The Ultramarines film tells the story of a squad of, well, Ultramarines, sent to investigate a distress signal coming from an Imperial shrine on a remote planet. Needless to say, this does not end well. It's not exactly original, but it's a solid formula that works well with the setting.
What took me by surprise was the dark atmosphere. The picking off of the characters one by one is reminiscent of Aliens, and Dan Abnett's script creates a lot of tension. The characters take some time to find their voices, and there are a few plot holes, but when was the last time you saw a movie that didn't have plot holes?
The main failing of the film is the CGI - it's not so great. In particular, the facial animations are partway into the Uncanny Valley. However, this can mostly be excused by the budget, and they did the best with what they had. The fight sequences, especially those where all the Marines have their helmets on, are done quite well. The sand blowing around during the long walk also helps add to the tension - for all we know, there could be an entire army of daemons lurking nearby.
To sum it all up, this film marks a decent first outing for a Warhammer 40000 film. Emperor willing, we will see another one in the near future, possibly focused on the Imperial Guard or Inquistion.
Not bad for a first outing
The Ultramarines film tells the story of a squad of, well, Ultramarines, sent to investigate a distress signal coming from an Imperial shrine on a remote planet. Needless to say, this does not end well. It's not exactly original, but it's a solid formula that works well with the setting.
What took me by surprise was the dark atmosphere. The picking off of the characters one by one is reminiscent of Aliens, and Dan Abnett's script creates a lot of tension. The characters take some time to find their voices, and there are a few plot holes, but when was the last time you saw a movie that didn't have plot holes?
The main failing of the film is the CGI - it's not so great. In particular, the facial animations are partway into the Uncanny Valley. However, this can mostly be excused by the budget, and they did the best with what they had. The fight sequences, especially those where all the Marines have their helmets on, are done quite well. The sand blowing around during the long walk also helps add to the tension - for all we know, there could be an entire army of daemons lurking nearby.
To sum it all up, this film marks a decent first outing for a Warhammer 40000 film. Emperor willing, we will see another one in the near future, possibly focused on the Imperial Guard or Inquistion.
I give Ultramarines a 7 out of 10.