While the movie adaptation of the "World of Warcraft" franchise is set for a global release by June 10, early reviews are already circulating online, and it's a mixed bag for both hardcore franchise fans and casual moviegoers.
According to Videogamer, while the film itself is dubbed "Warcraft: The Beginning," moviegoers that are "WoW" players are more likely to appreciate its story and plot, while the casual moviegoers will applaud its almost seamless use of CGI. The graphic effects in the movie are numerous, and it's understandable; undertaking a seamless interaction between the game and the film took the "Warcraft: The Beginning" team almost ten years to develop it, and spent at least two years in production.
However, not all gamers praise the way that Duncan Jones helmed the movie. The Guardian mentions how the adaptation struggles to tell the story to newcomers, and the branching out of the plot may even leave some fans already familiar with the franchise wondering. The industry follower even mentioned how the "Warcraft" movie has undertones of a previous film, "John Carter."
It remains to be seen how "Warcraft: The Beginning" will fare after it has premiered. According to Variety, the lukewarm first impressions of the adaptation made for a projection of only $25 million for its opening weekend. This is an underwhelming figure, since the movie had a $160 million budget.
Moreover, aside from the lukewarm reception, the franchise's film adaptation is also up against strong competitors. The June 10 release for "Warcraft: The Beginning" nearly coincides with major sequel productions like "The Conjuring 2," "Now You See Me 2," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows."
"Warcraft: The Beginning" pits the human race against the Orcs. Set in the human realm of Azeroth, the different societies must band together to win against an invading Orc army who are fleeing their own dying world and are looking for another one.
