Average,. but not bad

Rating: 6/10 (10 June 2016)

I am not a World of Warcraft fan, never really played any of the games, nor read up about its lore, but was drawn to this movie due to its fantasy themes, so my review is from a non fan, as I assume many people who watch this movie will be the video game fans.
This movie is no way near as bad as many critics are making it out to be, but then again, critics are fools, and only believe a film is good if it is going to nab that best Oscar. However, while not bad, this film is not good either. It is a mess.
The good things about this film, is its visuals. It is visually stunning to look at, with almost perfect CGI, gorgeous art direction, set pieces, and costume design. The actions scenes were very well done in some scenes, and the magic in this film is spectacular to see. There have been many fantasy movies that have never displayed magic like this. The acting is also good in this film, with each main lead performing as best as they could with the average screenplay.
The main villain in this film is ... OK. I understand that he 'is' a video game villain, but they could have make him a little more realistic, rather than the over-the top one we got. The characters are so boring, that the only one that even draws you in, is the main orc, but even then, he isn't actually in the film as much as he could have been. He is the only character that has any development, as the others are pushed aside.
Now the bad. The faults here do not fall on the director, who does a great job at converting a video game into a movie, but with the screenplay. The story is all over the place, and is a wasted potential. This film could have rivalled that of Lord of the Rings, if it had been written better. The characters are bland and boring, and the pacing is dreadful. The editing was also very poor, with many scenes cut together, seeming very mismatched, and don't make much sense.
One of the major issues I would personally say about this film, its the film not giving us more to explore. I wanted to see vast wilderness, more of the beautiful cities, maybe some oceans, villages and towns, give us more to look at, as the film is visually breathtaking.
Other than that, this film is not bad, it has its flaws yes, but it is an entertainment. It is one of the better video game adaptations, but don't go into this film expecting a great movie, or a dreadful one. Expect to be entertained, but that's it.
6.5/10