WoW Moviewatch: Plight of the Gnomes
by Michael Gray 
Jan 12th 2009 at 12:00PM
You're going to have a little variance in your opinion of this piece, dependent on whether you like or hate gnomes and whether you like old, scored story pieces without dialogue. Plight of the Gnomes by Harmon Productions is a retelling of one of the Alliance's oldest, tragic events (in World of Warcraft). Using music and images, Plight fills us in on not only the Great Betrayal, but the entire story about how the gnomes came to take up residence in Ironforge. This is a movie about the fall of Gnomeregan.
The work was beautiful, in my opinion. The music definitely fit the piece perfectly, and the many portrait shots of key gnome personalities really helped get across the historical feel of Plight. I would have enjoyed letting the action move a little faster, but that's probably just me. I especially found the blood-spattered images of the trogg invaders to be powerful and moving. They were an effective tool for portraying the loss of the gnomish homeland.
Click here to see it yourself!
If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.
Previously on Moviewatch ...
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Machinima, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kiristo Jan 12th 2009 12:07PM
I'm pretty sure my gnome warlock could clear Gnomer himself, why the hell haven't they retaken the place?
Gnosh Jan 12th 2009 12:15PM
There are always more troggs. Millions beneath Azeroth's crust, most likely.
But it doesn't matter at all. The halls of gnomeregan are permanently irradiated. You couldn't spend more than a week there without starting to cough up blood.
Which, as a troll, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.
Lemons Jan 12th 2009 12:13PM
They really should devote some manpower to wrapping up, or at least moving it forward the gnome storyline.
So far it's been thus:
Gnomes get kicked out of city.
Gnomes plan to retake city.
Gnomes don't do anything for 4 years.
Tinwhisker Jan 12th 2009 12:20PM
The Gnomes retaking Gnomeregan is like saying "the South will rise again." Nobody ever actually believes it will happen and actually doing would not be in anybodies best interest.
In the end, "For Gnomeregan!" makes a nice battle cry in the same way "Remember the Alamo!" does.
All that aside, I'm hoping for some more Gnome (and Dwarf) lore to show up when Ulduar comes around.
Unmei Jan 12th 2009 12:19PM
:D It's good because it's True.......... warning the end video is a bit hehehe silly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWrZOa1_xlI
Zasziden Jan 12th 2009 12:29PM
This is one of those things that the Alliance just keeps putting on the back burner. Sure they'll fight bugs in the desert. They'll go marching through the Dark Portal to fight some old grudges with a bunch of elves. Fight dragons and such to restore the king to Stormwind, even though he's a jerk. But actually put aside a tiny bit of effort to restore one of the member races to their home? Eh... we'll give that task to some level 30 folks, they can handle it.
Siona Jan 12th 2009 12:37PM
Man, I hope that someday we'll be seeing a sort of phased event to retake Gnomeregan for the Alliance, and the Echo Isles for the Horde. *nod nod*
Arras Jan 12th 2009 12:37PM
I'd like to see a phased Gnomer at level 80 (or whatever the max level would be when it's implemented), where at the end of it, you get to visit the rebuilt (or in the process of rebuilding) city of Gnomer - sure it's irradiated, but with the cleansing power of the druids, the ingenuity of the gnomes I'm sure there's a solution to be found somewhere.
Something to add to the wishlist :P
Ed (Sindarin, Hydraxis US) Jan 12th 2009 12:48PM
Plus, it could get us level 80s out of irritating Gnomeregan runthroughs!
jtd Jan 12th 2009 1:56PM
The Horde can surely provide a solution to the Gnomeregan problem ;)
Vendrill Jan 12th 2009 1:24PM
LOL! Hillarious! They did a great job on that, though the music was bit too serious for such a comedy.
Thermaplugg ftw!
They should make a daily quest for both horde and alliance where you round up gnomes and lock them into Gnomer and turn the gas all the way up! LOL
Elmo Jan 12th 2009 1:41PM
You are really trying too hard to hate gnomes.
Wistin Jan 12th 2009 1:48PM
One does wonder.
A major nuclear incident takes place in the next valley over and all we do is ... "Meh, ok you can stay in the spare bedroom by the train tracks".
Keyra Jan 12th 2009 1:57PM
The REAL reason that the gnomes haven't re-taken Gnomeregan:
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/community/comics/images/ss199.jpg
snowleopard233 Jan 12th 2009 2:40PM
This video raises a lot of questions...
Like where the heck did they get Uranium from?
Somebody's shipping around yellow cake in Azeroth...
Davidthe Jan 12th 2009 2:54PM
In all likelihood they were running Thorium reactors down in Gnomeregan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium. Bet you'll be a bit more nervous the next time you hit an enemy wearing full Thorium plate, eh?
Esoteroth Jan 12th 2009 2:42PM
I also wish they'd retake gnomer, I don't see it happening with an idiot like varian running the alliance, but a gnome can hope can't he
Draeneiguy Jan 12th 2009 2:45PM
Looks like their guards should have spent more time leveling up
elstor Jan 12th 2009 2:58PM
It's ok but.... why not just show BLIND again instead?!?!
twh Jan 12th 2009 6:47PM
Maybe because it's been done to death and we'd like a bit more variety.