Premise
A squad of Ultramarines responds to a distant planet’s distress beacon only to discover a horrific evil has been unleashed.
Quick info.
Release Date: – 13 December, 2010
Run time: – 70 mins.
Genre: – Action/Sci-fi [Adult Animation]
Where to watch? – FREE on YT! [not available on any digital platform, sadly]
Review
I was introduced to the world of Warhammer 40,000 for the very first time in 2024. And safe to say, it’s right down my alley without any shadow of a doubt whatsoever! Since then, I’ve managed to dive into countless YT vids. to get a basic understanding of the lore surrounding this massive universe, it’s rich history, and the countless factions and characters playing their part in the same.
I’m literally BLOWN AWAY by everything! WOWZERS. And the more I keep watching and learning about it, the more impressive, (grim) dark, and in-depth it goes. And I’m here for it all!
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie was my first official media viewing for 40k.
Here’s what I made of it:
NO SPOILERS
The movie opens with the following narration:
It is the 41st Millennium. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. The Emperor of Mankind wages a constant battle to protect humanity from the horrors of space. On the fringes of the Imperium, alien races lurk and plot, and chaos demons leak into our reality from the torment of the warp. All that stands in their way are the mighty space marines. They are more than mortal. They are steel and they are doom. They are the champions of mankind. And the greatest of them all… are the Ultramarines.
DANG! It literally gave me goosebumps for real.
Ultima Squad of the Ultramarines are preparing themselves for their first mission as a squad—a sortie to the tough and unforgiving desert surface of Mithron. Their mission is to investigate a distress call received shortly before all contact with the planet was lost, where a full company of one hundred Marines from the Imperial Fists were guarding the only location of importance: an Imperial Shrine. What follows… is pure “chaos”.
The good
- First off, the BGM was very good.
- The voice acting was pretty good too.
- The plot was smooth in flow, engaging, and filled with bits of lore throughout.
- Loved the action, drama, and the sort of “mystery” surrounding it all.
- The camaraderie/brotherhood between the squad was well-shown.
- The ending was good/satisfactory.
The “not so” good
- Not the biggest fan of the animation/CGI, to be honest. It wasn’t that bad, but not to my liking.
- The editing was a bit off at places/not fully in sync, which was jarring.
- The common critique received by the movie was the depiction/characterization of the Marines in general, and I would like to agree.
Highlights (dialogues/quotes/text)
- We shall know no fear.
- “War is not about glory. War is about victory.”
- “I fear no evil. I fear no death. For the Emperor will protect me.”
Other info.
- The screenplay was written by Black Library author Dan Abnett, who is considered amongst the best.
- Content Warning: – Blood/gore/mature themes are present (duh).
Not a perfect movie by any means, but makes for a pretty good viewing altogether, especially for someone looking to get started with the vastness of the 40k universe.
7/10 (give it a shot)
