Directed by Duncan Jones, this film is an adaptation* of a popular game by the same name.

    The orcs*, a race of giant warrior beasts, flee their dying homeland of Draenor through a portal* to the peaceful land of Azeroth, where they wage a full-scale attack on humans for control of the land. Orc soldier Durotan (Toby Kebbell, like all orc players, working in performance capture) questions the brutal ways of his people — led by warchief Blackhand (Clancy Brown) and power-hungry warlock Gul’dan (Daniel Wu) — and believes a compromise without bloodshed is possible.

    His counterpart on the human side is Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel), a knight devoted* to serving king and queen (Dominic Cooper and Ruth Negga).

    Durotan’s fierce* mate Draka (Anna Galvin) delivers an orc baby early on, and Lothar’s son Callan (Burkely Duffield) is determined to impress* his father on the battlefield.

    Ditto Garona (Paula Patton), a slave claiming to be half-orc, half-human, who makes her way through the portal and finds herself torn between the two sides. She quickly becomes friends with Lothar.

    A reclusive wizard Medivh (Ben Foster), a “guardian” of Azeroth, has been not so subtly dabbling in dark magic. He’s sculpting a golem*, but it takes Lothar quite some time to piece together the warning signs.

    Boasting more than 2,000 visual effects shots, it’s sad to think about the time, energy, planning and precision that went into “Warcraft” when the final product brings to mind those animated advertisements for iPhone app games.

    “Warcraft” ends with a set-up for a sequel, but also the feeling that if this is what combat looks like, it’s time to give peace a chance.

    (SD-Agencies)