Today’s quick review: Assassin’s Creed. Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) comes from a long line of Assassins, killers who protect the world from the Knights Templar. Abducted by the Templars’ modern incarnation, the Abstergo Foundation, Callum is forced to relive the memories of his ancestor, Aguilar de Nehra, and discover the location of the Apple of Eden, an artifact that holds the key to free will.
Assassin’s Creed is an action adventure movie with a historical twist and science fiction elements. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Assassin’s Creed makes for an unusually plot-heavy take on the action genre. It layers its action with the drama of a centuries-old conflict and a protagonist torn between two paths. However, the movie falls short of its ambitions thanks to a mediocre plot, weak characters, and middling action.
Assassin’s Creed gives a credible effort at realizing its premise. The production values are high, the presentation is serious, and the cast includes skilled dramatic actors Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Jeremy Irons. The action makes use of the Assassins’ stealth, agility, and trick weaponry. Sufficient care goes into the setting and the alternate history it posits, although crucial questions are left unanswered.
But the film is undermined by a shaky core. Callum’s character is poorly defined, making his growth throughout the movie feel empty. Neither Callum nor Aguilar receives a full story, only excerpts of one. The Assassins are a dubious band of heroes with muddy ideology and little individual personality. The fight choreography isn’t as imaginative as it could be, and the action sequences aren’t spectacular enough to carry the film.
Give Assassin’s Creed a shot when you are in the mood for hand-to-hand combat, rooftop chases, and a dramatic plot. The movie works well enough as a popcorn flick, but it lacks the impact to work as a drama or the innovation to stand out as an action film. For a similar style of action movie, check out Prince of Persia. For a century-spanning drama with more vision, check out Cloud Atlas.
5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for an interesting premise and decent action hampered by mixed execution.