Ultramarines: The Movie
Encyclopedia
Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie is a science fiction
thriller CGI
film set in Games Workshop
's fictional Warhammer 40,000
universe and based around the Ultramarines
Chapter of the Space Marines
. The screenplay was written by Black Library
author Dan Abnett
.
Terence Stamp
, Sean Pertwee
, and John Hurt
head the cast of voice actors.
Brother Proteus and Captain Severus in close combat while being watched by the other members of Ultima squad. Proteus manages to pin Severus and demands him to yield but Severus escapes Proteus's grasp and in turn defeats him. Afterwards the members of Ultima squad are shown a sacred weapon of the Ultramarines, a Thunder Hammer that lies in their ship's reclusium. The Captain and the Apothecary lead Ultima in a swearing-in ceremony in which they they are sworn in on the Thunder Hammer. When the ceremony is finished, Severus tells Ultima Squad their mission's purpose.
Captain Severus of the Ultramarines Chapter receives a distress signal on the planet of Mithron. The only site of importance is a shrine guarded by a full company of the Imperial Fists, implying that if they are calling for help, matters are truly dire. Leaving the bulk of his company on Algol to continue an ongoing campaign, Severus sets off for Mithron with only the ten-man Ultima Squad for support. Accompanying is Apothecary Pythol, a veteran of many battles and Severus's de facto advisor. In the squad itself, Battle Brothers Proteus and Verenor are the most eager to prove themselves in battle. On the tough and unforgiving surface of Mithron, Ultima Squad discovers that a terrible battle has taken place. The planet's Imperial
shrine has been desecrated, the Imperial Fists detachment has been annihilated and vile evils unleashed. As unseen dangers close in around them, the recruits have to mount a tense and deadly insertion to find any surviving Imperial Fists, and the reason behind the distress beacon.
While investigating the ruins of the shrine, the Ultramarines are ambushed by Chaos Space Marines from the Black Legion. Three Ultramarines, including Sergeant Crastor, are killed but the ambush is thwarted. The squad continues on but they are again ambushed, this time by a Daemon Prince. The Daemon kills another Ultramarine and engages in combat with Captain Severus, and both combatants tumble over a cliff. With Severus gone and Sergeant Crastor dead, command of the squad falls to Proteus. While the rest of Ultima Squad wants to return to their strike cruiser and wait for reinforcements, Proteus decides to continue on to the distress beacon. At the reliquary at the shrine's summit, they find Chaplain Carnak and Brother Nidon, the sole surviving Imperial Fists. They reveal they have been protecting the Liber Mithrus, an ancient tome given to the Imperial Fists at their founding by the Emperor himself, and a sacred relic to them. Ultima Squad agrees to help Carnak and Nidon take the book to safety, but Verenor and Proteus are suspicious about how just the two of them have managed to survive for so long.
As Ultima Squad retreats to the extraction point, they are attacked by a massive force of Black Legion Marines. During the fight, Ultima Squad kills many of the attackers but suffer heavy casualties as well, being reduced down to four Ultramarines, Apothecary Pythol, Chaplain Carnak, and Brother Nidon. Just as Ultima Squad are about to be overwhelmed, Severus suddenly reappears and with his help, the remains of Ultima Squad, Carnak, and Nidon manage to escape back to the strike cruiser. Upon their return, Proteus confides to Severus about his suspicions of Carnak and Nidon believing that they may have been tainted by Chaos. Proteus and Severus along with Brother Hypax confront the Imperial Fists, with Severus taking the book and discovering that it is empty. When Hypax enters, the Ultramarines standard begins to burn, indicating the presence of Chaos. Declaring that Carnak is tainted by Chaos, Severus shoots and kills him. Nidon attacks Severus but is easily thrown off and knocked unconscious. Hypax questions why the standard continued to burn with the daemon Carnak dead. However, Proteus figures out that Severus was possessed by the Daemon that he fought. The possessed Severus knocks out Proteus and engages Hypax in close combat. Hypax is last seen shutting the armory door to protect Proteus. When Proteus and Nidon return to consciousness, they find Verenor standing over Hypax's dead body who had been slain by the very standard he had been entrusted with protecting. Under Verenor's leadership the three marines follow Daemon Severus discovering that it had killed the remaining member of Ultima Squad and had heavily injured Pythol. Proteus, Verenor, and Nidon chase Severus and confront him in the ship's reclusium. Severus knocks out Verenor and Nidon and pins down Proteus. He reveals that he plans to possess Proteus, and while disguised as him, stow away on the strike cruiser to reach the Ultramarines' homeworld of Macragge, whereupon he will use the Imperial Fists' tome to open a warp gate, allowing a horde of daemons to descend upon and destroy Macragge. However, Pythol arrives and intervenes, saving Proteus, but Daemon Severus kills him. However, Pythol's sacrifice allows Proteus to escape Severus' grip and grab one of the Ultramarines' sacred weapons, a Thunder Hammer while Verenor awakens and distracts Daemon Severus. Proteus uses the Thunder Hammer to kill Severus and banish the Daemon possessing him.
Afterwards, it is shown that Proteus is eventually promoted to Sergeant with Verenor as his second in command, and both Marines are preparing to lead their own Ultramarine squad into battle. The final scene mirrors the opening one, showing the new Ultramarine recruits swearing on the same hammer that Ultima Squad had sworn on and that Proteus had used to slay Daemon Severus.
at the Birmingham NEC.
Ultramarines was made by UK-based production company Codex Pictures
under licence from Games Workshop
, working in association with Good Story Productions Ltd and Montreal based POP6 Studios.
animated facial capture techniques. Image Metrics' previous credits include 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
.In 2006, The New York Times
heralded Image Metrics' techniques as "technology that captures the soul".A short teaser sequence showcasing the detail and treatment likely to be employed in the final film was released on Saturday 29 May 2010, on the official film website and simultaneously at the MCM Expo at ExCeL London. The second trailer for Ultramarines was premiered at UK Games Day
at the NEC, Birmingham Sunday September 26, 2010.
accompanied by a 32 page hardback graphic novel, Hard Choices 'What happened on Algol?'
, written by Dan Abnett
with art by renowned comic book artist David Roach
, was to be released worldwide on 29 November 2010.However, the release of the DVD was delayed due to a production problem, as reported by Codex Pictures on the 29th November 2010. The exact details of the problem have not been released, however Codex Pictures reported that the issue was not with the DVD, but with one of the other components of the collector's edition DVD.
Codex Pictures had then announced that the shipping of the film will begin in the week of Monday 6 December, and that they intend to prioritise the dispatch of the film, to their customers, according to the date they received the order, with the last dispatch taking place by the end of the week. This however was not the final resolution of the situation as there are still many people who have pre-ordered as far back as October and not received their package as of January 27, 2011. This matter is confused further by Codex Pictures's own site still offering the DVD for sale, and not offering clear warning that there remains an issue regarding supply of said media.
After release the film received mixed reviews. Some critics praised the story, saying that it is short but well paced and with good character interaction while others said the story was simplistic, slow to get to the action, and lacked a sense of mystery and importance. The music has been seen as a positive aspect of the film, with one reviewer saying that the score was "ominous and awe-inspiring by turn; never over-powering but lending a real atmosphere to the film". The film's attention to visual detail was also noted, with every piece of stained glass in the background telling a story.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
thriller CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
film set in Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
's fictional Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
universe and based around the Ultramarines
Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 setting created by Games Workshop, Space Marines are genetically modified "super human" soldiers created by the Emperor to conquer the galaxy and defend mankind. According to Games Workshop, there are over a thousand recorded chapters of Space Marines,...
Chapter of the Space Marines
Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000 setting created by Games Workshop, Space Marines are genetically modified "super human" soldiers created by the Emperor to conquer the galaxy and defend mankind. According to Games Workshop, there are over a thousand recorded chapters of Space Marines,...
. The screenplay was written by Black Library
Black Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop which is devoted to publishing novels and audiobooks set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes...
author Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
.
Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
, Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
, and John Hurt
John Hurt
John Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
head the cast of voice actors.
Plot
The first scene opens showing a group of Imperial Fists under attack. A space marine by the name of Nidon is told to protect "the Codex" at that moment, a fireball engulfs the marines.Brother Proteus and Captain Severus in close combat while being watched by the other members of Ultima squad. Proteus manages to pin Severus and demands him to yield but Severus escapes Proteus's grasp and in turn defeats him. Afterwards the members of Ultima squad are shown a sacred weapon of the Ultramarines, a Thunder Hammer that lies in their ship's reclusium. The Captain and the Apothecary lead Ultima in a swearing-in ceremony in which they they are sworn in on the Thunder Hammer. When the ceremony is finished, Severus tells Ultima Squad their mission's purpose.
Captain Severus of the Ultramarines Chapter receives a distress signal on the planet of Mithron. The only site of importance is a shrine guarded by a full company of the Imperial Fists, implying that if they are calling for help, matters are truly dire. Leaving the bulk of his company on Algol to continue an ongoing campaign, Severus sets off for Mithron with only the ten-man Ultima Squad for support. Accompanying is Apothecary Pythol, a veteran of many battles and Severus's de facto advisor. In the squad itself, Battle Brothers Proteus and Verenor are the most eager to prove themselves in battle. On the tough and unforgiving surface of Mithron, Ultima Squad discovers that a terrible battle has taken place. The planet's Imperial
Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
The Imperium of Man is a fictional galactic empire of over a million planets that contains the vast majority of humans in the forty-first millennium, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop....
shrine has been desecrated, the Imperial Fists detachment has been annihilated and vile evils unleashed. As unseen dangers close in around them, the recruits have to mount a tense and deadly insertion to find any surviving Imperial Fists, and the reason behind the distress beacon.
While investigating the ruins of the shrine, the Ultramarines are ambushed by Chaos Space Marines from the Black Legion. Three Ultramarines, including Sergeant Crastor, are killed but the ambush is thwarted. The squad continues on but they are again ambushed, this time by a Daemon Prince. The Daemon kills another Ultramarine and engages in combat with Captain Severus, and both combatants tumble over a cliff. With Severus gone and Sergeant Crastor dead, command of the squad falls to Proteus. While the rest of Ultima Squad wants to return to their strike cruiser and wait for reinforcements, Proteus decides to continue on to the distress beacon. At the reliquary at the shrine's summit, they find Chaplain Carnak and Brother Nidon, the sole surviving Imperial Fists. They reveal they have been protecting the Liber Mithrus, an ancient tome given to the Imperial Fists at their founding by the Emperor himself, and a sacred relic to them. Ultima Squad agrees to help Carnak and Nidon take the book to safety, but Verenor and Proteus are suspicious about how just the two of them have managed to survive for so long.
As Ultima Squad retreats to the extraction point, they are attacked by a massive force of Black Legion Marines. During the fight, Ultima Squad kills many of the attackers but suffer heavy casualties as well, being reduced down to four Ultramarines, Apothecary Pythol, Chaplain Carnak, and Brother Nidon. Just as Ultima Squad are about to be overwhelmed, Severus suddenly reappears and with his help, the remains of Ultima Squad, Carnak, and Nidon manage to escape back to the strike cruiser. Upon their return, Proteus confides to Severus about his suspicions of Carnak and Nidon believing that they may have been tainted by Chaos. Proteus and Severus along with Brother Hypax confront the Imperial Fists, with Severus taking the book and discovering that it is empty. When Hypax enters, the Ultramarines standard begins to burn, indicating the presence of Chaos. Declaring that Carnak is tainted by Chaos, Severus shoots and kills him. Nidon attacks Severus but is easily thrown off and knocked unconscious. Hypax questions why the standard continued to burn with the daemon Carnak dead. However, Proteus figures out that Severus was possessed by the Daemon that he fought. The possessed Severus knocks out Proteus and engages Hypax in close combat. Hypax is last seen shutting the armory door to protect Proteus. When Proteus and Nidon return to consciousness, they find Verenor standing over Hypax's dead body who had been slain by the very standard he had been entrusted with protecting. Under Verenor's leadership the three marines follow Daemon Severus discovering that it had killed the remaining member of Ultima Squad and had heavily injured Pythol. Proteus, Verenor, and Nidon chase Severus and confront him in the ship's reclusium. Severus knocks out Verenor and Nidon and pins down Proteus. He reveals that he plans to possess Proteus, and while disguised as him, stow away on the strike cruiser to reach the Ultramarines' homeworld of Macragge, whereupon he will use the Imperial Fists' tome to open a warp gate, allowing a horde of daemons to descend upon and destroy Macragge. However, Pythol arrives and intervenes, saving Proteus, but Daemon Severus kills him. However, Pythol's sacrifice allows Proteus to escape Severus' grip and grab one of the Ultramarines' sacred weapons, a Thunder Hammer while Verenor awakens and distracts Daemon Severus. Proteus uses the Thunder Hammer to kill Severus and banish the Daemon possessing him.
Afterwards, it is shown that Proteus is eventually promoted to Sergeant with Verenor as his second in command, and both Marines are preparing to lead their own Ultramarine squad into battle. The final scene mirrors the opening one, showing the new Ultramarine recruits swearing on the same hammer that Ultima Squad had sworn on and that Proteus had used to slay Daemon Severus.
Cast
- Terence StampTerence StampTerence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
- Captain Severus - John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
- Chaplain Carnak - Sean PertweeSean PertweeSean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
- Brother Proteus - Steve WaddingtonSteven WaddingtonSteven Waddington is an English actor who is probably best known for his supporting role in Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans. He trained at East 15 Acting School in Loughton Essex. His first film role was as the eponymous king in Derek Jarman's Edward II...
- Brother Verenor - Donald SumpterDonald SumpterDonald Sumpter is a British actor. He has appeared in film and television since the mid 1960s.-Life and work:One of his early television appearances was the 1968 Doctor Who serial The Wheel in Space with Patrick Troughton as the Doctor. He appeared in Doctor Who again in the 1972 serial The Sea...
- Apothecary Pythol - Johnny HarrisJohnny Harris (actor)Johnny Harris is an English actor.Harris was born in Lambeth, London. He left school with no qualifications. He won the Junior ABA National Boxing title aged 16, and lived in Paris, France between the ages of 17 and 20 before returning to London and embarking on an acting career.Upon completion of...
- Brother Nidon - Ben Bishop - Sergeant Crastor, Brother Junor and Brother Remulus
- Gary MartinGary Martin (actor)Gary Martin is a British voice artist and actor who has been in the industry since the early 1980s. His first recorded acting credit is as a chauffeur in the television series Nobody's Perfect. He has since gone on to perform in over 60 roles, either as a voice artist or actor...
- Brother Hypax, Brother Maxillius and Brother Decius - Christopher Finney - Brother Boreas and Brother Lycos
Production
Production of Ultramarines was announced at the 2009 Games DayGames Day
Games Day is a yearly run convention sponsored by Games Workshop. It has its origins in 1975, following the indefinite shelving of another games convention scheduled for August that year and a decision by Games Workshop to fill the resulting gap by running a gaming day of their own...
at the Birmingham NEC.
Ultramarines was made by UK-based production company Codex Pictures
Codex Pictures
Codex Pictures Limited is a British film production company, registered to Fisher Partners Acre House, London . Codex Pictures is a private limited company founded in 2008....
under licence from Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
, working in association with Good Story Productions Ltd and Montreal based POP6 Studios.
Animation
Ultramarines used Image MetricsImage Metrics
Image Metrics is a 3D facial animation company headquartered in Manchester and Santa Monica. Image Metrics are the makers of FACEWARE and Portable You and are providers of facial animation software and services to the visual effects industries.-About:...
animated facial capture techniques. Image Metrics' previous credits include Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II is a historical third-person action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the second video game installment of the Assassin's Creed series, and is a sequel to the 2007 video...
, NBA 2K10
NBA 2K10
NBA 2K10 is a basketball video game based on the National Basketball Association developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released on October 6, 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP and on October 12, 2009 on PC. It was released on Wii on November 9, 2009 in...
, The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
’ video "Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song by The Black Eyed Peas released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The E.N.D. The song uses the auto-tune vocal effect, and blends the genres of Electro-rap, dance-pop, electro hop and hip hop....
" and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
.In 2006, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
heralded Image Metrics' techniques as "technology that captures the soul".A short teaser sequence showcasing the detail and treatment likely to be employed in the final film was released on Saturday 29 May 2010, on the official film website and simultaneously at the MCM Expo at ExCeL London. The second trailer for Ultramarines was premiered at UK Games Day
Games Day
Games Day is a yearly run convention sponsored by Games Workshop. It has its origins in 1975, following the indefinite shelving of another games convention scheduled for August that year and a decision by Games Workshop to fill the resulting gap by running a gaming day of their own...
at the NEC, Birmingham Sunday September 26, 2010.
Release
The Special Edition DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
accompanied by a 32 page hardback graphic novel, Hard Choices 'What happened on Algol?'
Hard Choices 'What happened on Algol?'
Hard Choices 'What happened on Algol?' is a 32 page graphic novella prequel to Ultramarines : A Warhammer 40,000 Movie written by Dan Abnett, released as part of the Special Edition DVD on 29 November 2010....
, written by Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
with art by renowned comic book artist David Roach
David Roach (comics)
David Roach is a British comic book artist and writer based in Wales, United Kingdom. Roach actively illustrates for many companies, including 2000AD, Panini Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Topps, and the gaming company Wizards of the Coast....
, was to be released worldwide on 29 November 2010.However, the release of the DVD was delayed due to a production problem, as reported by Codex Pictures on the 29th November 2010. The exact details of the problem have not been released, however Codex Pictures reported that the issue was not with the DVD, but with one of the other components of the collector's edition DVD.
Codex Pictures had then announced that the shipping of the film will begin in the week of Monday 6 December, and that they intend to prioritise the dispatch of the film, to their customers, according to the date they received the order, with the last dispatch taking place by the end of the week. This however was not the final resolution of the situation as there are still many people who have pre-ordered as far back as October and not received their package as of January 27, 2011. This matter is confused further by Codex Pictures's own site still offering the DVD for sale, and not offering clear warning that there remains an issue regarding supply of said media.
Reception
Advanced preview screenings of Ultramarines: The Movie received generally favourable responses from a pool of selected viewers. The film itself has received mixed reviews, however, with the CGI and animations considered sub par by some. The CGI makes the Ultramarines seem "tall" and "thin", whilst much of the "set" of the film is conveniently shrouded in dust; the largest gripe has to be that given the detail and creativity put into Warhammer artwork, the film looks and feels cheap, rushed, and simple.After release the film received mixed reviews. Some critics praised the story, saying that it is short but well paced and with good character interaction while others said the story was simplistic, slow to get to the action, and lacked a sense of mystery and importance. The music has been seen as a positive aspect of the film, with one reviewer saying that the score was "ominous and awe-inspiring by turn; never over-powering but lending a real atmosphere to the film". The film's attention to visual detail was also noted, with every piece of stained glass in the background telling a story.