I'm not what you'd call a big Tolkien fan. I read The Hobbit in public school, I enjoyed the movie trilogy, I get the references in most of the memes, and that's about as far as it goes. Even so, I can't shake the feeling that this new "Marauder Tribe" trailer for the upcoming Middle-earth: Shadow of War isn't quite what ol' JRR had in mind when he envisioned the fearsome, ferocious Orcs.
Maybe it's the bling. Maybe it's the beat. Maybe it's the way they strike a pose and bust a move as they work to demonstrate their commitment to "power" and "respect." It just feels off somehow—the sort of thing that might fit well with, say, Agents of Mayhem, but comes off as out of place in the world of Tom Bombadil.
Then again, Shelob isn't quite the same as I remember her, either.
The Marauders aren't the only "themed" Orcish tribe on the menu: Previous trailers have introduced the Machine tribe (they make machines) and the Terror tribe (they cause terror). And to be fair to all involved, messing with the source material may not be the worst approach to take. As Joe said in his preview from last week, "When there's this much fun to be had tearing Mordor and beyond apart who's really complaining?"
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is set to come out on October 10.