but visually disjointed. (#2 & #3) These two designs split off the main design and don’t really expand upon or enhance it.

(#4 & #5) These designs are beautiful reminders of setting, though design #5 needs a more expansive background to put it on par with design #4. (#6 & #7) The two dominant weapons of this franchise, belonging to each of the two faction leaders, are interesting to look at, but only appealing to those familiar with the franchise.

(#8 & #9) These two designs are largely the same, but the former suggests a more massive conflict on a grand scale, the latter is slightly more intimate, but what really sets them apart is that the second posters portrays the film’s central female figure as a regular character rather than a object to pique the interest of male viewers.

(#10-#18) An excellent set of character posters with rich, distinctive backgrounds and unique character poses. They aren’t perfect, but they are certainly better than a lot of such designs in recent years.

(#19) This is probably the design that should have emerged as the primary one for the U.S. markets. It’s a fairly commonplace design, but it works perfectly to convey the film’s grandeur.

Trailer Rating: B / B- / C+

SEE ALL TRAILERS BELOW
Review: (#1) If you’re already a fan of the Warcraft video game series, then this will just enhance that interest. Appealing to new audiences who aren’t that familiar with it, there are enough action elements to engage, but not enough to give a sufficient explanation of events to full entice.

(#2) The more I see of the trailers for this film, the less excited I become. Not because I don’t love the universe, but because the effects are both terrific and laughable, sometimes in scenes positioned one after the other. Hopefully, the movie looks a lot better than the trailers, but right now I may end up on the slightly disappointed side rather than the thoroughly ecstatic side.

(#3) As much as I have an interest in the film and its subject matter, this most recent trailer feels like more of the same without a credible sense of purpose or scope. It looks like a fairly standard summer actioner, which might not be what fans want to see.

Oscar Prospects:

It depends on how good the film is, how good the effects are and what the competition is. A nomination wouldn’t be out of the question, but a win may be more difficult.