Review: Tales of the Past III

Throughout this... review/article, you'll see me refer to "Tales of the Past III" like I would an actual Hollywood film and refer to the creator (Martin Falch) as a filmmaker in the Hollywood sense of the term. Well thats because this movie is that well made. Read on.


Probably one of the most critically acclaimed and technically thorough WoW movies ever created. Tales of the Past III is the pinnacle of WoW movie-making. Anyone even remotely interested in WoW MUST watch this movie.


This is the third in a trilogy. The series has had its faults. At two-ish hours long each, both previous films were long enough that tedium and slowness did creep in at points, and the pace was erratic. Story flow and character dynamics were almost non-existent in the previous 2 films, and its hard to imagine they were made by the same filmmaker who made the masterpiece that is TotP3. But its seems he tested the waters and learned from his mistakes in the first 2 movies and came back with aplomb. You don't have to watch the previous movies to get into TotP3, the story arc hints at the previous 2 movies, but the added mystery only adds to the magic of the story.



The tale is basically told by an old dwarf in an inn somewhere (although its the one in Ironforge). The story has multiple subplots of varying dimensions that come together in the end, like Lord of the Rings. I won't give away too much, but suffice to say it explains the backstory of the Ashbringer and it involves Frostmourne (and its bearer, Arthas), it also involves Jaina Proudmoore, Thrall, Rexxar, Morgraine, a dark Naaru who looks suspiciously like Mu'ru and for a brief cameo by Kil'Jaeden himself. Each character is convincingly voiced and well edited integrated into the movie. It explores the tenuous relationship between the Horde and Alliance, the threat of the scourge and Arthas' plan for the destruction of Azeroth. All elements of the story have been diligently researched and hold as true to the Lore as possible (like the backstory behind the Ashbringer).


All this told beautifully in DVD quality with cinematic sound. Which brings me to another point. The music has been taken from various movies themes, which gives it a real professional feel to it, and is a big part of why the movie feels epic. The movie is heavily stylized in its fight sequence, making it more anime-like, but this was a clever way of showing complex fight sequences with style and within the technical limitations of the WoW model viewer. This is also conformed to the Blizzard universe however because those who've played the Frozen Throne single player campaign, know that the final battle between Illidan and Arthas is portrayed in anime style by Blizzard as well. "Tales of the Past III" is a different story.



In comparison to the previous two films, this is on a whole other level in terms of scale. With constant and well-paced switching between all the subplots, well developed character interactions, an extended and FAR more impressive battle sequence than the last films, and a real emotional core - this is without question some of the best filmmaking in years and makes usage of the term 'epic' laughable when applied to some of the stuff that comes out of Hollywood.


If I HAD to pick something, some of the voice acting could have been better, like the Tauren Druid or the exaggerated accents could've been toned down for some of the Dwarfs in Ironforge. There are also some minor editing issues, but when you realize that this was the effort of one person over the better part of 2 years, releasing a WoW movie that he is going to make no money from, you realize what an awe-inspiring testament it is to the passion the game evokes in players around the world. Petty nitpicks against an otherwise immaculate piece of moviemaking. When things come together so perfectly for a film its astonishing.


There is absolutely no doubt that not only is this the best WoW Machinima of all time, but one of the greatest 'epic' game related movies of all time (yes I'm counting Hollywood movies based on games). A truly cinematic experience that you'll find practically impossible to forget. Do yourself a favour, don't go to the movies this friday and waste your money on some inane, half assed chick flick, instead download this movie and watch it on your Plasma TV. You will NOT regret it.