Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie

Did You Know?

• Production was announced at the 2009 Games Day at the Birmingham NEC.
• The film was made by Codex Pictures under license from Games Workshop, in association with Good Story Productions Ltd and POP6 Studios.

Plot

The film begins on the planet Mithron, where Space Marines of the Imperial Fists Chapter are attacked by an unknown enemy. A Marine named Nidon is ordered to protect the Codex just before a fireball engulfs them. Aboard a Space Marine Strike Cruiser, Brother Proteus and Captain Severus of the Ultramarines 2nd Company spar in a training duel. Proteus disarms Severus, but Severus escapes and defeats him, stating that a Space Marine never yields.

Proteus and other newly initiated members of Ultima Squad are shown a Relic Thunder Hammer in the ship's reclusium. Captain Severus and Apothecary Pythol lead a swearing-in ceremony on the Hammer. After the ceremony, Ultima Squad prepares for their first mission: a sortie to Mithron. In orbit, Severus departs with only Pythol and the ten-strong Ultima Squad.

En route to the surface, Severus tells them about a distress call received before contact was lost. Proteus senses something shadowing them and opens fire, but the others find no evidence and dismiss his concerns. The squad discovers that a battle has occurred, the garrison is annihilated, and the shrine is desecrated by Chaos forces. Against Pythol's advice to retreat, Severus decides to search for survivors.

Animation

The film used Image Metrics animated facial capture techniques. Image Metrics had previously worked on Grand Theft Auto IV, Assassin's Creed II, NBA 2K10, the Black Eyed Peas video Boom Boom Pow, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. A short teaser was released on 29 May 2010 on the official website and at the MCM Expo in London. A second trailer premiered at UK Games Day in Birmingham on 26 September 2010.

Release

A Special Edition DVD with a 32-page hardback graphic novel titled Hard Choices 'What happened on Algol?', written by Dan Abnett with art by David Roach, was planned for worldwide release on 29 November 2010. Codex Pictures reported on that date that the release was delayed due to a production problem with one of the other components of the collector's edition, not the DVD itself. Shipping was announced to begin the week of 6 December 2010, with dispatch prioritized by order date. However, as of 27 January 2011, many customers who pre-ordered as far back as October 2010 had not received their packages. Codex Pictures' website continued to offer the DVD for sale without a clear warning about the supply problem.

Reception

Advanced preview screenings received generally favourable responses from selected viewers, but the film itself received mixed reviews. Critics noted the CGI and animations as sub par, with the Ultramarines appearing tall and thin and much of the set shrouded in dust. Some felt the film looked cheap, rushed, and simple compared to Warhammer artwork. After release, some praised the story as short but well paced with good character interaction, while others called it simplistic and slow to reach action. The music was seen as a positive aspect, described as ominous and awe-inspiring. Attention to visual detail was noted, with one reviewer remarking that every piece of stained glass in the background tells a story. The film earned $225,205 from domestic home video sales.