Warhammer 40k: Ultramarines movie

- Revised February 2026

I’ve never played the Warhammer 40k tabletop game, but I’ve been fascinated by its massive and over-the-top lore. The series has been running for over 20 years and, naturally, being one of the biggest tabletop franchises, it eventually received a movie adaptation a few years ago.

The first CGI movie focuses on the poster children of the Space Marines: the Ultramarines also known jokingly as the “Ultrasmurfs.” They’re not my personal favorite, but they’re probably the most well-known Space Marine Chapter to the general public.

 The story itself is straightforward. A group of Space Marines embarks on their first real mission as fully-fledged Astartes, tasked with rescuing fellow battle brother from another Chapter. Naturally, things go awry: they face Chaos Marines and a Demon Prince, and two of the Ultramarines emerge as heroes after the trial.

If you’re planning to watch the movie, don’t expect Hollywood-level animation or even the quality seen in Dawn of War CGI cutscenes. The backgrounds and general animation are quite basic, though the power armor details are impressive.

I can’t say the movie represents the full scope of the 40k universe, since it focuses almost entirely on Space Marines versus Chaos. Other major factions like the Eldar or Orks, which make the 40k setting so rich and diverse, don’t appear at all.

Still, if you’re a Space Marine fan, you’ll probably enjoy it. But as a gateway into the larger 40k universe, this movie falls short — it’s entertaining, but it only scratches the surface.