Duncan Jones' Warcraft - Part 3

[TheVileOne]

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4195&p=.htm

Box Office Mojo is projecting $20 million for Warcraft, so I guess it just depends.

And yeah, $30 million is not solid considering the expectations that were on the film in the last two years.

But again it might be a case where international numbers help the film.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Jesus Christ, this weekend is gonna be a cluster****. Warcraft and Now You See Me 2....

 

[Neno_Kos]

So could this be the future? Studios now will scope out potential franchises geared for China as a saving grace for studios to make up for lack of domestic success and what they lose? Seems like a win win.

Warcraft is maybe true breakthrough movie. If this does well and this become franchise without domestic demo, some wont like it but it could be the end of one era. And we may go follow into new one where studios dont care about pleasing domestic audience. I always thought domestic audience read critics are overrated and they monopol the world from stand point if you dont please them and give them exactly what they want you wont have success. But seems Edge of Tommorow, Pacific Rim, now Warcraft started something truly magnificent.

 

[StormC]

The Chinese box office is too unpredictable for American studios to cater to, barring outright pandering like Transformers 4.

 

[Neno_Kos]

The Chinese box office is too unpredictable for American studios to cater to, barring outright pandering like Transformers 4.

I personally think we still dont know nothing about Chinese box office. What kind of movies, genres and influences are driving chinese audience into cinema. Sure you can't plan it and cater it. But population of that country alone is 1/7 population of the world.

 

[terry78]

China likes their spectacle.

 

[Doctor Jones]

That Atlantic article made a good point. Studios are finding movies that can easily cross languages. Action and spectacle are universally understood.

 

[The Big G]

Deadline is reporting that $500 mill at the global BO is the breakeven point for WC.

Game On I say

 

[Vlyse]

Another WOW player perspective:

Thought it was ok, must-see if you're a fan of the genre at all. Not sure how it translates to a GA. It was a hot mess of a story, IMO pick human PoV or orc PoV but juggling both had the film dragging a good bit. Hot messes can be okay, like BvS, as long as you are given characters you care about. I care about the Big 3 of DC.

Warcraft had 0 characters to really spend time with and care about. It jumped around too much to get to know any of them. Or there wasn't anything really about them.

They could have made an easy WoW movie and just adapted the story of a character already popular (Arthas), which is pretty self-contained. I respect them for trying to start at Warcraft 1, and whilst Warcraft 1 was a generic story, it was up to the screenwriters to twist it into something more and they didn't do that. Characters trump plot every time. That's all they had to do.

 

[Marvolo]

Sounds like that 30-40 minutes that was cut out might have been character stuff. Hopefully we get to see that material on blu-ray.

Ill probably go watch this Sunday just to support it.

 

[TheVileOne]

I think if they just set the movie almost entirely from the perspective of Durotan, it probably would've been a better movie.

 

[OutOfBoose]

10 mil. by Friday in US.

 

[Loki882]

It does seem like there was quite a bit of backstory and basic character motivations cut out of this film. Also, it's not good at getting you truly invested in this lore (at least not for me anyway), and there's some choppy/questionable editing going on in many places.

Films like this have to pull off a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, they have to try and do enough to get the hardcore fandom in. But on the other hand, they have to make it palatable enough to try and lure in the GA. And with a mythology as dense and complicated as this franchise, that's even harder still. And I don't think that this film pulled off that juggling act very well.

On the other hand, it's got some pretty visuals, some fun action, the performances are decent enough, etc. So it's not all bad, just kind of disappointing overall imo.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

10 mil. by Friday in US.

Not surprising. People in the U.S don't care as we all thought months ago. Lucky for the studio the rest of the world does.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Feels good man. Feels good that we are finally the elitist scum.

 

[terry78]

It's a fun movie, definitely. I caught a few of the nods to the games and everything, but it's a very dense series that is honestly all over the place, per Blizzard's modus operandi.

 

[Logan0327]

Warcraft’ At $144.7M In China Through Saturday

Warcraft‘s China invasion continued Friday and Saturday with a cume through 10:15PM local time tonight of $144.7M (950M rmb). That makes it the fastest film ever to cross 900M rmb in the Middle Kingdom, passing the previous four-day record of 891M rmb set by Furious 7 last year. Saturday’s China gross on Warcraft was $23.1M for a roughly 50% drop from Thursday. The Legendary/Universal title is a Legendary release in the PROC, going out via China Film Group and Huaxia.

Combined with the Universal gross in 51 overseas markets through Friday (23 are new this weekend), the current offshore cume is $232.8M. Universal is projecting a full weekend of $29M in its markets, which would take its portion to $105M. Without Sunday’s China figures factored in, that’s a cume of $249.7M, meaning the Duncan Jones-helmed fantasy pic will cross $250M by an Orc’s tusk in this third frame abroad.

http://deadline.com/2016/06/warcraft-china-record-opening-box-office-imax-results-1201769124/

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

Man, I enjoyed this movie. There is no way this movie is any less quality than X-Men Apocalypse or the Thor movies. I'm sorry, but I just don't see it.

I'll concede it starts out a little overwhelming. Plops you right into an over the top high fantasy setting and expects you to keep up. But at about the 1/3 point it definitely evens out and it ends pretty solidly. All that combined with the fact that the CGI was good, the action and the acting was decent.

If nothing else, I'd say the barrage of people/places/things to keep track of will only draw me in for multiple viewings (perhaps not in theaters, but still). And I can't fault it for setting up sequels. I love seeing potential in franchise films.

I have high hopes that this spurs a series of films. I'd place it on par with the orignal X-Men film in 2000 and that ignited the modern CBM craze. If this and Assassin's Creed start the video game movie boom, you won't see me complaining.

7/10. It's no LotR, but:
- If you like/love the Warcraft video games. you'll like/love this.
- If you were entertained by the Hobbit movies despite their flaws, you'll be entertained by this.
- If you want to see hollywood take another crack at building a high fantasy franchise from the ground up, this is the flick for you.

 

[Moridin]

Saw it earlier today. This is a good movie.

It's a bit choppy and jumps around a bit, it needs more character development, there's a bit of a cheese/kitsch factor to it here and there.

I've never played the game so I probably missed a bunch of nods, but I'm a big fantasy fan in general (Wheel of Time being a personal favourite) so maybe being dropped into a strange world with strange creatures/names/places/magic/ big cast etc, is just something I can more easily adapt to than most others. It throws a fair bit at you but I could keep up just fine.

The visuals were fantastic (great/interesting camera work too), loved the Orc side of things, human side was servicable (both needed more development but I was invested in the characters/stroy and immersed in the world). Loved the portrayal of magic.

Kinda baffled at the extreme negative reaction of others. I really enjoyed it overall.
If Jones gets to make a Directors cut, and if that addresses some of my issues, then I'd buy it. Or if he makes a sequel that is more focused, I'd definitely see it.

7.5/10



EDIT:
I'm delighted that Jones looks to definitely be doing MUTE next (a return to the MOON world, for those that don't know)

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

Saw it earlier today. This is a good movie.

It's a bit choppy and jumps around a bit, it needs more character development, there's a bit of a cheese/kitsch factor to it here and there.

I've never played the game so I probably missed a bunch of nods, but I'm a big fantasy fan in general (Wheel of Time being a personal favourite) so maybe being dropped into a strange world with strange creatures/names/places/magic/ big cast etc, is just something I can more easily adapt to than most others. It throws a fair bit at you but I could keep up just fine.

The visuals were fantastic (great/interesting camera work too), loved the Orc side of things, human side was servicable (both needed more development but I was invested in the characters/stroy and immersed in the world). Loved the portrayal of magic.

Kinda baffled at the extreme negative reaction of others. I really enjoyed it overall.
If Jones gets to make a Directors cut, and if that addresses some of my issues, then I'd buy it. Or if he makes a sequel that is more focused, I'd definitely see it.

7.5/10



EDIT:
I'm delighted that Jones looks to definitely be doing MUTE next (a return to the MOON world, for those that don't know)

I think it's reasonable to assume the sequel COULD be more focused.

Spoiler

With Medivh/Blackhand/Durotan dead, the story will be free to focus on the Lothar and the Alliance v Doomhammer and the Horde.

However, I doubt it will be. It's going to reintroduce Elves/Dwarves and Trolls/Goblins in (i'm assuming) a big way. Lothar and Doomhammer will probably be the primary combatants (much older). And we may see Thrall's adolescence.

Here's hoping they can at least hold out for movie three to intro Night Elves and the Undead.

 

[pr0xyt0xin]

Another WOW player perspective:

Thought it was ok, must-see if you're a fan of the genre at all. Not sure how it translates to a GA. It was a hot mess of a story, IMO pick human PoV or orc PoV but juggling both had the film dragging a good bit. Hot messes can be okay, like BvS, as long as you are given characters you care about. I care about the Big 3 of DC.

Warcraft had 0 characters to really spend time with and care about. It jumped around too much to get to know any of them. Or there wasn't anything really about them.

They could have made an easy WoW movie and just adapted the story of a character already popular (Arthas), which is pretty self-contained. I respect them for trying to start at Warcraft 1, and whilst Warcraft 1 was a generic story, it was up to the screenwriters to twist it into something more and they didn't do that. Characters trump plot every time. That's all they had to do.

I think I disagree. I would agree the characters were lacking in many cases. But I really liked Lothar/Khadgar and Durotan/Doomhammer. Medivh and Gul'dan were servicable.

 

[Silvermoon]

Just got back from seeing it with my mom and my sister. Sis, like me, played the original WarCraft games back in the day, though her memory on some of the lore is a bit sketchy (she hasn't played WCIII as recently as I have). Mom knew absolutely zip going in.

We all loved it.

Sure, the editing could have been a bit better. Felt like some places it could have been tightened up, other places maybe let it breathe a bit more (felt a bit disjointed at times).

But on the whole, I really really liked it. Loved pretty much all the characters, absolutely loved the portrayal of magic (and woohoo to them throwing in a polymorph! Wouldn't be WarCraft with at least one polymorph done ). Loved the look of the orcs (is it me, or did I see Grom Hellscream in the background in some scenes?) Loved the action, loved the world and the look of it. Loved Ramin Djawadi's music (going to have to add that to my soundtrack collection)

My mom (as the 'general audience' member among our group) says that she felt instantly pulled into the world, and didn't have a problem following the plot/storyline.

Would happily see it in the theater again if given the chance, will definitely be buying it on home release.

 

[ImOctavius]

I always thought domestic audience read critics are overrated and they monopol the world from stand point if you dont please them and give them exactly what they want you wont have success.

 

[JtheDreamer]

Well I for one didn't like it that's for sure. Just a bunch of convenient nonsense and lacking a ton of fleshing out.

 

[NotSoLongAgo]

I always thought domestic audience read critics are overrated and they monopol the world from stand point if you dont please them and give them exactly what they want you wont have success.

Maybe the rest of the world is too lenient on good plot and characters