Review of Assassin's Creed (2016) by Cristane — 22 Dec 2016

Seeing this through the eyes of a gamer who has played almost all of the AC games, I have to say, this checks so many of the boxes I wanted it to check. It's a love letter to the source material, and a treat for the fans, but, I can only assume, a confusing mess for others.

Me? I found it difficult to wipe the big fat smile off my face while Callum / Aguilar is racing through buildings, on rooftops, killing guards left and right before doing a Leap of Faith. All of the action is so well done and shot, full of practical effects and stunts, and a spectacular, fast paced style, reminiscent of the games themselves.

Now, I am not an idiot. This is a flawed movie, especially when it comes to its convoluted, disappointing story. There's no real stakes, there's no real enemy, just a very silly chase for an "apple", and characters - whether Templars or Assassins - you never end up caring about. And it's a shame - the games provide a great framework in which thousands of different stories can be told. I wish they crafted a better one.

But, in the end, what got me was everything else. The breathtaking action. The incredible cinematography. All the winks to fans. The weirdness of it all, an expensive weirdness the likes Hollywood has never seen before. (Seriously, name me another movie with a budget as high as this one that is so unconcerned with being mainstream).

Also, props to Justin Kurzel and his DP, Adam Arkapaw. After crafting the most beautiful "Macbeth" ever put on film, here they go again, proving they are among the most interesting visual filmmakers of these recent years.