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It occurred to me today that I still haven't seen Ultramarines the movie on DVD. I had no plans to buy it but had hoped to catch it via Blockbuster or something. A quick scan of ebay reveals a few copies for sale at daft prices and there's nothing available on Amazon at all

Was the intention to make a film that nobody watched?

GW really, really likes its limited releases. "BUY IT BEFORE IT'S GONE FOREVER" and all that.

Considering how bad (not to mention short) that movie was, I'd say yes. They made a movie they didn't intend people to watch.

In terms of animations, modeling, script, music, dialogue and voice acting, that movie was worse than most GW based game-cinematic movies. In short. It was a huge let-down. Oh, wait. It was a tiny let-down, considering how short it was.

I had a good look for it dude, couldn't find it anywhere so I did a bad thing and, whisper this, downloaded a copy from TPB.......it's ok if you havnt seen it yet, just don't get your hopes up!

Having seen the trailer, I wasn't expecting great things visually, but I was prepared to judge it on its own merits in terms of story.

right-hand: Watch out for the copyright police here on dakka. You entered dangerous terrain. Trying to save you some grief.

Personally, I can't see how it can be illegal to download a movie that it's not possible to buy, even if one would want to. Then again. Copyright laws aren't exactly logical or even the slightest bit rational.

Lol, I've just started watching it on Youtube. The camera has just scanned past a stain glass window seemingly taken from the Battle for Macragge box set.

The foley editor has just woken up and has realised that when a space marine moves, you should be able to hear some big clunking footsteps. This was entirely absent from the opening duel

Believe me, if you noticed that, you'll be even less impressed later on. It seems the director once took a weekend seminar for movie making at some point in his youth.

Yes, the Marines all being silent as ghosts when they walk and fight did annoy me throughout the movie. I don't care what kind of training you have, you weigh about 700 pounds, you're going to make noise when you walk.

Not to mention, you're 7 feet tall, can you please take the stairs two at a time?

Um... is there really only one squad of Space Marines on that entire Battle Barge? Poor use of fleet resources there...

Does anyone in this thread have a clue what he is talking about???

1.) The Ultramarine movie wasn't made by GW, but by an independent company named Codex Pictures. They aquired the licence and made this movie with a very small budget. If there is a market, they intend to do additional movies.
2.) This movie is sold direct only on this website: http://ultramarinesthemovie.com/shop , so no amazon. It is still available there, so illegal downloading is illegal. There are plans to release a non-Collector's edition available in retail eventually, but that hasn't happened yet.

Flashman wrote:Um... is there really only one squad of Space Marines on that entire Battle Barge? Poor use of fleet resources there...

And it belongs to a captain no less The movie was FULL of holes and some thigns were terrible, like why did a fresh recruit become the captain afterwards? And why the hell was a chainsword so badass? Idunno

Well regardless of its availability Kroot, I'm watching it on youtube as we speak.

They've just been dropped off by a T-Hawk and are now walking across a desert. Personally, I would have asked to have been dropped off closer to the destination, but perhaps they felt like stretching their legs.

Flashman wrote:Well regardless of its availability Kroot, I'm watching it on youtube as we speak.

They've just been dropped off by a T-Hawk and are now walking across a desert. Personally, I would have asked to have been dropped off closer to the destination, but perhaps they felt like stretching their legs.

Get used to the walking.

I think The Lord of the Rings series featured less walking/running scenes over all 3 movies than what Ultramarines had.

Related thread for those interested.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/335030.page

It may be a while before you see it on wider release. The distributor sued the developer/film company because they thought the collectors edition infringed on their distribution rights.

Ok, 26 minutes in and leaving plot holes and complete lack of action aside, we have workable premise... squad of Space Marines investigates loss of transmission. As exected, the visual quality isn't great, but some of the shots have potential. The script is poor and Sean Pertwee's character (Proteus) needs a kick in the balls.

EDIT - First action scene proper falls foul of my biggest gripe with 40K adaptations be it film or computer games. Bolters are not dakkadakkadakka weapons! The effect should be more Thud.Thud.Thud. Fire Warrior is the only time I've seen someone get it right. Oh and King Cracker is right. A chainsword goes through power armour like a knife through butter.

I just watched the trailer, and all the fighting I saw involved the Ultra's curbstomping Chaos marines. Where the hell was their armour saves?

I didnt think the movie was bad...but it wasnt good by any means. With 40k being such a huge and rich universe... and with all the stuff they could of done...they really dropped the ball with it. Since in the movie nothing really even that interesting happens.

TrollPie wrote:I just watched the trailer, and all the fighting I saw involved the Ultra's curbstomping Chaos marines. Where the hell was their armour saves?

Space Marines are only as tough as the story needs them to be.

matterofpride wrote:I didnt think the movie was bad...but it wasnt good by any means. With 40k being such a huge and rich universe... and with all the stuff they could of done...they really dropped the ball with it. Since in the movie nothing really even that interesting happens.

Ok, I've finished watching it and my verdict isn't great. I don't think simplicity was the problem. Many good films have at their core a simple plot and given that this was basically Aliens (downed transmitter, planet drop, big fight, extraction, big fight on ship), I don't really have a problem with the central premise. Where they dropped the ball IMHO was the execution in terms of the film's production values, the script and interpretation of the 40K universe (see my gripe about bolter fire).

I also think you will struggle to make a good 40K movie based solely around Space Marines, because they aren't recognisably human characters and it's difficult to develop a story through their pious way of speaking. The Horus Heresy books (that I've read) understand this and set the story alongside human protagnists such as the Remembrancers so the reader has someone to identify with.

I am watching Part 1 and it is truly facepalm worthy so far.

The silent fighting is very distracting, they are swearing their oath on a "sacred Warhammer" (could they try to plug the game any more at this point), and I am still trying to figure out why an apothecary is leading the oath, and not a chaplain....


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Although it would make a great 40K/GW drinking game.

Every time you see an overused slogan or cliche, take a shot.

"Purge the unclean" "The Emperor Protects" "And They Shall know no fear", and this is only 6 minutes into the movie...


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"Kill the Heretic" shows up less than 7 minutes into the movie, if I was doing shots I would already be drunk...

I'm willing to give them my money, so they can take it and make another movie. If this movie doesn't sell, there may never be another 40k film.

I'm still a bit wary of everyone talking about 'taint'-this and 'taint'-that.

the film had its problems, but some of these complaints are ridiculous nitpickings that shouldn't be extended to a film on the operating budget in question. you don't buy chuck and expect it to taste like rib-eye.


they articulated the universe well enough to keep me interested. that's about all i expected, and that's what i got.

hemingway wrote:the film had its problems, but some of these complaints are ridiculous nitpickings that shouldn't be extended to a film on the operating budget in question. you don't buy chuck and expect it to taste like rib-eye.


they articulated the universe well enough to keep me interested. that's about all i expected, and that's what i got.

It's not nitpicking when everything from the tiniest sound to the overall story/plot/script is so wide off the mark that it seems the makers haven't even read the space marine codex.

Not only that, but the action scenes were utter cr*p. The space marines are the ultimate warriors of the human race, but in that movie they haven't the faintest tactical sense.

hemingway wrote:the film had its problems, but some of these complaints are ridiculous nitpickings that shouldn't be extended to a film on the operating budget in question. you don't buy chuck and expect it to taste like rib-eye.


they articulated the universe well enough to keep me interested. that's about all i expected, and that's what i got.

Ah, leave it to someone named Hemingway to succinctly capture my feelings on the film.

I got to see the film in a theater earlier this year and while there were some problems with it I found the film to be enjoyable overall. My girlfriend also liked the movie and while she doesn't play the tabletop game she does read some of the 40k novels and she rather liked how the move brought the space marines to life.

Neither of us went into the theater expecting high art (and in my case I didn't expect a true conversion of the tabletop game/novels onto the screen) but we were entertained by the CGI space-mens-with-guns and left with smiles on our faces.

So, ultimately I think the film was a success.

I think my wife hit the nail on the head, when she looked at me after we watched it and said "Didn't any of the people involved in making this READ any of the background?" I have to agree with her on that. VERY disappointing.....

After watching the movie I am reminded of the CS Goto black library book on Eldar. If taken with the fluff, it seemed totally ridiculous. Thinking of it as a tool to try and draw more people in on a budget. Not that bad. If it were made five years ago those would have been considered cutting edge graphics probably. If taken without the fluff behind the eldar the Goto book is an alright sci-fi junk novel.
I would say that for as short a movie as it was it was not a waste of my life to see it, neither would I ever watch it again. Then again, it has provided all of us with even a bit more entertainment as we discuss it here on our addiction website.