Assassin’s Creed (2016) Movie Review
Synopsis:
Cal Lynch (Michael Fassbender) relives the life of his late assassin relative, Aguilar de Nerha, through the Animus. He also learns of an ongoing war between long-term rivals, the Assassins' Creed and the Templar Order.
Review:
Assassin’s Creed has captured the attention of video game fans since its introduction in 2007.
Each game depicted unique periods of history and a range of protagonists. It's a franchise that showed no signs of slowing down.
It soon did, though, when they decided to release a feature-length Assassin’s Creed film.
As with most video game adaptations, Assassin’s Creed falls short in many important areas.
Its plot is far too jumbled, and its characters leave little room for actual development.
While Fassbender is a decent actor in this, the film’s simplistic script doesn’t do him any favors.
This rule also applies to Marion Cotillard’s Sofia Rikkin. It also applies to her father, Jeremy Irons’ Alan Rikkin.
Marion’s role is that of an efficient and ambitious scientist. Outside of these traits, her character has no further development.
While Irons has some presence, there is little else to his character. This is beyond being a successful businessman.
Although the plot and characters are paper-thin, most action sequences are well-handled.
They present themselves in a similar way to that of earlier Assassin’s Creed video game titles.
This includes an emphasis on parkour and the use of hidden blades. For any fan who is looking to see these skills in action, this film is above average.
Despite the good choreography, some shots are difficult to follow.
This could be a result of the film’s emphasis on quick cuts and close-up shots.
These could have improved if the stunt doubles and actors had more rehearsal time. Also, emphasizing the use of wider shots would have been welcome.
Most of the action is also backed up by the film’s good use of visuals throughout.
Assassin’s Creed’s visual style in the past has many highlights. Despite this, the present day is lacking in comparison.
Given how much of a focus there is on Cal’s journey in this environment, this makes it even more distracting.
What’s also somewhat confusing is how out of place most of the soundtrack feels.
When fans think of Assassin’s Creed, they expect sweeping, mystical pieces of music. These should also complement the game's environments.
This film, though, uses random inserts of guitars or generic rock music. As a whole, this detracts from the experience.
Conclusion:
As a whole, Assassin’s Creed falls into many of the similar traps that befall most video game-to-film adaptations.
Its characters and plot aren't fleshed out enough. It also has an inconsistent tone throughout. This film’s positives are its action sequences and visuals.
Despite those positives, they are not enough to make it an experience worth revisiting.
Sam’s Action Reaction score:
Characters - 5/10
Story - 5.5/10
Action - 6.5/10
Visuals - 7/10
Soundtrack - 6/10
Overall score: 6 out of 10
