Ultramarines Introduction
ULTRAMARINES is a tense science-fantasy action thriller set in the 41st Milleneum, when the 
galaxy is burning and there is nothing but war. Mankind’s sole defence against the lurking alien races are the Space Marines, genetically enhanced super-warriors, for whom loyalty to their emperor is all. The most fearless chapter of this mighty army is the Ultramarines.
Initial Expectations
It would be reasonable to say "why a movie review now," as the movie has been out for months and it’s a little late. Agreed, the movie has been out for months. I was one of those fans who had pre-ordered the collector’s edition, and checked the website and Facebook page every day for months before its release eagerly consuming any tidbit of information they were willing to share. I would be lying if I did not have some preconceived concern based on the information and images they shared, but I also knew how protective Games Workshop is of their intellectual property and figured there is no way they are going to let anything less than exceptional be released.
The day came and the DVD arrived and I could not get the wrapper off fast enough to throw it into the machine and watch it. It is no secret to those that know me that I was… let’s say… “disappointed” by the movie. I was so disappointed in fact that I could not bring myself to write any type of official review, and instead only released some of my “disappointment” in comments on my Facebook page, and the Ultramines one. However, after having ample time to really think about it, and watch it a few more times, I realize that perhaps my first unofficial verbal thrashings may have been a product of over ambitious expectations. I feel I have finally reached a point where I can write a fair review rather than an expletive filled rant.
Don’t get me wrong, the movie still leaves much to be desired, and I am still amazed that Games Workshop approved its release, but in watching it again, with reasonable expectations, I have come to find some redeeming qualities. In this review I will attempt to give a high level overview of some of this new ‘good’ that I have found, as well as covering the bad and the ugly that I originally saw.
The Good Ultramarines
It’s a movie about Space Marines! Okay, I know this may not help those that are not already 
fans, but for the fans, this is a big deal! Fans have been waiting for a movie since the game was first released. Sure it started as a tabletop game, but it is a game from which scores of source books, novels, and video games have been written or created, detailing a universe and the complex civilizations that live there in all of their dark and gritty glory.
Knowing that this amount of information existed, fans have been chomping at the bit for just a fraction of that glory to come to the big screen. And why not, with the trend of success that fantasy and sci-fi movies have enjoyed recently it seemed reasonable that Warhammer 40K, with its plethora of available content, would be a no-brainer. The desire to have a movie was encouraged further over the years with several rumors of possible movies, such as the now defunct Bloodquest. All of this of course added to the high expectations I had for the movie, and while my expectations may not have been met, I still got to watch a movie about the Space Marines in the universe of Warhammer 40K.
A few other goods are the score and the overall plot. The music of the movie was dead on and everything you would expect it to be. It helped set the tone for many of the scenes and really added to the overall experience.
I also thought that the overall plot was great for a first movie. Space Marines verse Chaos (Traitor Marines) is about as classic as you can get in the Warhammer 40K universe. I know some reviews felt the plot was too classic, being a standard story that has been done on numerous occasions in novels and short stories about the Space Marines and their many crusades. For a first film I think it was the perfect starting point, and that it did include some more complicated dynamics involving characters, though I think the director or screenwriter missed an opportunity to explore these in depth, as well as a significant and interesting twist at the end.
