Assassin's Creed

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Once again, my experience is minimal at best. All I've really done with the 'Assassin's Creed' game series is offer myself the short end of the stick by only ever renting and playing the first. Why? Because I'm a stickler for playing and watching things "in order", and I really need to learn that a lot of the time with gaming, it doesn't matter all that much. It was long enough ago that I don't remember much, but what stood out was how incredibly easy it was to hide from idiots by pulling up that hood. I also remember hay-diving, and having to start at the same God-forsaken point every single time.

Needless to say, I wasn't the biggest fan of the game. Most will tell me, however, that it's probably the lamest of the series (although I'm not sure if it has been replaced with a lamer title. That's all up to the fan-base). The idea is interesting enough. You control a character who lives in the modern day named Desmond Miles who lives the genetic memories of his ancestor, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad through a machine known as the "Animus". As the game unfolds, as do details about the struggle between the Assassin Brotherhood; fighting for peace through free will, and the Knights Templar; also fighting for peace, but through control. I suppose one could think Jedi/Empire.

Both seek an ancient relic called the "Apple of Eden", which can be used for mind-control. As the Templar wants it for fairly obvious reasons, the Assassins wish to intercept and destroy it before it falls in the wrong hands. The game is played in a pretty open-world setting, and focuses largely on combat, parkour, and "stealth" (a part of the game I consider insanely broken). All things considered, adaptation-wise, this actually does a pretty good job, but unfortunately doesn't come without a few glaring problems - not the least of which is the simple fact that it's actually kind of boring (of course, I'm only speaking for myself here).

In the movie, we meet Cal Lynch (Michael Fassbender) who uses a revolutionary new technology to time-travel to 15th-century Spain by using his genetic memories from his DNA. In Spain, he lives out the experiences of a distant relative and member of the Assassin Brotherhood, Aguilar de Nerha (Also Fassbender). Using his experiences from the past, Cal soon develops skills he needs to stand up against the very corporation sending him back, soon realizing he's being used to obtain an ancient relic - and yeah, it's also the Apple. So really, aside from maybe using the proper names, this isn't entirely off from what it's supposed to be. But what about that boredom I experienced?

The film also gives us the characters of head scientist, Sofia (Marion Cotillard), CEO of the Templars' Abstergo Foundation, Rikkin (Jeremy Irons), Cal's father, Joseph (Brendan Gleeson), fellow assassins, Lin (Michelle H. Lin) and Moussa (Michael Kenneth Williams). In all honesty, this was just to illustrate some of the star-power the film has. Each has their respective role, but I could also be here all day unfolding the plot when what a review comes down to is "what did I think about it?" Despite my overall boredom here, I have to admit that the film had its moments that reminded me of my in-game experiences and, honestly, I think the boredom might be a "me" thing. There was something about the way they talked in this that started slowly putting me to sleep.

That's not to say that the action and adventure that takes place in the games isn't there, but I think it's overshadowed by a bit of a convoluted plot, and quite a bit of exposition. I can't say I hated it, but I can admit when a movie doesn't strike me, and this sure as hell didn't strike me in any particular way. With a movie like this, I like to say it's just sort of "there". It exists, and I didn't have any real reason to check it out until the purposes of this review. It does, however, put a glimmer of hope in one's imagination for Hollywood finally getting video game movies right - but again, this is all up for debate. 

​3/5

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