Review - Assassin's Creed (2016)

       Hey guys, Chuck here, and back during the summer, I took a look at the Ubisoft game franchise Assassin's Creed. And, I promised that I would talk about the 2016 Assassin's Creed movie some time around November. And, as I like to be a man of my word, this is my review of the 2016 movie Assassin's Creed, released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Justin Kurzel, and starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Michael K. Williams, Ariane Labed, Callum Turner, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling, Essie Davis, and Jeremy Irons. 

       So, just like the games, the movie Assassin's Creed focuses on the eternal war between the Assassin's brotherhood and the Templar Order. Our main protagonist is Callum Lynch, who saw the aftermath of his mother's death at hands of his father, Joseph, who is taken by agents working for the Abstergo Foundation, a subdivision of Abstergo Industries. As an adult, Cal is on death row awaiting execution by lethal injection, with his final words being "Tell my father I'll see him in Hell." What got him on death row? Well, as he later remarks, Cal killed a pimp. Huh.

       Anyway, the injection wasn't as lethal as it should have been, and Cal wakes up at the Abstergo Foundation facility in Spain, where the foundation's head doctor, Sofia Rikkin, informs him that he's technically dead and no longer exists. And, it's revealed that Sofia needs Cal's help, and plugs him into the Animus to relive the memories of Aguilar de Nerha, an Assassin during the time of the Spanish Inquisition. And, it's during Cal's Animus sessions that we learn Aguilar, along with other Assassins at the time like Maria, fought against the Templar controlled Inquisitors, led by Tomas de Torquemada, who of course sought the Apple of Eden. The Sultan has the Apple, and Torquemada and his men plan to exchange the Sultan's son for the Apple. 

        Outside of the Animus, Cal meets others in the Abstergo facility, all of whom are descendants of past Assassins. For instance, Moussa is descended from Haitian Assassin Baptiste from AC: Liberation, and Nathan is descended from Duncan Walpole from AC IV: Black Flag. Also, Cal meets Abstergo CEO Alan Rikkin, who takes Cal to Joseph, who is in the facility. And, it's during this final scene between father and son that Joseph reveals to Cal the reason for his past actions. Cal's blood, like that of his mother and father, belongs to the Creed. Knowing that Abstergo would use Cal's mother to get the Apple, her only reprieve from being forced into the Animus was death. And, the Apple itself contains, quite literally, the genetic code for free will. Still bitter about his mother's death, and everything not being in his control, Cal dives into the Animus once more, and it's revealed that Aguilar did, indeed, liberate the Apple from the Templars, and gave it to an ally of the Assassins brotherhood for safekeeping. That ally? Christopher Columbus. And, guess what? The Apple is in Spain, buried with Columbus. 

       Unfortunately, Alan and Sofia decide to purge the facility before collecting the Apple. Luckily, Cal and a few others are able to fend off Abstergo guards and escape, eventually tracking the Alan and Sofia to London, where they present the Apple of Eden to a massive gathering of Templars. Cal slits Alan's throat, and reclaims the Apple, and he and the Assassins take off, vowing to work together to keep it safe. 

      Okay, so admittedly, Assassin's Creed is not a perfect movie, nor is it a great movie. It is, however, a decent movie based on a beloved video game that, while telling its own original story, it is very much in line with the original Assassin's Creed game. I do like the setting of the Spanish Inquisition for the segments in the Animus, although they come off as short snippets rather than extended sequences. However, I think that it's an acceptable switch, as it helps the audience build a connection to the film's protagonist. 

      Speaking of which, Michael Fassbender was definitely enjoyable as Callum Lynch. He definitely comes off as the reluctant protagonist, and it's neat to see him slowly accept his Assassin lineage. And the scene he shares with Brendan Gleeson, who takes on the role of Cal's father Joseph, is easily ome of the more transformative moments Cal has in the movie. I also liked the other Assassin descendants in the movie, like Michael K. Williams as Moussa. It really shows not only how many Assassins still exist, but also how many were being used by Abstergo in their experiments with the Animus. 

        And on the subject of the Animus, game fans will notice that it's no longer a table or lounge chair as it's been in the games, but is instead a full-motion armature, which allows Cal to run around, fight, and scale up walls and pillars. This change was done to be more cinematic, and to avoid unnecessary comparisons to The Matrix . But, there are many Easter eggs for the games, like Connor's bow and arrows, Edward Kenway's flintlock pistols, Altaïr's sword, the smoke bombs, the hidden blades, even a projection of Arno Dorian from AC: Unity as one of Cal's Assassin ancestors. 

        Unfortunately, our villains at Abstergo are possibly the weakest point of the movie. Not saying that either Marion Cotillard as Sofia Rikkin or Jeremy Irons as Alan Rikkin were terrible, as they were both pretty good. But, their motivation is exactly like Abstergo's motivation in the games, but without the charismatic Warren Vidic to lead the pack. Now granted, Alan Rikkin was Abstergo CEO in the games, but it's not like we actually saw much of him in favor of more interesting Abstergo agents like Warren Vidic, Daniel Cross, Melanie Lemay, and so forth. Now, as a game fan, I did enjoy the on-screen appearance of Alan Rikkin, as well as the introduction of Sofia Rikkin, but a part of me wishes they had more personality. 

       Overall, Assassin's Creed is a decent movie, but a bit ahead of its time. I think that Justin Kurzel made a decent movie, with a record-setting freefall jump set for the signature "Leap of Faith" that the games are famous for, as well as impressive parkour and free running. However, all of that, plus fun nods to the games, aren't enough to save a script that was just decent. So, I'm giving Assassin's Creed a rating of 3.95/5. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time.