"Ultramarines: A Warhammers 40,000 Movie“is based on the internationally successful war strategy game. It’s about a group of marines in the 41st millennium, where war has been happening across the galaxy. A group of ultramarines gets distress call from an Imperial Shrine World, where a group of Imperial Fist happened to be stationed there. But what they find out is that they’ve disappeared and an alien race is out to eliminate everything that stands in its path. It’s up to a group of super enhanced marines to stop the various alien races before they can take over. The film features the voices of Sean Pertwee (Doomsday, Dog Soldiers) Terrance Stamp (Superman, Get Smart) and John Hurt (Alien, Hellboy).

Film Review:

Adult CGI films tends to geared more toward the fanboys than a regular audience, so I usually don’t review these types for film. But I couldn’t resist taking a look at this film, after hearing that such great character actors like Terence Stamp and John Hurt were involved with this project. It was a good thing that I decided to take a look at this film as this was an entertaining and action packed film.

“Ultramarines: A Warhammers 40,000 Movie” is an action packed journey from start to finish. Director Martyn Pick does a very good job with the direction. What makes the direction good was the fact that I was caught up with the film’s universe. I was caught up in that universe because the way the animation was handled. The animation was video game like, from the way that the characters move to the gory effects that were used during the kill sequences. It makes the film’s universe more effective. I don’t think the film would’ve had the same result, if it was a live action film. Another thing that Pick does very well, the way that he gets the vocal performances down. Everything is synced with the character’s movements, which doesn’t make it distracting. That’s important when making an animation film work. He also does a very good job getting his actors to make the vocals work with the tone of the film. It’s very important for a film like this, because if the vocals don’t fit the tone then the film’s tone doesn’t work and leads to various problems.

The screenplay also did a good job making this film entertaining. Screenwriter, Dan Abnett does his best making this story an entertaining one. I liked how he’s able draw you into this universe with the storytelling. Abnett does that, by focusing on the characters journey, as they find out what happened on the planet and making the film‘s tone, very dark. It gets you interested in the story. The action sequences were thought out well, especially with the death scenes. It brought some intensity into the film that was needed due to the film’s dark tone.

The only thing that I didn’t like about this film was the fact that the story was short. I wished, Abnett added more stuff into the screenplay like a backstory or some character development. It could’ve make it more special, but that’s the only grip that I have with this film.

Blu-Ray Extras:

The discs has a good amount of informative extras for a release of its kind. The first featurette is “Into the Void: Making Ultramarines”. This was a good featurette, as it goes really goes into the production, the story, the cast and the fan base behind “Ultramarines”. It provides a lot information on these things and gives you a glimpse to how the CGI was created. It made this featurette a good watch.

The next featurette is “Between Chaos and Darkness: The Space Marines”. This goes into the art direction and the look of the space marines. This was a very brief but good featurette. Everyone who is interviewed here does a very good job going into how they created the look of the space marines for this film.

“Creating the Demon is the next featurette. It’s a very short, but informative. Through the voiceover of director Martyn Pick, he goes into the various stages of how the demon was created for the film. From the voiceover to the look of the demon, everything is explained fully here.

The disc wraps up with an animated graphic novel “Ultramarines” prequel which sets up the stage for this film and the film’s official trailer.

Final Summary:

“Ultramarines: A Warhammers 40,000 Movie” is an action packed film that’s filled with good CGI animation and action sequences that rock.

Review Rating: Three and a half stars
Blu-Ray Extras: Three Stars

Anchor Bay Entertainment has announced that they will be handling the distribution for "Ultramarines". The film features the voices of Terence Stamp (Superman II, Wanted), Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon) and John Hurt (Alien, Hellboy).

Special Features on the Blu-Ray and DVD include Into The Void: Making of Ultramarines™, Between Chaos & Darkness: The World Of The Space Marines, Creating the Daemon and a cool Ultramarines™ “prequel” animated onscreen graphic novel. "Ultramarines" hits stores on March 5th.

Press Release:

On March 5th, Anchor Bay Entertainment proudly releases the Sci-Fi CGI animated film Ultramarines™ on Blu-ray™ and DVD. This is the first-ever feature length movie interpretation of the internationally successful Warhammer® 40,000® Universe. The film stars the voices of Terence Stamp (Superman II, Wanted), Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon) and John Hurt (Alien, Hellboy) and contains over 45 minutes of bonus features including Into The Void: Making of Ultramarines™, Between Chaos & Darkness: The World Of The Space Marines, Creating the Daemon and a cool Ultramarines™ “prequel” animated onscreen graphic novel.

It is 41st Millennium, and the only force that stands between humanity and alien hordes are the Space Marines. Genetically enhanced, clad in power armour and knowing no fear they are the angels of death. And the greatest of them are the Ultramarines™. But when a select squad of scarred veterans and raw recruits responds to a distant planet’s distress beacon, they’ll discover that a horrific evil has been unleashed. And amidst a living nightmare of chaos, carnage and daemonic fury, these steel battle-brothers must now survive the ultimate enemy: Themselves.

Created by Games Workshop®, Warhammer® 40,000® has been developed into a series of successful video games and futuristic novels from its roots as the most successful tabletop wargame in the world, Ultramarines™ is the Warhammer® 40,000® universe as you’ve never been able to experience it before. So get ready and suit up for a thrilling battle in a brand new world, because this time it’s for real - it’s not just a game anymore.

Codex Pictures recently send us word that they will be holding a series of free screenings for their new film "Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie" which features the voices of Terence Stamp (Superman 2, Valkyrie), John Hurt (Alien, Hellboy, V for Vendetta) and Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon, Dog Soldiers).

Press Release:

ULTRAMARINES: A WARHAMMER 40,000 MOVIE, produced by Codex Pictures, will be screened in select theatres in the U.S. on Saturday and Sunday, February 26th and 27th 2011 especially for the huge following of dedicated Warhammer 40,000 fans. The limited series of free screenings of ULTRAMARINES will take place in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore, Dallas and Chicago, with a special press event hosted by Tribeca Flashpoint Academy in Chicago.

ULTRAMARINES will show in the following theaters:

Chicago - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 - 3740 East Main Street, St Charles, Illinois 60174 (followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Thompson)

Dallas, TX - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Lewisville Cinemark Movies 8 - 1600 S Stemmons Freeway @ Corp Drive, Lewisville, Texas 75067

Seattle, WA - 11 AM, Saturday February 26 at the Metro Cinemas - 4500 9th Avenue, N.E., Seattle, Washington 98105

New York, NY - 11 AM, Sunday February 27 at the Village East Cinema - 181-189 Second Avenue, New York 10012 (followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Thompson)

Los Angeles, CA - 11 AM, Sunday February 27 at the Mann 10 Glendale Exchange - 128 North Maryland Avenue, Glendale, California 91206

Baltimore, MD – 11AM, Sunday February 27 at the Landmark's Harbor East Cinema - 645 S President St, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Go to http://ultramarinesthemovie.com/ for more details and to reserve the free passes.

Saturn Award winning producer, Bob Thompson will attend a series of Chicago area events, including a special presentation and press event at the Tribeca Flashpoint Academy on February 25th, as well as Q&A session after the Saturday, February 26th screening at the Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, IL and after the New York City screening at the Village East Cinema.

ULTRAMARINES has been exclusively available since early December as a two-disc special edition collector’s set directly from the producers at http://ultramarinesthemovie.com.

“I am thrilled that we will be showing the movie on the big screen in the US. It is always a great experience watching the film with other fans in a theater,” said producer Bob Thompson.

Set in the grim, dark far future of the 41st Millennium, ULTRAMARINES marks the first ever feature film based on Games Workshop’s internationally successful tabletop miniature wargame Warhammer 40,000. The film was written by one of the best-selling Games Workshop Black Library authors, Dan Abnett (2000AD, Marvel Comics and DC Comics) and stars the voices of Terence Stamp (Superman 2, Valkyrie), John Hurt (Alien, Hellboy, V for Vendetta) and Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon, Dog Soldiers) and also includes Steven Waddington (Last of the Mohicans, The Tudors), Donald Sumpter (Being Human) and Johnny Harris (This is England ’86).

ULTRAMARINES is produced by independent production company Codex Pictures in association with Good Story Productions. The team behind ULTRAMARINES were producers of the original trilogy of highly successful and multi award-winning BIONICLE® DVDs, made for the LEGO Company. Aramid Entertainment BV, POP6 Medias Inc, and the Wales Creative IP Fund financed the film. The Canadian co-producer is POP6 Studios.