Warhammer 40k fans have been waiting for this HD home video release.
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie has experienced some bad luck indeed. It was never really intended for a theatrical release, but when the DVDs failed to ship in mid-2010, due to a production error, the studio sent out the few theatrical reels they had made of the film – originally just to show to press – for a limited theatrical run, but few fans even got the opportunity to see it.
Much to the disappointment of those who had pre-ordered the DVD (and the accompanying graphic novel) years passed without any real news about what the problem was that prevented the original distribution plan, but no one got a refund on their pre-order either.
The critics who saw the film had generally unfavorable things to say about it, mostly saying that the story was good and well-paced, and that the voice acting was okay – the film includes stars like John Hurt, Terrence Stamp, and Sean Pertwee – but that the animation was sub-par, showing too little detail, and not representing the characters to scale with their environments. Essentially, the critics complained, it looks like a video game, rather than a film.
At this point most fans have simply given up on the film ever hitting its home video release. They may have given up too soon, however, as this trailer has emerged alongside an announcement that Ultramarines will be released on Blu-ray and DVD this year:
The animation here does not look terrible to me – in fact, it looks like a bloody good time – but I’m not as picky as some when it comes to that. If the story is cool, I’m all set, and as a 40k fan, I think I’ll enjoy finally getting a look at this one. I can’t imagine that many who aren’t already into Warhammer will have much interest, but I also find it hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t be into Warhammer.
The disc will contain a number of extras, including a making-of featurette, an analysis of the film’s lore, and a digital graphic novel, which is likely the one that was originally intended to be included in hardback with the DVD release. There is no word as to whether the original pre-orders for the DVD will be honored with this release.
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie will hit shelves March 5, 2013. You can also pre-order over on Amazon.
