Directed by: Duncan Jones
Written by: Charles Leavitt, Duncan Jones
Cast: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster
Once upon a time, I played “World of Warcraft.” I started playing right around the time the second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, was released (November 2008). I stopped playing shortly before the fourth expansion, Mists of Pandaria (September 2012), went live.
I loved playing.
There was so much to do that made the game seem endless. And you could play it your way. For example, I liked to complete quests, collect pets and /love all the creatures. And I could do that, because that’s how I wanted to play! And then there were the updates. Tuesdays were patch days, and they were very exciting, because that’s when the new game content was released. With new quests and daily quests and more fun stuff to do!
Then life took over, and I didn’t have time for MMORPGs anymore. Nevertheless, I was excited when it was announced that a Warcraft movie was going to be released. I wondered if kobolds and murlocs (two of the lower-level creatures that were the bane of my existence when I started) would make an appearance. Would I recognize any of the places? Would any well-known NPCs (Non-Player Characters) appear? After almost ten years in production, Warcraft was finally released.
Warcraft takes place at the beginning of the story of the World of Warcraft. Azeroth is a peaceful place populated by Humans, Dwarves, and Night Elves, but the harmony is soon disrupted by a race of creatures called Orcs. The Orcs destroyed their home and are looking for a new place to set up camp. We meet Durotan (Toby Kebbell) and his pregnant Orc wife, Draka (Anna Galvin). Durotan is a clan leader, one of many in the Orc horde.
The main leader of the Orcs is Gul’dan (Daniel Wu) a Warlock Orc that uses Fel magic to stay in control. (Fel magic is a vicious form of magic. Its creation requires the destruction of something living). While passing through the Dark Portal from their old home of Draenor to their new home, Draka goes into labor and delivers her and Durotan’s Orc baby, which is frowned upon by the other Orcs.
Meanwhile, in Ironforge (which is one of the Alliance cities in Azeroth), Commander Anduin Lothar (Fimmel) is presented with a boomstick (what we would call a gun) by King Magni Bronzebeard (Michael Adamthwaite), a dwarf warrior who is the head of the Bronzebeard Clan. Lothar is then summoned to the kingdom of Stormwind (another Alliance city) after a garrison has been attacked.
Lothar encounters a young Mage, named Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer) who looks like he is up to no good while examining the bodies of the fallen knights. They discover that one of the bodies was killed using Fel magic (sound familiar?) and after meeting with King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper), they are sent to Karazhan (an abandoned castle) to find the eccentric Guardian Medivh (Foster).
Lothar, Khadgar, and Medivh go on a scouting mission in the Elwynn Forest and are soon ambushed by Orcs. This is where Lothar’s boomstick comes in handy! They end up capturing Garona (Patton), a half-Human, half-Orc slave who has been a captive of the Orc clan. They bring Garona to Stormwind where Queen Taria (Ruth Negga), who is also Lothar’s sister, shows her kindness. Garona eventually reveals the Orc clan’s plan to take over Azeroth. Battle plans are drawn, alliances are made, and tragedy strikes.
The scenery in Warcraft was fantastic. It truly looked like the game, with some familiar places such as the Lion’s Pride Inn in Goldshire, Redridge Mountains, Westfall, and Dalaran, to name a few. The effects were so well done that the Orcs looked real. Watching Warcraft made me wish I had time to play, but that just won’t happen right now. Maybe one day, when I retire, I’ll dust off my level 85 Human Mage or my level 85 Human Priest and revive the good old days in Azeroth.
Credit: wowwiki.wikia.com for help explaining some terms
