The computer game planet of Azeroth will teem with mythical creatures and magical characters on the big screen this week as the long-awaited film Warcraft releases. It’s based on the — excuse the pun — game-changing Warcraft, what’s known as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) where players control an avatar within an universe and explore, fight monsters and compete with characters and other players’ avatars. The game franchise holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG in the world.
The movie version, with British director Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) at the helm, will see the worlds of humans and orcs collide as both races fight for survival.
Because Hollywood does not have a great track record of turning video games into hit movies, we asked hard-core UAE fans if they thought delving into the fantasy realm of Warcraft was a good idea after all. Here’s what they thought ...
“I started playing Warcraft 1 when I was eight years old and was obsessed. When World of Warcraft released in 2004, it changed video gaming and my life in many ways. The friends I’ve made through that world coupled with memorable in game experiences have had an insurmountable effect on my life till date.
I stopped playing the game about five years ago because it had become stale and the time commitment it required was too much.
I am looking forward to the movie because it marks the next step for the franchise, if the critics don’t like it, it will mark the end of Warcraft being an integral part of fantasy culture. It looks like there’s too much CGI and a lot will hinge on how computer-generated beings connect with their viewers. When playing a game, I’m interacting with the world and am directly responsible for what happens in it, here I’m just going to be passively watching the action unfold on screen.”
— Mohammad Haroon Sangani, Dubai-based entrepreneur
“I am really excited to see how Blizzard will adapt this to cinema and they have a fantastic director at the helm who is a WoW [World of Warcraft] veteran as well. It’s going to be interesting to see how they change certain parts of the massive lore to fit into a movie and hopefully, how they can expand this franchise into more movies. I’ve been playing since January 2007 and I’m booked already for the first [show] at midnight!”
— Joe Akkawi, marketing executive in Dubai
“Personally, I don’t think we needed a Warcraft film — there are enough movies out there based on video games [Doom, Tomb Raider, Ratchet & Clank as examples]. I’m not waiting for this movie to come out with bated breath simply because looking at the trailer it looks SO predictable. Two enemies collide, then somehow have to make peace when a great threat looms on the horizon. Someone from each opposing side falls in love and has to fight to stay together — it’s all way too cliched. Anyone who’s played the video game and seen the cinematics of the game can tell that this movie’s CGI pales in comparison.
“But I’m interested to see how much of the Warcraft lore is actually in the film and how much is going to be ‘made up’ to suit Hollywood’s standards. You’re dealing with humans and orcs who have been bitter enemies in the game, so it’s important to capture that conflict on the big screen.
I’ve been playing the game on and off for about four years now. I haven’t played the last expansion but I’ll probably dive back into it once the upcoming expansion is out.”
— Nick Rego, editor-in-chief AskMen Middle East
“Warcraft was one of the first real-time strategy games I picked up. I started playing it when I was 13. It combines a good mix of awesome gameplay and immersive storylines, which I loved when I was young. The in-game CGI cut scenes were also way ahead of [their] time. I am looking forward to the film because Blizzard have always been good storytellers. If the movie is as good as the game it is a franchise I would love to follow in the coming years. I am looking forward to references of the game made in the movie, small Easter eggs. I am also hoping Blizzard will be able to capture the game’s essence and deliver a new franchise many individuals who are not into gaming will enjoy.”
— Imad Edroos, Dubai-based writer
“I’ve been playing Warcraft since 2003, starting with Warcraft 3. Since then I moved on to World of Warcraft in 2005 and I’ve been playing ever since. I really am looking forward to the movie especially since it has been rumoured for many years. What I am looking forward to is seeing the cities like Stormwind in much better definition than I see in game, but lore-wise I am a bit sceptical. Hopefully I’m proved wrong. But I will most likely go and watch it the day it is released.”
— Shivam Manghnani, Dubai-based accountant
“I’ve been counting down to see the film since the trailer tease came out in November last year. I mainly want to see how they bring Azeroth to life in the movie vs the game. I started playing in 2008 but haven’t done so in a while; maybe this film will get me back into it! I plan on seeing it as soon as it hits theatres in the UAE.”
— Nagham Akileh, social media director
