Assassin’s Creed

Unsurprisingly, this is not the videogame adaptation to end all shitty videogame adaptations like many had hoped for, but surprisingly, the final product actually isn’t half bad.

Based on and taking place in the same world as the games, Assassin’s Creed follows Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) as he is taken prisoner and manipulated by the all powerful Abstergo corporation, the modern embodiment of the Templars, in order to find the immensely powerful object called the Apple of Eden, a mythical orb that has the ability to strip humanity of their freewill. At the other end of the spectrum are the Assassins, a secret society of men and woman who will stop at nothing to keep the Templars in check, and who make it their mission to collect the Apple of Eden before the Templars can get their dirty hands on it. In the film, Callum has been taken captive to help the Templars find the Apple through – and here’s the kicker – his ancestor, assassin Aguilar de Nerha’s memories. Enter the Animus, a sophisticated piece of equipment that allows subjects to enter and relive their ancestor’s memories, a technique that the Templars use daily to slowly unravel the mysteries of the order of Assassin’s, obtain information to help their cause, and most importantly, find all pieces of Eden in order for their evil plan to go off without a hitch. Whew, lots to explain there.

To any normal moviegoer, this may sound a little convoluted, if not downright silly, but to a seasoned Assassin’s Creed gamer like myself, adhering to this weird storyline without making too many adjustments is just the first step in making a halfway decent adaptation of the source material. Ubisoft (the game company that makes Assassin’s Creed) made it a point to keep in line with the games as much as possible, even going as far to say that this film is canon with what has come before in the games, so already off the bat, this film is being treated a little differently than a typical half-assed videogame adaptation, and it shows.

Not only does the production design look spot on, but also the costumes and actual look and feel of the film, all of which are in line with what is presented in the games to a staggering degree. Director Justin Kurzel, while clearly not concerned with producing anything of substance, is able to deftly craft some truly interesting shots and construct scenes that look pretty and are fun to watch, a feat that most videogame adaptations fail miserably at time and time again. In all honesty, the reason why I didn’t give this film a lower rating is because the transition from game to screen has been realized so fully, whether it be having the historical scenes acted all in Spanish, the minute details on Aguilar’s costume or the way the assassins act and move and fight, everything here that attempts to recreate the feel of the videogames has more or less hit the nail on the head.

All of that is well and good, but when it comes to actually telling a story, this film isn’t going to wow anyone outside of the base ideas regarding Assassin’s Creed mythology and the like, so luckily the script is at least able to pull off just enough to not be considered an absolute failure. No, there’s no real character work here nor any real moments that’ll have you remembering the story after you walk out of the theater, but as a fan of the franchise, I enjoyed most of what was presented here, even in it’s very limited way. It’s not like I bought a ticket (or the games even) for the story, it’s the action and being transported back to a different time period where everything I’ve ever done in the games has been reflected back in the film that made this experience worth it. When Aguilar and his partner silently take out three Templars as they rush across rooftops only to climb up a massive building to run along the edge ten stories above the ground to dive off and assassinate another Templar as they fight in one unbroken chain, I couldn’t help but smile considering that’s exactly what I be doing in the game on a minute by minute basis.

And here is where the film actually delivers: the Assassin on Templar action scenes. In both the present day and historical setting, the one thing this movie knocks out of the park is the action sequences. I couldn’t help but feel giddy when these scenes came around because I had such a strong feeling of reliving what I’ve played before, from the weapons used, to the combat, to the parkour-esque running sequences that literally could have been ripped right from an in-game cut scene. Unfortunately, everything else outside of these standout scenes really isn’t worth anyone’s time. As mentioned before, the story isn’t anything important, especially the tacked on and rushed epilogue of sorts, and the mythology and inner-working of this world may be a bit too much for someone unfamiliar with the franchise, so with all that coupled with some non-existent character work and, at times, special effects that try a bit too hard (all that smoke isn’t fooling anyone), mixed with some bad pacing issues and a subplot that deserved more attention, and it’s clear that this is still a videogame movie rather than anything remotely resembling an actual good movie.

Assassin’s Creed doesn’t shy away from the fact that it’s basically a giant Hollywood ploy to get the Assassin’s Creed brand out in front of more people, but with a style over substance approach that highlights the great action and historical sensibilities of the games, I couldn’t help but enjoy what I was watching way more than expected. This is by no means a good movie, but it’s by far the best videogame adaptation in recent memory, so if you’re a fan of the series or just like a fun film to pass the time, go check this out, as for everyone else, maybe pick up an Assassin’s Creed game first before circling back to this one.