Assassin's Creed: The Movie Review

I will make no secret of being a long time fan of this game series. (And by “fan,” I mean I have the game's logo and tagline tattooed on my bicep.)  I know from experience, though, that making the leap from the console world onto the silver screen is not something we have seen done successfully. There are a number of series that have tried, some actually having concepts that could work, but none so far have been considered successful. But you are not here for the history of Video Game movies; you want to know about this most recent entry into is annals.

The movie follows the modern day life of Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender), a criminal whose ancestry is of vital interest to the shadowy Abstergo Corporation. Scientist Sofia Rikkin (Marion Cotillard) and her father (Jeremy Irons) want to attach Cal to the Animus, a machine that will allow him to relive the memories of his ancestor Aguilar, an assassin living in 15th-century Spain. What follows is the back-and-forth between past and present that one familiar with the game series would expect. The constant time-shifting doesn't work quite as well in the movie as it does in the games, where it's basically there to be the reason you can “die” and try a mission again. The shift is also shown much more frequently, with constant mid-battle cuts to Cal fighting air while attached to the mechanical arm of the Animus. (More on the Animus below.) Cal's struggle to keep past and present separated is presented well, with the Bleeding Effect used to great effect and playing out differently from any entry in the game series. The conflict between the Assassins and the Templars is quite similar to the very first game, with someone on the outside of the Brotherhood being brought in

The Animus itself has been given a face lift to make it more accessible to the people around it. In the games it is shown to be a simulation that can be shown on monitors and is experienced by the participant within their mind. It is given a more cinematic flair, with the participant being connected to a robotic arm to aid in them replicating the feats of their ancestors physically as they relive the memories. Though a huge departure from the simple setup of the game series, this more dynamic Animus lends itself very well to the action that a movie needs. Around the participant is a projection of the memories that they are experiencing. Everyone in the room can see the memories and hear what is being said. (The Animus itself normally translates the language spoken into modern English, but they apparently had it set up to speak in modern Spanish instead.)

Overall, it is one of the best  Video Game-based movies to date. This is not a high bar to clear, but it does a good job to raise the bar of what Video Game Movies can offer. It had the budget it needed, a little star power to draw people in and a believable story within the world of the game itself. It gives a strong presentation of the world within the game. It has a lot of appeal for Gamers and at least something for the general movie-going public. This makes the movie something you can recommend to someone even with just basic knowledge of what happens in the games. It also happens to make a fun popcorn flick if you do not know the game series and enjoy the performers' work. Remember, “Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted.”