Call it Borecraft
Spin-off from violent online fantasy game is a big loser
FEELING defeated after two hours of crushing cartoon violence, I beat a hasty retreat from this fantasy adventure.
Two worlds go to war in this bigbudget blend of live action and stateof-the-art animation.
Based on a hugely popular online video game, it’s set in an extraodinarily designed Tolkienesque world of humans, orcs, dwarves, elves and wizards.
But sadly, Warcraft is an underpowered drama of unfathomable mythology and unexplained geography.
This is a shame because buried deep is a cracking old- fashioned story of family, betrayal and star-crossed lovers. Daniel Wu glowers as Gul’dan, a powerful orc shaman whose world is dying. His evil green magic, powered by human sacrifice, opens a portal into the peaceful h u man kingdom of Azeroth. Gul’dan sends in fearsome 8ft orc warriors to conquer it. They’re awesome-looking, pneumatically muscled, sabre-toothed humanoids who wear the skulls and furs of defeated foes.
A collection of wizards and warriors, led by a puzzled-looking Dominic Cooper as King Llane, defend their land against the invading horde.
I shared his confusion as the story whizzes from castle to battle to floating fortress in the sky.
Travis Fimmel’s knight and Paula Patton’s green-skinned half-orc captive are given the best of the scarce humour.
And as orcs who question Gul’dan’s vicious regime, Toby Kebbell and Anna Galvin give the most effecting performances. As everyone struggles with the functional dialogue, CGI armies smash each others’ heads with hammers.
A lot of victims are reduced to husks when their life force is magically sucked out of them. A fate unwary viewers run the risk of sharing.