WoW Moviewatch: Illegal Danish - Escape from Orgrimmar
(Given how anticipated the release of Illegal Danish: Escape from Orgrimmar was, we decided to bump up the notification and review. WoW Moviewatch will resume it's normal posting schedule tomorrow.)
One of the longest running jokes in Machinima history finally came to a close today with the release of the long-awaited sequel to Illegal Danish: Super Snacks. Illegal Danish: Escape from Orgrimmar was originally announced right after the premiere of IDSS, with a scheduled release date about 6 months later. However, it had been pushed back for over a year, leading many to compare it to Duke Nukem Forever, which, coincidentally, debuted a brand new trailer several weeks ago.
Around the same time that 3D Realms was releasing their DNF trailer, Myndflame made an announcement that IDEFO had a scheduled release date of December 31st, at 6pm EST. It would coincide with a real life wrap party to ring in the New Year. However, fans flooded the site, literally and figuratively. Not only were 75,000 people trying to access the site, but someone was also attacking it at the same time. Given the holiday, it would take some time to fix, thus not appearing until 2008.
Previously on Moviewatch...
Read on after the jump to see the full assessment ..
Before I go into reviewing Illegal Danish 2, I'd like to mention that I am a full-time Machinima creator, promoter, and critic. IDEFO has had over 29,000 views and 7,000 downloads in just a few hours, but I'm actually shocked and appalled at some of the comments that have been made. I'm going to give this movie the review it deserves, constructively, instead of trolling. I know this won't win me any love, but until you've made something as epic as this, there is no way to fully appreciate the effort that was made.
With that said, I'm not a grinder in World of Warcraft. I can't tell you a single thing about lore. When I look for Moviewatch material, I base it on certain criteria, such as an engaging storyline, video and audio quality, and editing style. It is a rare day that I find a gem such as this one. It's easy to be on the other side, judging the work instead of doing it. However, this is, at the heart of it, free entertainment being provided to you.
Before you go writing me off as a rabid fangirl, hear me out. From a non-WoW viewpoint, I loved it. There are certain things that I'll get into shortly that I wish were different, but overall, it was excellent. As a casual player, I was still able to enjoy it and recognize many of the references made. If the WoW audience doesn't like it, the regular viewers will.
For those of you not familiar with Illegal Danish: Super Snacks, I have provided a brief summary. The "Illegal Danish" guild's purpose is to protect it's namesake, a tart of a pastry dating back many years. When the sinister Van Kraken seeks the illegal danish for a special elixir, a plan is set into motion. Guild members split off to investigate a portal disruption, while Floivan's joyride brings an unexpected visitor. The fate of the guild is left hanging at the end.
Coming in at 24 minutes, Illegal Danish: Escape from Orgrimmar picks up where IDSS left off. It's a murloc-driving, tank-powered, ass-kicking adventure of a comedy. The illegal danish has been stolen, Floivan and Dirti get separated in Stranglethorn Vale, and Basutei finds himself imprisoned in Orgrimmar. What's left to do? Why, break into song, of course!
If you're still with me, great! I loved the fact that, despite it taking so long to produce, they were able to see the humor in it and mock themselves. Clint Hackleman provided a great soundtrack for the film, while his brother, D.W., nailed the editing. It was visually stunning, with a lot of post-production work put into it. The voice actors fit their roles and they used the right characters for the scenes.
However, the credits really seemed rushed. I know they set a deadline and fully intended to keep it, but I fear that the last few minutes may have suffered as a result. They used an eight month old music video as the backdrop, and to compensate, they scrunched the text. In addition, the movie jumped frantically at points, but that can be expected in a situational comedy such as this one. It does end quite abruptly, though, leaving you to wonder when the final episode of the story arc will be completed.
The bottom line is, there seems to be a petty grudge holding people back from truly enjoying what is one of the best Machinimas I've seen come out of WoW. It is a marked improvement from IDSS and it shows. If you sit back and watch it without any pre-conceived notion in your head, it's quite good.
Considering the fact that, due to Blizzard's Fair-Use Guide, they were unable to profit much from their work, it's amazing that a two-person team had the time to do it. Real life happens, and while the film has its faults, I can't even imagine devoting such a large amount of time to one project. That's an accomplishment in itself, and they've done it several times.
If you'd like to watch the film, you can visit Myndflame.com, or to rate/comment on it, visit Warcraftmovies.com.
