Warcraft (2020 film)

Warcraft (known outside of the U.S. as The Warcraft Saga: Orcs and Humans) is a 2020 American epic fantasy war action-thriller film directed by Peter Berg, and produced by Berg and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, based on the 1994 video game Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. The film focuses on the events of the First War, in which humans and orcs wage war on each other for control of the southern lands of the Eastern Kingdoms of Azeroth.

Berg was interested in directing a film adaptation of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and negotiated with former CEO of Blizzard, Chris Metzen, to gain rights to directing the film. Berg promised that the film would stay true to the original story of the games, meaning that the orcs would win the war, and the humans would lose the war and their kingdom.

Filming began in 2018, in Weta Digital, New Zealand, and wrapped in 2019. The film was notable for being shot and mastered in 8K resolution 3D at 120 frames per second HFR (High Frame Rate), from camera to digital intermediate. Berg wanted the film to be realistically detailed as possible. A custom 8K resolution 65mm sized RED camera capable of supporting up to 480 frames per second in 8K, certified by IMAX, was used for filming. Warcraft was a major departure from Berg's previous films, whose visual effects were by Industrial Light & Magic. Instead, New Zealand's Weta Digital, known for critically acclaimed blockbusters such as War for the Planet of the Apes, provided the visual effects for Warcraft. Performance motion capture was refined by Weta for the film to enhance the performances of various actors (e.g. Mark Wahlberg as Gul'dan).

The film was released on December 25th, 2020 to nearly universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Praise was given to the large scope, battle choreography, faithfulness to the source material, Berg's direction, Matthew Michael Carnahan's script, Weta Digital's visual effects, Steve Jablonsky's score, Brandon Trost's cinematography, Mark Sanger's editing, and the performances of the cast, including Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Watson, Christian Bale, and Mark Wahlberg.

Warcraft was a massive box office success, both in the U.S. and internationally. It grossed over $900 million in the U.S. and $2.3 billion internationally, surpassing the 2009 science fiction film Avatar as the highest grossing film of all time. At the 94th Academy Awards, Warcraft won all 17 categories it was nominated for, including Best Picture, Best Director (Berg), Best Actor (Gosling), Best Actress (Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Wahlberg), and Best Supporting Actress (Watson). It is now considered one of the best films of all time.

Plot
On the world of Draenor, Durotan (Christian Bale), the leader of the Orcish Frostwolf Clan, and his wife, Draka (Lupita Nyong'o) lead a Gorgrond battle against the ogres of Highmaul for a sacred Orcish ancestral burial ground. Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Frostwolf Clan, with the help of the Blackrock, Warsong, and Shadowmoon Clans, manage to defeat the ogre army and reclaim their site of worship, with Durotan's friend, Blackrock orc Orgrim Doomhammer (Tom Hardy), dealing the finishing blow to the ogre leader, and Gul'dan (Mark Wahlberg), a Shadowmoon orc and shaman, restoring the elements to the site.

Ner'zhul (Viggo Mortensen), the Shadowmoon Clan chieftain, has visions of his deceased wife Rulkan (Liv Tyler), who mentions the Burning Legion (a faction of demons that has enslaved entire races and destroyed worlds) threat to him. Ner'zhul visits draenei prophet and leader Velen (Michael Keaton) during the gathering of the Clans for the biannual Kosh'harg. Velen advises Ner'zhul to prepare for a war against the Burning Legion.

Unbeknownst to Ner'zhul, one of his fellow shamans, Gul'dan, had been in league with the Burning Legion. Flashbacks show that Gul'dan harbored hatred for his people, due to being an outcast as a teenager. Gul'dan had been abandoned by everything, including the elements, and this resentment turned to hatred. The Burning Legion found Gul'dan and empowered him with fel energy, and Gul'dan promised to destroy anyone who opposed the Burning Legion. Gul'dan had only disguised himself as a shaman to avoid being captured and killed by the Orcish clans.

In Shadowmoon, Gul'dan mind controls Ner'zhul to launch attacks on the Draenei, to thwart the orcish plans. As entire towns are pillaged, Durotan visits Shadowmoon Valley and notices that something is not right with Ner'zhul. To his horror, Durotan discovers that Ner'zhul has been mind controlled by Gul'dan, who has revealed his true identity. Durotan challenges Gul'dan to a mak'gora, or duel of honor, abiding to the rule ("an orc shall not kill another orc unless by mak'gora."). Despite Gul'dan's breaking of the mak'gora rules by using fel magic, Durotan easily wins the fight by dodging his fel attacks and avoiding his draining magic, along with skilled warrior combat techniques. Durotan fails to kill Gul'dan, however, as Gul'dan dissipates into fel magic to escape.

Durotan speaks to the mind-freed Ner'zhul of his actions while under the control of Gul'dan. Realizing what he has done, Ner'zhul calls off the attacks, but not before Gul'dan forces Warsong Chieftain Grommash Hellscream (Matt Damon), at swordpoint, to drink the blood of Mannoroth (a pit lord), essentially irradiating the entire orcish clans with fel and infecting them with the Blood Haze, which causes orcs to go into a mindless rampage in battle. Only a few orcs, including Durotan, Orgrim, Ner'zhul, Gul'dan, Gul'dan's assassin apprentice, half-draenei and half-orc Garona Halforcen (Emma Watson), and Gul'dan's daughter and highly skilled warlock, Al'tra (Saoirse Ronan), due to their strong willpower, remain unaffected by the Blood Haze, but their skin turns green like those who were affected.

In Tanaan Jungle, Gul'dan opens a portal (green wormhole, essentially) to a southern Eastern Kingdoms swamp located in a nearby world, Azeroth, sacrificing some of his life energy. With the help of the Burning Legion, Gul'dan forces his enslaved armies, led by Orgrim's former teacher and chieftain of the Blackrock Clan, Daren Blackhand (J.K. Simmons), to conquer Azeroth, as Gul'dan states that "Draenor is already under my control." However, back in Frostfire Ridge, Durotan and fellow Frostwolf shaman Drek'thar (Cillian Murphy) open their own elemental gateway to Azeroth so that the Frostwolves can warn the races of the Eastern Kingdoms of the incoming threat. The Frostwolves end up in the middle of the human kingdom of Stormwind City, where they are taken prisoner to the Stockades.

Despite the situation, Durotan pokes fun at the humans for only knowing Common instead of their own, distinct language. He speaks with King Llane Wrynn (Ryan Gosling) and Queen Taria Wrynn (Emma Stone), of the incoming threat, in exchange for the Frostwolves' freedom. While the Frostwolves avoid persecution from Gul'dan's new Shadow Council by hiding north in the Alterac Mountains, Durotan supplies Llane Wrynn with information about the Shadow Council and the "Horde" that Gul'dan has formed. Llane, Taria, commander Sir Anduin Lothar (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Guardian Mage Medivh (Ki Hong Lee), and newcomer Mage Khadgar (Theo James) to investigate the Horde threat in the Black Morass swamp.

Meanwhile, Daren Blackhand and a reluctant Orgrim Doomhammer have settled the Horde into various towns east of Stormwind, including Stonard. Orgrim is troubled by how Gul'dan has broken the tradition, and disturbed by how his former mentor has followed Gul'dan. Gul'dan sends Garona off to Stormwind, disguising her as a prisoner to gather information for the Shadow Council, and then kill the human leaders. Garona is reluctant, but accepts this request.

The human group led by Llane and Taria are ambushed by a Blackrock patrol, but easily kill most of it, except for Garona, who is disguised as a prisoner of war. Garona is freed by Medivh, who joins the group and is ordered telepathically by Gul'dan to gather information for him.

Through Garona's mind, Gul'dan discovers that Durotan has given evidence to Stormwind to help destroy the Shadow Council. Gul'dan orders a secret attack to destroy the Frostwolf Clan in revenge. Durotan realizes this via the elements, and prepares the Frostwolf Clan to repel the Shadow Council. Durotan and Draka lead a counter-attack against the incoming Shadow Council warlocks, defeating them and severely damaging its ranks, sacrificing themselves in the process. The survivors, including Drek'thar and Durotan's toddler son, Go'el, gather in Alterac. Drek'thar sends a elemental signal to Orgrim, notifying him of Gul'dan's betrayal and the sacrifices of Durotan and Draka. Garona also intercepts this signal, and cries in response for what she has done. Garona promises to herself that she will not serve Gul'dan any longer.

The humans prepare for a battle against the orcs for control of Stormwind City. To evade Gul'dan's detection, Llane asks Garona to stab him and give Gul'dan false evidence that Llane was murdered by Garona. Reluctantly she does so, and Llane is "killed". Now free to hunt down Gul'dan, Llane asks Taria and Anduin to lead the battle against the Horde. Meanwhile, inspired by Durotan's courage, Orgrim decides to lead a rebellion against Gul'dan, who had just mind-controlled a reluctant Blackhand to initiate the final battle.

The humans and the orcs fight each other in a massive, casualty-heavy battle in Elwynn Forest. Orgrim kills Blackhand, who was just fighting Anduin, and tells Anduin, in Common, to keep fighting for honor. Llane finds Gul'dan and fights him. Llane gains the upper hand, slices Gul'dan's arms off, and leaves him for dead. Despite their strength, the humans fail to repel the orcish force, and flee. Llane, Taria and Medivh sacrifice themselves to rescue the remaining Stormwind citizens to the ships heading for the northern Kingdom of Lordaeron. Garona is captured and about to be executed for her betrayal, but Orgrim rescues and frees her, declaring himself the new Warchief of the Horde and Garona his most trusted adviser. Orgrim narrates the final ending, stating that we won a war; but lost our honor in the process.

Cast

 * Ryan Gosling as King Llane Wrynn, the benevolent leader of Stormwind, and a skilled prodigy in combat.
 * Emma Stone as Queen Taria Wrynn, co-leader of Stormwind, Llane's wife, and an accurate, precise hunter.
 * Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Sir Anduin Lothar, military commander of Stormwind.
 * Theo James as Khadgar, a skilled mage from Dalaran who originally worked for Medivh.
 * Shailene Woodley as Priestess Marina Lothar, a powerful cleric and Anduin's wife.
 * Ki Hong Lee as Medivh, the most powerful human mage of the Eastern Kingdoms.
 * Seth Rogen as King Magni Bronzebeard, leader of the dwarf kingdom of Ironforge, who is also a skilled blacksmith by hobby.
 * Christian Bale as Durotan, chieftain of the honorable Frostwolves.
 * Lupita Nyong'o as Draka, co-leader of the Frostwolf Clan, and Durotan's wife.
 * Cillian Murphy as Drek'thar, Durotan's right-hand man and shaman.
 * Tom Hardy as Orgrim Doomhammer, a high-ranking and intelligent Blackrock tactician, Blackhand's former student, and Durotan's friend. Dan Stevens was originally cast as Orgrim Doomhammer, but left due to scheduling conflicts.
 * Emma Watson as Garona Halforcen, Gul'dan's assassin apprentice, who is tasked with infiltrating Stormwind's ranks and gathering information for Gul'dan, but later betrays Gul'dan and the Shadow Council.
 * Viggo Mortensen as Ner'zhul, a respected Shadowmoon Chieftain and shaman.
 * Michael Keaton as Velen, the Draenei prophet and leader.
 * J.K. Simmons as Warchief Blackhand, Chieftain of the Blackrock Clan and Orgrim's former mentor.
 * Mark Wahlberg as Gul'dan, a nefarious warlock and former Shadowmoon shaman who betrays the orcish clans to the Burning Legion, and the founder of the Shadow Council and the Old Horde. Richard Armitage was originally cast as Gul'dan, but left due to scheduling conflicts with the 2019 film Transformers: Quintessa (Armitage portrayed the new lead in Transformers: Quintessa).
 * Saoirse Ronan as Al'tra, Gul'dan's loyal daughter and highly skilled warlock initiate.