Last updated on August 18th, 2017
“Where other men blindly follow the truth, Remember, nothing is true. Where other men are limited by morality or law, Remember, everything is permitted. We work in the dark to serve the light. We are assassins.”
To the whole world, the Assassins are just a bunch of silent murderers who only think about violence. Little do the people know that the so-called ‘creators of violence’ protect the world from the wrath of the Templars, who seek to restore ‘Order’ in mankind. Be wary that the so called tech giant, ‘Abstergo Industries’ is just a hoax, and rather acts as a front for these Templars.
This is what the movie is all about, and Ubisoft has done a decent job in presenting this fact in a fast-paced thriller. If you are an Assassin’s Creed fan then you won’t notice the time passing by and rather be hooked to the movie completely. The plot as well as character design is exquisite. Undoubtedly, the show-stealer is Fassbender, performing the role of a convict and an assassin at the same time. Oops, he should rather be called as the “Magnassin”!
Don’t worry, we won’t dive into much details to reveal the ‘spoilers’. But we would definitely highlight some indelible moments in the plot-line. Declaring the convicted, Callum Lynch (Fassbender), as deceased, the Abstergo guys, fake his death and take him into custody as a test subject.
“The entire past is portrayed in Spanish which makes the movie more authentic”
Cal seems to be the only alive person in the world whose DNA traces back to the people possessing the First Civilization artifact, known as the “Apple of Eden”. And that’s what they do. They put him in the Animus, and transport his subconscious mind, to late 15th century, the period of Spanish Inquisition.
And finally, we get to see his ancestor, Aguilar, an Assassin. His aura augmented by the hidden blades and flashy robes, intensify the assassin’s presence. We love what Ubi did to vividly reflect his personality. Most noteworthy to witness is the chemistry between Aguilar and his fellow assassin, Mariah (Ariane Labed), who also happens to be his love interest.
Don’t know about you fellas, but compared to the bond shared between Arno and Elise from Unity, we rather like the Aguilar-Mariah duo. The latter mates seem to be in complete sync and rather prioritize the responsibilities for the creed over feelings they share for each other. We expected to see more from Mariah but unfortunately, her role is short-lived.
“Most noteworthy to witness is the chemistry between Aguilar and Mariah”
The best fact about the movie though is the entire past being portrayed in the Spanish language. The characters speak Spanish which adds more authenticity to the plot. Don’t worry, as English subtitles are also shown accordingly to make you feel comfortable. Most of the elements in the plot-line have been borrowed from various AC games, which is quite obvious. If you happen to be an AC follower, then those moments will feel ‘rich’ and ‘special’. They will amp up your experience while watching the movie.
The action sequences are marvelous and like any AC fan, the wall-climbing mechanics have been portrayed very accurately, to match the precision of the same implemented in the Assassin’s Creed games. The way Aguilar and Mariah, make the signature Assassin postures while performing assassinations or standing on the roof, it’s just perfect. Woah! And the ‘Leap of Faiths’ just happen to spice up the excitement.
“People need to gain some prerequiste knowledge to truly enjoy the movie”
Aguilar almost made me feel like, the legendary AC character, Ezio is back. So, the catch here is, the people who have no idea about the AC universe and especially non-gamers, may not appreciate it. Various alien terminologies like First Civilization may make them face difficulties in understanding the plot. Hence, we would recommend them to get acquainted with the AC universe in a nutshell before watching the movie.
Here’s another video that summarizes the story of First Civilization and various artifacts.
In fact, Assassin’s Creed fans may consider watching the above-mentioned videos to pass their time and relive the good old memories.
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So, let’s come back and carry on with our discussion on the movie. Several people also criticized it, for not having frequent action sequences. Well, this is not a Marvel movie but rather a form of storytelling and fiction. And judging by how the movie has been made, Ubisoft has well maintained the balance between action and storytelling to even make non-gamers feel comfortable with the plot-line. In my opinion, the script writers have pulled off quite the effort for the first movie in the franchise. It serves as a good introduction.
You’ll get to see more of the present-day events compared to the past. And Fassbender has exhibited his role in sheer perfection as Callum Lynch, convicted of murder. I liked the transformation in his personality from a clueless convict to a hero. Bear in mind, after performing the second Leap of Faith, Fassbender steals the show. You have to watch the movie to witness that scene. But that very specific moment is the best part in my opinion.
On the other hand, Marion Cotillard as Dr. Sophia Rikkin seemed okay but her presence felt nullified in the story. Her role lacked the charisma to define her screenplay time. She is one character that Ubi needs to work if there are plans of her coming back in the possible sequel. In contrast, Mariah’s role in the movie was very short but she made her presence felt throughout the movie.
“The movie lacks a good ending which could have made it more special”
Furthermore, the ending was not satisfactory. The Assassins perform a Leap Of Faith, which is not shown as the climax. According to me, if the ending scene had a Fassbender mid-air while performing the Leap of Faith, it would have been magnificent. And that very specific scene could have been converted to an artistic sketch or oil painting to define the climax. It’s just that kind of finishing touch that the movie is missing.
But to be frank, we did not expect the movie to be this exciting and beautiful in its own world.
Final Verdict
Assassin’s Creed is a nicely executed story-driven fiction and thriller completely in canon with its video game counterpart. It’s the perfect alternative for hungry Assassins who have been patiently waiting for an AC game since last year. Movie enthusiasts who have never been introduced to this franchise should definitely consider watching it but with a little bit of per-requisite knowledge about its universe.
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