Isn't It Time We Gave Ultramarines Another Chance?
Okay, that is a bit unfair. But with Warhammer+ being the current go-to for GW media (without actually opening that particular bag of squigs), it feels like a good time to visit that point in history where there was an actual 40k movie.
Sort of.
The Emperor protects... and having a loaded bolter never hurt, either.
Back in the space year of 2010, a CGI experience written by Black Library alumni Dan Abnett, and starring a cast of true movie legends was actually released. This was no Mandela Effect, nor was it a fever dream. An actual (almost) full length move starring Terrance Stamp, John Hurt and Sean Pertwee as Adeptus Astartes exists. This should have been a fascinating experience to witness, but instead dissolved into becoming the butt of many a joke. Ultramarines (a Warhammer 40000 Movie) however is not a truly terrible affair, merely a rushed and unfocused one. One thing the movie does do well is atmosphere, with a stunning soundtrack, and a wonderful eye to scenery detail (when everything is not obscured with a sahara-level amount of sand and dust particles). The scenes where stained glass panels are viewable in the background are often breathtaking, with a semi-narrative being told through those panels.
I am steel. I am doom. I march for Macragge! AND I KNOW NO FEAR
However, the same cannot be said of the main narrative, which runs just shy of 80 minutes, has more in common with the average ps2 cut scene in breathless exposition without much in the way of actual storytelling. The lore side is highly lacking on a multitude of levels (there's a serious lack of Sicarius leading this Second Company excursion) with the new-founded Marines going straight to Tactical without the lead up through the Devasator Squads (Look, any other chapter this would not stand out..but these are the Ultramarines). I'm happy to let the banner / crozius weirdness stand as Relics, but having Marines question their direct orders? That also seems a strange way to portray the Astartes.
Whilst, as mentioned before, the CGI is looking it's age (and then some... the sorely lacking budget creates some strange dreamcast-era visuals) and creates an odd looking Space Marine, much thinner and more gangly than expected. The gravitas of the voices forms an odd disconnect when emanating from these frames, too old and gravelly for such oddly skinny ubermensch. With all that those sins nailed to the back banner though, the largest sin stands out above all others.
“It isn't combat I resent, Brother. It's the thirst for glory that gets men cut to ribbons. “
It's boring. From the design, which should be filled from floor to ceiling with all forms of intricate designs from the 40k of the time to the Deamon Prince himself, the experience is one of relentless indifference. Maybe with more time, or with a higher budget, more could have been wrought to the experience, but as it stands “Ultramarines” feels less like a a failed experiment and more like a half-considered attempt at a demo reel, more in line with the Final Liberation FMV sequences (but not as fun) or the Games Day reels.
Unfortunately, in answer to the question in the title, the answer stands at: probably not.
Give us all your thoughts on Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40000 Movie!