Assassin's Creed
There are stories and movies that sometimes make you forget what is real and what isn’t. And then comes a video game that toes the line between real and unreal so much that you forget that you are only playing it and not a part of it.
Assassin’s Creed is one such game. With every game in the franchise that comes out, Ubisoft outdoes itself. Every. Single. Time! So imagine my wonder when one day, while lazily scrolling through Netflix, I come across a live-action movie version of one of the most loved video game franchises there ever is.
I got to watch the movie almost immediately! If you are familiar with the game’s premise, let me tell you this: while the movie follows the premise of the game, the story is entirely original. It follows Callum Lynch who gets to explore the memories of his ancestor Aguilar de Nerha with the help of a machine, called Animus. The movie follows the same universe and the Assassin Brotherhood in their eternal fight to protect “The Apple” (enough of a spoiler already 😅😅).
The rest of the story follows Callum and him coming to terms with his legacy. Through it all, we find Callum struggling to understand his father’s betrayal and wanting to know more about why he is the way he is. The movie is essentially along the well-known trope of the good vs. evil battle. And the evil, being the filthy rich, organized and well-established organization that they are, are already way ahead of the good. The good, however, struggle, fight, argue, in-fight and finally come to their senses when the evil has almost reached the finish line, get ready to fight them.
The movie had a great premise and some good performances, especially from the supporting cast. Michael Fassbender as Callum was underwhelming. However, like Aguilar, he was better. The movie, compared to the game was only lukewarm and not really very engaging. The plot was almost too predictable and except for one unexpected event involving a Spanish explorer, you could almost tell what would be happening next towards the end. The Assassins rally together and literally save “free will”. The VFX was the saving grace of a movie that almost ended up being a disaster. And yes, I was expecting a put you on the edge of your seat thriller. And all I got was a trope that had been done too many times to count earlier.
To conclude this, I’d say that the movie had too much material to work with and yet it failed to deliver. However, if you are looking for an action-adventure game, without any prior knowledge of Assassins Creed, you will not be disappointed. There were several moments in the game when I wondered will it ever end. But being the optimist that I am, I could not help but think maybe this will get better. My verdict for this one will be “In case you really are seeking some mythology induced thrill, I suggest you try out one of the games from the Assassins Creed franchise. I promise you will not be disappointed!” Or you can just watch this one, I guess. That’s all from my end. For now. See you next time!
Disclaimer: The above review solely illustrates the views of the writer.