WoW Moviewatch: The Avenger
by Michael Gray 
Jul 6th 2009 at 12:00PM
It's become almost a cilche that when you see a machinima trailer, you must take it with a healthy grain of skepticism. Very commonly, the exciting movie that's been promised by the trailer will never actually come to fruition. Dtbn has bucked that trend, however, with the release of The Avenger.
The visuals in the movie are outstanding. I think Dtbn has really done an amazing job in instilling the in-game models with life and activity. The fight scenes are surprisingly complex, and the mis en scene is compelling. There's a few places where there's a bit more repetition than I'd like, for example when the Vrykul keep getting cut in half. However, I chalked that up to the main character's favorite move being "Blazing Vrykul Bifurcation Attack!" Really, Dtbn has created popcorn-munching, fun-to-watch action here.
Some of the storytelling in the movie felt like it could use some refinement. The main character is meant to be empathetic, but I'm not sure we ever really got to root for her in a clear, unmuddled way. She seems to miraculously come by "better" equipment, without much explnation of why or how. The gnome necromancer's role is never really explained. Dtbn says that his storytelling skills aren't the best, but I can definitely see how he's growing as an author. I think the next movie will be a lot tighter with its characters.
Click here to see it for yourself.
Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Agerath Jul 6th 2009 12:06PM
Oh god....
Those awful, awful models.
Barinthos Jul 6th 2009 12:07PM
I'm thinking blizz needs to do some spring "cleaning" on the character models to match the great detail and models of Wrath. It's way past due methinks.
Urza Jul 6th 2009 1:09PM
Uwe Boll would be jealous.
Klop Jul 6th 2009 1:33PM
The animation was good, but the storyline and the scripting.
Oh god it was terrible, "I recognized that i became undead and i was hungry for flesh". How does one just recognize that? "The war was over", end of statement, no explanation, no further details, this reads like a Dr. Seuss book.
Next time this dude needs to contract out his story lines, stick to animation.
Barinthos Jul 6th 2009 1:43PM
Yeah there were quite a few cheesy one liners. After punting a gnome out of a window and eating his innards - "I found something." That's it? No, "I began looking through the building the gnome performed his rituals" or something? Just eat and pillage?
The Fairuza person did an excellent job with the voice though. The animation is better than some of the machinima I've seen as well. But, as Dtbn stated, he lacks story telling prowess.
But, all in all, an entertaining machinima.
Jetstream Jul 6th 2009 7:15PM
Oh please don't insult Dr. Seuss like that. The writing in his books, while simplistic, is bloody near flawless. He gets his points across effectively and efficiently. Some of it is nonsense, but so was Burgess' writing in Clockwork Orange. The nonsensical language is deliberate.
This? This is some of the worst storytelling I've ever seen. Five minutes with an editor working on scripting would have saved it. Hell, five minutes with a first-year english composition student would've saved it.
DasHeals Jul 6th 2009 3:17PM
Animations were okay, and the dialogue was terrible for lack of a better word. Yet, somehow, it was still entertaining.
jjcoola998 Jul 6th 2009 5:43PM
Yea and at least this person released more than trailer, which is more than basically every other machinima author..
Amuaal Jul 6th 2009 3:53PM
awesome movie, but as many other said in wcm comments the story wasn't that great =) Wondering what sword she was wielding after she became undead and what head-piece she was wearing. (warr t1?)
Barinthos Jul 6th 2009 4:33PM
The sword is the Obsidian Edged Blade ( http://www.wowhead.com/?item=18822 ) and the helm is the Deadly Gladiator's Plate Helm for warriors ( http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40823 ).
twh Jul 6th 2009 4:24PM
The presentation was good and the author should continue with it, however, the story needed work... lots of work.
Mailia Jul 6th 2009 6:15PM
Why, oh why must someone still use the anime style of fighting, as in.. Slow-motion half or more of the fight and jumping stupidly high? Why?!
Lemons Jul 7th 2009 4:58AM
What fighting style would you prefer? Cause the whole "actually grounded in real world physics" thing has been done way more than the "everyone can fly and has the reflexes of a jungle cat"...I personally would take the latter...
Mailia Jul 7th 2009 6:10AM
It's not how many times it has been done, it's just it looks stupid in Warcraft fighting, with night elves jumping and spinning in the air wildly.
Carnagefiend Jul 6th 2009 6:54PM
The problem I had was that the main character wasn't compelling. Nor did she have a good reason to continue existing.
If anything the Night Elf widow was INFINITELY more compelling. I mean, this human woman wages war on this army and slays its commander. Then the commander's wife trains and rises up to avenge her love.
Then the woman comes back and kills the widow?
Why? I think the human got what was coming to her. Killing the night elf almost turns it into some sort of double tragedy. Wow, so you kill the widow because she got revenge on you for killing her husband?
That's fair or just... how?
Storytelling FAIL.
splodesondeath Jul 6th 2009 7:25PM
^ This.
Siorra Jul 6th 2009 8:13PM
Spelling mistake in the subs. Proffesional.
Lemons Jul 7th 2009 4:53AM
Bluegh...epic story fail. I stopped watching midway because I simply had no reason to CARE. And there was soooo many horrible lines:
"I was trained to be a killer...and I was good at it"
"I found new equipment...(the sword is)better that my old one" (how fcking convenient)
Dead bitch should stay dead imo...it would have been a better story.
Alverian Jul 12th 2009 12:52PM
The movie was ok but the Night Elf woman comes back to kick the ass of her hubby's killer with Blood Elf backup!? Night Elf's and Blood Elf's don't get along that well.