Review: I am Murloc

The Vitals:
"I am Murloc" is an original song written and performed by Level 70 Elite Tauren Cheiftan, a metal group made up of Blizzard employees who will be playing at BlizzCon in just a couple of weeks. The accompanying video reflects their Blizz-insider edge.

Story: 1/5:
What story? Unless you count murlocs jumping Aquaman among the great epic tales of our time (which you might), you won't be moved or motivated by the story of "I am Murloc."

Text and Titles: 3/5
L70ETC was considerate enough to give us subtitles of every line... Including those of the murlocs. Despite the psychedelic whirlpool backgrounds of many shots, the titles manage to remain visible, if not exactly inspiring. If you've ever wondered what iMovie can do for you in the realm of titles, "I am Murloc" is a good example of basic functionality.

Camera and Effects: 5/5
What can I say? Backdrops that look like they were ripped right off a tie-dye shirt, uncountable spell effect and camera-shattering pelvic thrusts. I'm a fan. L70ETC managed to create a pretty genuine feeling rock video complete with the lead singer stomping around the stage looking pensive. The band had access to the kinds of options the rest of us will never be able to wrestle out of the game or modeler, and the results show. The camera work was nicely done, including arcing aerial shots and dirt-scraping underbelly shots of running murlocs.

Music and Editing: 5/5
Whether or not your a fan of metal, "I am Murloc" is a cute and fairly clever jab at one of Azeroth's more feared denizens.

Overall Score: 3/5
I've replayed "I am Murloc" a dozen times now and it still makes me chuckle. The production values are good, though the privilaged use of Blizzard material and engine somewhat dampens my appreciation of their creativity.


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About the Author:
E.D. Lindquist is a multimedia consultant for a newspaper association. She has produced video for a major daily newspaper and helped to create standards for online production throughout California.