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Dir: Duncan Jones (12A, 120 mins)
A long awaited adaptation of the global phenomenon that is the 20-year-old Warcraft series, a collection of real time strategy and role playing games, is finally coming to the screen. Attention to detail has been key, with writer/director Jones lovingly recreating the landmarks of Azeroth so familiar to gamers. The plot follows the basic ideas behind the series’ first outing, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans which was released in a rather basic game way back in 1994. The orcs’ planet Draenor is dying and via a gateway to another world, Azeroth, the survival of the species looks to be safe, trouble is the humans in that world don’t want them there. And so, war. A CGI heavy one. Motion capture has been taken to another level apparently with Toby Kebbel’s fanged Orc leader full of green skinned emotion as he battles with Travis Fimmel’s human warrior Lothar in the service of Dominic Cooper’s King Wrynne. Ultimately orc and human have to team up, alliances are tested and many a battle is fought. Whether Warcraft will strike cinema goers’ nerves is open to question, fans of the game will no doubt lap it up, Jones is a great indie director as Moon attests, but has this got the storytelling verve of previous mega franchises? Let’s hope this is the Beginning of something rather than its end. Out now
words KEIRON SELF