Ultramarines: The Movie

[Valkyrion]

12 years ago, a really and truly great British ensemble cast got together to voice this poorly received and only alright movie.

 

Hands up if you have the collectors dvd! 

 

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ultramarines_a_warhammer_40000_movie

 

Look at that cast!  Terence Stamp!  Maester Lewin!  JOHN HURT! These guys are proper actors, in their dotage, granted, but proper actors nonetheless. 

Even the less than famous actors are proper actors, like Pertwee and Waddington. 

 

Smashing. It's a shame it was so poorly received. 

 

 

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

Only alright?

It was downright terrible.

 

Doesn’t matter if they were ‘proper’ actors, but doesn’t matter if the writing is awful, and the animation is trash.

Edited May 28, 2022 by Inquisitor_Lensoven

[Helias_Tancred]

For a first attempt at any sort of animated Warhammer 40k movie I was willing to overlook a lot of flaws. I enjoyed it, but it was far from well done on the animation side.

[Grotsmasha]

Only alright?

It was downright terrible.

 

Doesn’t matter if they were ‘proper’ actors, but doesn’t matter if the writing is awful, and the animation is trash.

 

As much as this sentiment is the general consensus, I'm glad they did it, and got the star power they did. I have my steel-book Collectors Edition, and I'm happy to have spent the money, I've watched it several times through, and shown it to newcomers to the hobby.

Laugh at the jankiness, but enjoy it regardless.

 

I may just watch it again today...

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

 

 

Only alright?

It was downright terrible.

 

Doesn’t matter if they were ‘proper’ actors, but doesn’t matter if the writing is awful, and the animation is trash.

As much as this sentiment is the general consensus, I'm glad they did it, and got the star power they did. I have my steel-book Collectors Edition, and I'm happy to have spent the money, I've watched it several times through, and shown it to newcomers to the hobby.

Laugh at the jankiness, but enjoy it regardless.

 

I may just watch it again today...

i agree, I’m glad they made it, and apparently used ‘proper’ actors, and it showed the ambition that led to warhammer+ (for whatever that’s worth)

[Felix Antipodes]

I remember being inordinately excited when this was originally announced and, while being happy enough with what I considered a reasonable first attempt, feeling disappointed overall.  This was because I knew it would be crucified by the fandom for not being perfect out of the box.

 

I still have my collector’s edition and I still watch it occasionally to see where Warhammer+ got its start and how far we’ve come.  Speaking of which, I wonder why this isn’t on  WH+?

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

I remember being inordinately excited when this was originally announced and, while being happy enough with what I considered a reasonable first attempt, feeling disappointed overall. This was because I knew it would be crucified by the fandom for not being perfect out of the box.

 

I still have my collector’s edition and I still watch it occasionally to see where Warhammer+ got its start and how far we’ve come. Speaking of which, I wonder why this isn’t on WH+?

shame that’s why

[Felix Antipodes]

 

I remember being inordinately excited when this was originally announced and, while being happy enough with what I considered a reasonable first attempt, feeling disappointed overall. This was because I knew it would be crucified by the fandom for not being perfect out of the box.

 

I still have my collector’s edition and I still watch it occasionally to see where Warhammer+ got its start and how far we’ve come. Speaking of which, I wonder why this isn’t on WH+?

shame that’s why

 

Don’t be silly, we all know GW has none 

[Doghouse]

I loved this film to be honest and even watch it now. While not what the fan base generally expected I thought it was an excellent little black library story with a fantastic cast. It is old school british sci fi to me and while I am probably in the minority I really enjoyed it.

[Antarius]

I got the collector’s edition with the comic book prequel. Iirc I actually bought it after having watched it, so I must have felt it was at least somewhat worthwhile. I’ve watched it a couple of times and the only thing that bothers me is that the story really isn’t great. The story being bad is a pretty huge deal in my book, though, so I wouldn’t say it’s a good movie by any means. That being said, I never understood the hate for it either.

[Doghouse]

The other thing I forgot to mention, it's one of the rare occasions that Sean Pertwee actually makes it to the end of a film alive. :D

[Lay]

The movie certainly didn't lack in ambition. GW even created their own movie company to produce it: Codex Pictures (now defunct). The whole venture is like an early failed predecessor of Warhammer TV.

 

Also it gave us this gem:

[Valkia the Bloody]

I had been very excited when it came out and even pre-ordered the steel-book special edition.

I think I watched it 3 times.

And re-sold the steel book to another excited fan.

Yes, it was disappointing.

The voice cast was awesome, and they did the best they could with the material.

Back then I thought- written by Dan Abnett, what could possible go wrong?

Well, they must have hamstringed Abnett and at a guess, he was seriously limited by what could be done and by the small scale of it all.

Limited amount of characters, limited amount of locations, it just feels very..... limited overall.

I think even the great Dan Abnett could not get more out of this.

 

I do not think it was terrible.

It was not perfect, it was not particularly good, but for all it's limitations it was still watchable.

But of course it could never have stood the trial by the fandom and even a much better movie would have gotten bad reactions- simply because perfection is a very difficult thing to achieve and very subjective.

[grailkeeper]

I'm glad they did it, but man is it less than the sum of its parts.

[Dark Shepherd]

The movie certainly didn't lack in ambition. GW even created their own movie company to produce it: Codex Pictures (now defunct). The whole venture is like an early failed predecessor of Warhammer TV.

 

That was most likely a production vehicle ie done for tax/accounting shenanigans purposes

 

Its like watching a feature length intro to a video game, to me its good dumb IP fun

[grailkeeper]

 

The movie certainly didn't lack in ambition. GW even created their own movie company to produce it: Codex Pictures (now defunct). The whole venture is like an early failed predecessor of Warhammer TV.

That was most likely a production vehicle ie done for tax/accounting shenanigans purposes

 

Its like watching a feature length intro to a video game, to me its good dumb IP fun

 

 

At the time there were a load of complaints that the video game intros were significantly better.

[Magos Takatus]

 

 

The movie certainly didn't lack in ambition. GW even created their own movie company to produce it: Codex Pictures (now defunct). The whole venture is like an early failed predecessor of Warhammer TV.

That was most likely a production vehicle ie done for tax/accounting shenanigans purposes

 

Its like watching a feature length intro to a video game, to me its good dumb IP fun

 

 

At the time there were a load of complaints that the video game intros were significantly better.

 

Yeah, I bet hiring the people that made the Dawn of War intro (Blur?) would have required a larger budget I bet. I've never seen the Ultramarine movie myself. I was fairly cynical from what I saw of it, perhaps I didn't give it a fair chance anyway.

[Schlitzaf]

“And we shall know no fear!”

 

Musr have had none to be willing to put that out

[Gederas]

I own the steelbook Collector's Edition (iirc at the time I got it, the Collector's Edition was the ONLY edition ) and yeah, for a first attempt it was fine. Graphics needed work, but it's clear that they spent all the budget on the voice actors

 

 

The other thing I forgot to mention, it's one of the rare occasions that Sean Pertwee actually makes it to the end of a film alive.

That's because you had John Hurt in the role of the "chronically killed actor" this time.... Dang, now I wish he didn't pass because a production with him, Sean Pertwee and Sean Bean would be a nailbiter of who dies

 

 

I got the collector’s edition with the comic book prequel. Iirc I actually bought it after having watched it, so I must have felt it was at least somewhat worthwhile. I’ve watched it a couple of times and the only thing that bothers me is that the story really isn’t great. The story being bad is a pretty huge deal in my book, though, so I wouldn’t say it’s a good movie by any means. That being said, I never understood the hate for it either.

Because it was about Ultramarines, clearly.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Gederas

[Lexington]

Sort of like a particular series of prequel movies from about twenty years ago, Ultramarines is one of those things that seems so obviously bad, my brain does a little record scratch when people say they enjoy it. Like, it doesn’t even ping my sense of “fun” bad or campy weirdness. It’s just a boring, incoherent slog, at least to me. Guess I’m glad someone is having fun.

 

Speaking of which, I wonder why this isn’t on WH+?

IIRC, GW had production partners when making the movie, so I’m guessing they don’t have exclusive rights to it. Given it’s reputation, I imagine they wouldn’t see it as worth the trouble to try and get it onto the service. Edited May 29, 2022 by Lexington

[Evil Eye]

Sort of like a particular series of prequel movies from about twenty years ago, 

I still maintain those particular movies have some redeeming qualities (mainly in terms of aesthetic design admittedly) but then I did grow up with them so my perspective is somewhat nostalgia based, and looking back they definitely weren't good movies. Plus I've never been majorly into that franchise anyway. Still better than that other set of after-the-fact films they brought out to try and extract more cash though...

 

Anyway, I've actually never seen this film- I've heard it's pretty bad and that it also makes some rather glaring fluff violations, but I will give it one point in its favour- it has John Hurt (may the Emperor rest his soul) roaring "BURN HERETICS" and that's awesome.

[Son of Sacrifice]

I don't think it is as bad as its reputation, overly ambitious for the budget maybe. They should have cut the overall length and voice cast by half, and put the money into improving the animation. I put it on when I'm painting sometimes.

[Doghouse]

Not sure if I am right or not but it felt more at the time with the promotional material that it was more of a tech demo for their face technology. I recall there being a lot of emphasis on that particular aspect.

 

This thread made me go watch it again! :D

[DukeLeto69]

Walking. Lots of walking!

 

Wasn’t that bad. Wasn’t that good. But watchable. Wonder if it will ever be shown on Warmammer+

[phoenix01]

I have the collector's edition. I've enjoyed watching it. Could it have been better? Sure, but so could anything with a limited budget and the limitations of CGI technology of the time. If it were made today with the same budget and technology that went into Angels of Death, it would have been much better.

 

Of course you'd still have people saying they don't like it because Ultramarines.