Warcraft was my most anticipated movie of the year. I’ve been playing the games since the first, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, and have been an on again/off again World of Warcraft addict for more than a decade. Warcraft could very well be my favorite fictional world in all of storytelling. I loved the trailers, I loved the clips; you better believe the hype was building.

But sadly, the new Warcraft film does not live up to all that hype. It’s still a good, solid, enjoyable movie, and I am pleased with the result. But director Duncan Jones and his storytellers made some really weird choices.

Movie Rating: 7/10 – Good.

Warcraft has already pretty much bombed with American audiences, but thankfully, China and the international market have saved the production. So my hopes for a sequel have already been lit. The world could use a new, non-superhero franchise, and Warcraft has more story, lore and characters than 10 films. There is a lot that could be done with a sequel, and hopefully Jones and the producers will take all of the criticism they have received and try to make a better product next time. There’s no reason to throw in the towel.

Heck, I hope they release the rumored Director’s Cut, which has tons of additional footage.

Warcraft definitely feels like a film where a lot of material was cut for timing. Storylines and characters feel rushed. The editing is quick to jump from one scene to the next, doing little to lay groundwork, while doing much to throw all sorts of names and concepts at the audience. At it’s heart, there are a few very simple, very meaningful stories being told. These stories are entertaining, and could really have an impact.

But Warcraft stuffed itself full of a bit too much, then apparently went through a fitful editing process.

At least the CGI orcs are amazing. That’s the most important thing. Expect FULL SPOILERS below.

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