"Assassin's Creed" Movie Review

Before I start, let me say I have only played one of the Assassin's Creed games, Black Flag, and that was just because I have a slight obsession with pirates. However, several of my friends love the Assassin's Creed series and have told me a lot about them. That being said, I feel that the film was a huge let down. As much hype and rave as the games have gotten, the film did not do them justice at all.

Callum Lynch, played by Michael Fassbender, is a murderer and is being sentenced to death. However, the Abstergo Foundation has discovered that Cal is a direct descendant of the assassin Aguilar. Aguilar hid a particular artifact and Abstergo is desperate to find it. So, they take Cal back to their facility, resuscitate him, and offer him a new life in exchange for his help. He has to use the Animus, which is a machine that allows him to enter his ancestor's memories. Abstergo wants to observe the memories in hopes of finding the lost artifact, the Apple of Eden. Why does Abstergo want the Apple of Eden? Simple! They want it because the Apple contains the seed that can alter free will. Abstergo wants to use the seed to strip humanity of its free will and eradicate violence.

The film has a good story and decent acting, but what hurts the film most is that it drags in the wrong parts and doesn't explain enough for those that have never played the games. I'm sure that fans of the game series will love the film but otherwise, it fails to captivate the casual viewers. The acting was decent enough but it wasn't Fassbender's or Cotillard's best. The one good thing I can say about it is that the action sequences are spectacular and incredibly choreographed. It's too bad that that's all the film had going for it. The potential was there, but it didn't measure up to what it could've been. I give the film a 2 out of 4.