'Warcraft' Getting Mixed Reviews Ahead of Release

The long-awaited film adaptation of a once-popular video game, Warcraft, is not getting the best press ahead of its upcoming theatrical release, but critical reviews of the film have been much less consistently negative than the headlines would have you believe. In fact, even most of the film's negative reviews give it credit for being competently crafted.

The consensus seems to be that Warcraft is a flashy but run-of-the-mill fantasy epic with little to set it apart from other entries in the genre. Many critics acknowledge that it is likely to please viewers who are already fans of the World of Warcraft video game, but it's unlikely to win over a broader audience.

As of this week, the film's aggregate score on the Rotten Tomatoes review site stands at 44% "fresh." That's not a very good rating, but it should be noted that it's very slightly better than the 43% fresh rating held by The Angry Birds Movie, which took first place at the box office last weekend, and Warcraft's rating is a full 11% better than that of Alice Through the Looking Glass, which is expected to take second place at the box office over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

When it comes to box-office success, critical reception rarely has much of an impact on a film's performance. What matters more is the audience's enthusiasm for a project, and that could be where Warcraft is in trouble. Judging by social media activity, Warcraft is keeping a low profile; as of this week, for example, the movie has only about a tenth as many Facebook likes as Alice Through the Looking Glass.