World of Warcraft Trailer #2 Review/Discussion: Not Impressed

A new trailer for the upcoming Lionsgate/Blizzard film World of Warcraft dropped today. For someone who has never played the game the trailers haven’t gotten me excited to go watch the movie. The first trailer the CGI didn’t look great, and the music in the background for this second trailer was a strange choice. World of Warcraft has all the ingredients to be a great movie, the trailers just have fallen flat.

I will admit once I saw the first trailer in a theatre the CGI was more impressive. It actually looked great when watching in 3D. For the second trailer it looks like the CGI has been worked on and has improved, but the music in the background was not what I would expect to accompany a fantasy epic. Maybe for fans of the game this is the tone they expect for the movie. For a fan of fantasy films, I was looking for more of a Lord of the Rings feel instead of what this displayed.

Video game and fantasy movies have had many swings and misses. Many fall flat and are box office bombs. Lord of the Rings was the exception to the rule, and I am hoping World of Warcraft is as well. The trailers haven’t left me hopeful. The tone set in this trailer felt campy, instead of what should be an epic story. Maybe the movie will be completely different than the tone of the trailers. Duncan Jones is a good director and also a fan of the game so he should capture the right feel for the film.

The tone for the trailer however could be exactly what the movie is shooting for. Since I have never played the game this might be what it is like. If this is the case, and since the game is one of the most popular of its kind then the movie can work. The trailer just didn’t get me excited to go to the theatre and watch. Usually these types of movies don’t have to sell me. I’m going to go see the film, regardless, on opening night, but I’m still on the fence about Warcraft.  The trailers should be aiming to both excite the current fan base, but also draw interest from those who have never played the game.

This could be the biggest problem for Video game movies. There is already a vast majority of fans the film wants to deliver for, but it also must entice people who have never played or possibly even heard of the game. This of course can be said for books made into movies as well, and many books have been made into successful films. Maybe it is because we already have visuals for the games, and filmmakers are freer to set the tone for books that are adapted. World of Warcraft is another attempt to kick start an era of video games being made into film, but from the trailers I’m not sure it’s going to hit the mark.

If you are a fan of the game let me know if this trailer is what you expect. If you aren’t a fan of the game will you be going to see the movie based off these trailers? Comment and let me know