Ultramarine Movie Reviews

[The Emperor's Champion]

But wearing a few kilos of gear and jogging isn't the same thing as wearing a half ton of armor that HELPS you jog.

Power Armor seems to weigh less than nothing to a Marine who's wearing it. It makes him stronger and faster.

[Marshal Rohr]

It kind of looked like they were going for 'the suit is walking, you are suspended inside of it' approach. Which I am ok with.

[Yogi]

So I saw it. I give it a 2 out of 5. None the less I enjoyed it. Chaos desecration being top notch. The main problem for me being the story was too slow for today's viewer. And the general plot a little uninteresting.

 

But,

 

I think this movie actually exposes a lot of the flaws in the 40k lore. Stuff that when you see on the screen, rather then read, you think what the hell?

 

 

Things like..

 

Space marines have almost no tactics other then being tougher, faster, stronger and better equipped then everything they face.

> (Not seeking cover, not spreading out, Black legion charging piece meal. The only tactic I saw was "shoot them while I chop them!" Pretty hopeless.)

 

The Imperium is superstitious to the point of severely hurting itself.

> (Keeping a relic on a backwater weeks away from support and therefore tying up an entire company worth of marines to defend it. lol)

 

This movie and this game is made for children, adults just also happen to watch/play it.

> (The reason everything's so basic.)

 

A lot of the lore of 40k isn't well thought out, logical or originally intended to be serious.

> (Hell, the name Ultramarines when spoken out loud and in a serious manner is pretty funny.)

 

 

I think a lot of people are just realizing these things. Some of them were reinforced in my mind. But they have always been there. Would I blame the movie for portraying the source material as its often portrayed? No.

 

 

I still love 40k.

 

 

I do think the dogmatic approach people have to the fluff is pointless. (Bolters are caseless!! I see shells Argh!) 40k will change until it dies. Generally it changes for the better. Go with the flow or burst a bloodvessel on a forum.

[Kreon]

Oh 1 more thing, and this kills me:

 

The way they pronounced Aquila. Am I the only person who pronounces it in the latin/spanish manner?

[Captain Idaho]

I find that often a story reads better than it sounds out loud, I guess it's just the nature of sci-fi.

 

But I think the reason Space Marines seem to have no tactics and no method of combining their shooting to increase effective range etc, is because the authors don't have any real military experience and therefore don't know how to implement it. Or else they consciously choose not to because GW and BL are keener on quick cheese rather than depth?

 

I'm inclined to believe the former.

[NightrawenII]

But I think the reason Space Marines seem to have no tactics and no method of combining their shooting to increase effective range etc, is because the authors don't have any real military experience and therefore don't know how to implement it.

This.

And to be honest I find it really odd, considering the genre of W40k books, ie. military sci-fi.

[Yogi]

I watched the action parts again. I have revised my opinion of this movie.. its still too slow for me, but it is enjoyable. 3 out of 5.

 

Also I said they didn't take cover, but the captain did under the Land Speeder no less. Somehow that slipped my mind.

[Justicar Shodan]

I watched the movie today.

 

What i dont like:

 

- these guy are supposed to be an elite force, even if they have just been transferred to a tactical squad. But when that heavy bolter guy got this dent in his helmet they stand dumbstruck. The greatest joke of all was this apothecarian, walking over to the marine casually and making the diagnosis: "Head injury. Fatal!" Oh, really, i thought some aspirin would have fixed that :lol:

I was just expecting him to say: " He is dead Jim.. eh Severus "

 

Space marines have almost no tactics other then being tougher, faster, stronger and better equipped then everything they face.

(Not seeking cover, not spreading out, Black legion charging piece meal. The only tactic I saw was "shoot them while I chop them!" Pretty hopeless.)

 

This is exactly what i was thinking when they walked around in this U Formation, about 3' away from each other. Standard military movement formation. :sweat:

Also this Land Speeder. What he did is nothing but straight insubordination. The captain ordered him to hold his position and just because someone fires a shot he ignores his orders and flies all the way back to see whats up. Yeah right... ;)

 

Also these guys are supposed to have a superior condition but when they have to jog up a stair they are panting as if close to a heart attack.

I mean, the suit has got power/ muscle enhancers, which supports them. Maybe they should do some more cardio training ^_^

 

Then this Crozius... im willing to overlook this. Maybe it was indeed some special Crozius with a special abilit. But at first i thought :huh:

 

The demon prince.... he got a chainsword ( why is the captain running arround with a chainsword? Didnt they have any relic blades in stock? And why didnt he use the Forcehammer? :) ) punched trhough his gut several times and got hit by approximately 100 bolter rounds without flinching but he gets knocked out by a blow with a helmet.

 

Plus the captain and the apothecary really should see to a psychologist, i think they both have a form of PTSD with all the flashbacks they got ;)

 

 

Although this may sound somewhat like a rant i really enjoyed watching the movie.

The graphics were not great but good and i like the look of the power armour and the movement. Yes, they do weight about half a ton but, as mentioned above, they have power/muscle enhancers in this suit and i think the movement is realistic. I really like the sword combat/sparring at the beginning.

What some people dont like, but what i think is okay, is this joking and bantering all the time. You see these guys are supposed to be warrior monks.

I think this would make the movie rather boring because they would say nothing but "Yes sir", "Of Course" and "And we know no fear".

Teasing someone is different from disobeying his orders ;)

All the fluff issues aside i think the movie is a good start and i hope for more, hopefully with a bigger budget and for a wider auditory.

"Space Hulk - The Movie" as someone at this forum already suggested would be a great idea.

[Seahawk]

Oh 1 more thing, and this kills me:

 

The way they pronounced Aquila. Am I the only person who pronounces it in the latin/spanish manner?

The problem is there are different ways to pronounce it. In Italian it's "ah-KWEE-lah," while apparently Latin latin (not to be confused with Latino/Spanish latin or anything like that) says it as "AK-wee-lah." The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky has "ah-KWILL-uh". RASC also has "ah-KWILL-uh". The Golden "SKYGUIDE: A Field Guide to the Heavens" has "AK-will-uh". Burnham's is silent.

 

Obviously there is no consensus...

 

I personally pronounce it as "ah-KEE-lah."

 

*shrug* :huh:

[greatcrusade08]

I'm in agreement with you. I'm 13 and a half stone (probably pushing 14 actually...) and 6 foot and a half inch tall, so am definitely of the opinion that a Marine would be at least twice as heavy, as I'm not particularly heavy set.

 

It's hard to believe the armour isn't similar in weight, though technology should logically tell us things get lighter, the Imperium doesn't use our kind of technology advancement eh.

 

ill be in the next room with thantoes mumbling about the short arsed skinny fellas.. :huh:

 

i have avoided these threads becuase i was underwhelmed by the movie and was expecting the usual gumph.. im glad that apart from the odd post its been civil so far..

 

the first most important point to put foward is that mr Abnett used older fluff for the movie, which explains why the scouts were promoted straight to tac squad.. i know this doesnt gel with current fluff, but the older material was in place for a long time, and its been 5th ed thats chnaged everything.

tbh im not sure i blame him for that.

[Kreon]

Oh 1 more thing, and this kills me:

 

The way they pronounced Aquila. Am I the only person who pronounces it in the latin/spanish manner?

The problem is there are different ways to pronounce it. In Italian it's "ah-KWEE-lah," while apparently Latin latin (not to be confused with Latino/Spanish latin or anything like that) says it as "AK-wee-lah." The National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky has "ah-KWILL-uh". RASC also has "ah-KWILL-uh". The Golden "SKYGUIDE: A Field Guide to the Heavens" has "AK-will-uh". Burnham's is silent.

 

Obviously there is no consensus...

 

I personally pronounce it as "ah-KEE-lah."

 

*shrug* :)

 

 

I pronounce it the same way, which I understand to be of latin origin. Dunno if that was Church Latin or Roman Latin though....

[The Emperor's Champion]

The problem is there are different ways to pronounce it. In Italian it's "ah-KWEE-lah," while apparently Latin latin (not to be confused with Latino/Spanish latin or anything like that) says it as "AK-wee-lah."

To me, these are the valid options (and honestly, I don't hear a difference between them.).

[Legio Scorpio]

I think the best answer for the helmet/hammer attacks succeeding where the bolter rounds failed is in the fluff and the interviews. Daemons are ideas manifested and are largely unaffected by physical attacks on their own(Hence their ward save), as was said in one of the interviews, the most effective way to harm a demon is faith. Don't look at the helmet strike as simply an attack with a blunt object, think of it as the moment Proteus remembered who he was as a space marine, unyielding, fearless, and devoted to the emperor. By the time he takes up the hammer, he's fully resolved and absolute in his conviction, both as an astartes warrior and in his duty to the emperor. In the realm of the spiritual, weapons are just props to share our feelings(In a manly, gore soaked way).

[Octavulg]

To me, these are the valid options (and honestly, I don't hear a difference between them.).

 

One's Uck, one's Ack.

[The Emperor's Champion]

To me, these are the valid options (and honestly, I don't hear a difference between them.).

 

One's Uck, one's Ack.

I mean, I get that. But if someone said it one of those two ways in a conversation and then you asked me which one it was, I don't think I'd be able to tell you.

[pingo]

To me, these are the valid options (and honestly, I don't hear a difference between them.).

 

One's Uck, one's Ack.

I mean, I get that. But if someone said it one of those two ways in a conversation and then you asked me which one it was, I don't think I'd be able to tell you.

 

I think there's also a difference in what syllable is emphasised, judging from the capitalisation.

[Seahawk]

Bingo, pingo!

 

(just because I always wanted to say that, and that you are correct of course)

[kged]

Spoliers, etc.

 

Re: the objections to the crozius - doesn't Inquisitor Eisenhorn have a crozius just like the one depicted in the film, with added enemy-frying goodness? Inquisitors aren't Astartes, I know, but still it's within a reasonable leap of 40K internal logic.

 

Many of you object to the nimbleness shown by the Marines, but - being only a fluffist - that was exactly what I was expecting. I know they're huge, but surely the BL books point out time and again that they are also lightning fast, and as dextrous as a big bag of dextrous things. I'd have to agree that the animation of said nimble movement can be a bit iffy, but the underlying concept is fine by me. Resilient as they are, I've never thought of Marines as moving in a tank-like way (with the obvious exception of the big lads in the 1st company).

 

The apparent age of the Astartes - yes, that surprised me too. But we have to allow for the movie to connect with a wider audience, benighted souls who don't have background info like the fact that Space Marines are functionally immortal, and that experienced officers may be centuries old. Film is a visual medium, and I'm not too surprised that such a design choice was made to convey that information to new viewers.

 

Choosing the Ultramarines at all - some of you object to this, but really, who else could it have been? Object to it if you like, but the boys in blue are surely the template against which all other Chapters are judged, either in their similarity or their deviance. It was always going to be them first.

 

On the whole though, I agree with the general tone of the thread. It's a mixed bag of a movie, with good and bad. I did like the overall feel of the thing in terms of design, as I think they've captured the gloomy Gothic grandeur which the Imperium has in my head. The feel of the characters was a bit off, though - they didn't come across as warriors, and they frequently didn't behave as I would expect Astartes to, most especially these Astartes. I was particularly irked by the scene of the Marine preparing for battle, going through his litanies with a servitor - surely that can't be right? I'd have to check the BL, but it certainly felt wrong. I've never read anything to suggest that servitors are thought worthy of such an honour, the general impression being that they are roughly on a par with a lightbulb in terms of the respect they are held in by the Astartes (use it until it breaks, throw it away, get another). And there is some questionable animation, and a distinctly pick-apartable plot. The graphic novel's backstory really feels like an effort to plug the holes, and for me it doesn't work. I just can't see a leading captain of the most conformist Chapter barrelling ahead like that, once the situation became clear; he would surely have gone for reinforcements.

 

Oh - and why isn't the "special" edition's metal case blue?

[worst movie ever]

This was my letter to Codex pictures and games workshop. This movie and my subsequent loss of money has me so mad, I can't even express all the terrible points about it.

 

You people that think this movie was good spend way too much time hiding from daylight in your mom's basement playing tabletop. This movie was TERRIBLE. TERRIBLE. Its so darn bad, I don't even know where to start. You've done hit the crack pipe one to many times if you think there is ANYTHING positive to say about this film.

 

First off, gosh!, did anyone (anyone at all) research anything before making this film? I mean, could you maybe have had someone over at codex pictures actually do a little research about military formations, how squads move, how the 40k universe works, etc? How about the stupid marines walking around corners and through doorways with their bolters mag clamped to their legs! Really? I mean really? A space marine? Someone who's fed tactical moves their whole life.....

 

Then, the story sucked. Dan should stick to writing books, because I'm pretty sure you could read the 12 year old special Olympics sci-fi short story challenge and find better story lines. I mean seriously, I thought Dan would be your only saving grace, but christ this story line sucks. They go to a planet, kill a couple bad guys, a demon tries to come back to their homeworld? Christ, seriously, that's it?

 

The graphics consistently looked about as sexy as the fat girl that lives at the end of the block. I mean, I play video games on my blackberry that looks better than the crap you've cooked up.

 

Sound was terrible, completely one dimensional. Bolter fire sounds like someone was shooting a .22 a half-mile away. Really, was your sound guy deaf? We are all just curious.

 

You guys had a chance to really move warhammer to mainstream with this and you've epically, I mean epically, failed. And you the 40k fanboys need to put the darn pipe down and be sure not to spout this off to family and friends already not familiar with the 40k universe. This will TURN PEOPLE AWAY, who are not already part of the fan base. And they'll probably call you a nerd to boot (which you deserve if you found this movie anything above a D-).

Don't waste your money on this movie! If you really want to see it, find some who idiot who did waste their money and watch theirs. I'd ask for my money back, but this movie is so darn bad that the thought of dealing with it anymore makes me throw up in my mouth.

 

-Sincerely Pissed off 40k fan.

[Kreon]

Don't waste your money on this movie! If you really want to see it, find some who idiot who did waste their money and watch theirs. I'd ask for my money back, but this movie is so darn bad that the thought of dealing with it anymore makes me throw up in my mouth.

 

-Sincerely Pissed off 40k fan.

 

 

You, sir, obviously never saw 6 Brothaz in a Cadillac, which claimed to be the ULTIMATE Traffic Jam. I assure you it was not.

 

It was far worse than Ultramarines. Personally I had a good time with Ultramarines. I didn't come in with high expectations, but I also didn't come in ready to hate it.

 

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."

[pingo]

Don't waste your money on this movie! If you really want to see it, find some who idiot who did waste their money and watch theirs. I'd ask for my money back, but this movie is so darn bad that the thought of dealing with it anymore makes me throw up in my mouth.

 

Dude, you just called me, everyone else who bought the movie, and yourself, an idiot ...

 

Anyway, the problem with your letter is that it is, frankly, incoherent bile. Companies will probably ignore things like that I'm afraid. While you will have conveyed your anger to them, you probably won't be taken seriously.

 

***

 

I'd advise anyone writing to Codex and/or GW about their dissatisfaction with the movie to be more constructive in their criticism, and indeed more tactful and polite. Berating them just won't help. Be frank, yes, but don't just slap them round the face.

 

Criticism can really hurt, but if that criticism is fair, reasonable, constructive and tactful, the person being critiqued will be more likely to accept it and take it on board (or indeed reject it if they happen to disagree). If the extent of the criticism is basically 'it's rubbish, and you suck', then all that will do is alienate the person being critiqued, and the nature of the criticism is lost entirely.

 

While I enjoyed the movie, I am not blind to it's flaws. I am just able to see past them and enjoy the product. I suppose I am someone who can more easily, or willingly, suspend their disbelief – I mean, I never worried about the health of Jack Bauer's bladder, or the wonky sights on the Stormtroopers' blasters. However, I can understand why people might find such things a turn-off. But, I just do not comprehend the leap from not liking something to the hate I've been reading. Disappointment yes, but anger? Hate?

 

Plenty of people criticising the movie have been pretty reasonable when doing so. I don't necessarily agree with them all, but I can understand where they're coming from. But I get the impression that some people are kind of insulted by the existence of the movie. Why is this?

 

Obviously, if I bought something I wasn't happy with I would be disappointed. But (given a fair and non-duplicitous transaction) I wouldn't be angry at the product, or hate the people who made it. When you buy a movie, a book, a videogame, a drink you've not tried before, or anything else for that matter, not liking it is the risk you take. It's just a part of life.

 

To like something is pretty much the most subjective thing possible. There's always going to be people who don't like a product, it's just the number of people that varies. Unfortunately, judging from the skewed sample that is internet forums, there seem to be more people who disliked this movie than liked it. What Codex need to do is assess this sitation and work out how they can please more of the fans next time (should there be a next time of course).

 

To do that, they need honest, reasonable, constructive, and non-agresssive, feedback.

 

Let's try and do that, eh?

[Captain Idaho]

@ worst movie ever: Was it really worth creating an account on a well used fan site to say don't listen to the fans who liked this film because they are hopeless fan boys? I can understand it if GW actually monitored this site but they rarely take anything seriously here.

 

Of course that begs the question was it really worth my effort to point that out to a one post account considering we will probably never hear from you again...?

[The Emperor's Champion]

I can understand it if GW actually monitored this site but they rarely take anything seriously here.

Too bad about that. We could knock them into shape sooo quick... :)

[Pavement Artist]

I found the movie to be a lot more fun than i was expecting. A few moments did rankle me, mainly the chaplain not spewing fiery rhetoric (can you tell im biased?).

 

1.) Daemon's plan- Oddly, me and my mate pointed out the flaw in ol evil's plan when we assumed he just wanted to turn up at Macragge. Abnett then quickly addressed the matter by informing us of the warp gate. I think the point was, the Daemon was beginning the ritual whilst the ship was in warp transit and then would open the gate at the point of translation, not giving the ultramar fleet a chance to react.

 

2.) Bolter casings- Right, bolter shells arent SUPPOSED to have casings. I know that, you know that, my mother might even know that. However, there have been a fair few examples within the company (mainly art) that show bolter shell casings flying all over the shop. *Points to picture of Pedro Kantor* I think we can file this one under "artistic liberties" spent shells falling like rain on to the floor is a cool., evocative image. It reinforces the fact that these guys are pouring some family sized portions of lead into the enemy. I honestly dont see how anyone could get too worked up by this- take it or leave it.

 

3.) Crozius- The problem i had with the crozius, aside from the "THEY ARENT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!!11!" Fanboy moment, was the actual effect of the blast. It seemed to disintergrate the BL and just smacked of eldritch nastiness. It blindsided me that it was actually an accepted function of the weapon, i thought the chaplain had been dabbling in some strange arts. It was a bit of a misstep to have something so divergent when it was clear Abnett was sowing the seeds of doubt about the Chaplain. I'm going to look twice when they start flinging lightning like the emperor in star wars

 

4.) The voices inside the helmets werent inhuman enough for my liking. We always read about the harsh, grating metallic voices that issue from them and that was something that didnt seem to be realised in the film. Then again, i concede that maybe it was felt more important to have the human tones of the characters show through in order to help carry the emotional weight of the script.

[Cptn. Palladorus]

The greatest joke of all was this apothecarian, walking over to the marine casually and making the diagnosis: "Head injury. Fatal!"

They're not always.