Review
2/5
'Assassin's Creed had plenty of pressure, not only was it being helmed by the core trio behind Macbeth, but it also needed to break the spell on tragic video game adaptations.
As the man who successfully reimagined Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, you'd think that Justin Kurzel and his two leads could convert a film about ancient parkour into a thrilling visual experience. And thankfully, for its faults, the scenes taking place in the Spanish Inquisition are filmed with stylish intensity and slick choreography. Fassbender scales rooftops, spins spears like a hula hoop and leaps from horses in sequences which are choppy and vivid, but a little too fast.
We are rushed along at a pace not even Fassbender's Assassin could keep up with, skipping from scene to scene all in service of plot but very little in service of character. Neither of Fassbender's incarnations, the Assassin Aguilar de Nerha or death row convict Callum Lynch, are developed enough to make you care about their conquests in the past or the present. They are given nothing to do except wear their hidden blades and look sullen in most scenes they're in.
At the pace it moves Lynch's character arc, from being a rebellious and carefree prisoner to becoming a faithful loyalist to the Creed feels rushed and unbelievable.
Not even the wider conflict, the age old grudge match between the democratic Assassins and the dictatorial Templars is developed enough to make any stakes seem engaging, so viewers struggle to invest in anything that is going on. Delving into the pass and becoming immersed in the ancient conflict was one of the biggest appeals of the games, but it feels very much like a sidelined focus here, used as a plot device used to serve the scenes in the present day. It is admirable that Kurzel wanted to draw more attention to the contemporary struggle, but there is not a satisfying balance and leaves audiences wanting much more of Cal's Spanish ancestor, or indeed, just more of the past.
Verdict: Assassin's Creed favours spectacle over substance, with engaging action scenes and a good concept. Even though Kurzel's film admirably attempts to make audiences engage more with the modern day story, it leaves you feeling cheated out of a different and better story in the Spanish Inquisition.'
Analysis
I was thoroughly disappointed in Assassin's Creed, mainly because the expectation was high due to the previous work of the director and the lead actors when they all worked on the harrowingly beautiful Macbeth in 2015. Therefore I wanted to make sure that readers were aware of the decline in quality between the two films, and consequently I included the line 'you'd think that Justin Kurzel and his two leads could convert a film about ancient parkour into a thrilling visual experience,' as both a mocking but critical comment that highlights the unexpected disappointment.
Since the main appeal of the film was its action, I decided to make sure that I showed this with 'thankfully, for its faults, the scenes taking place in the Spanish Inquisition are filmed with stylish intensity and slick choreography'. The adverb 'thankfully' shows that the action is the redeeming quality of the film. Like with the tagline I came up with that played on the context of the film, I also continued with references to the context, such as 'we are rushed along at a pace not even Fassbender's Assassin could keep up with,' suggesting that the film is too fast-paced and doesn't allow time to get to know the characters. I have critically observed that neither of the protagonists in the past or the present are developed enough to make them seem engaging and so as a result this impedes the emotional connection between the viewer and the events on screen.
Perhaps the biggest let down of this film was its tendency to build the story in the present rather than the past, using the past as 'a sidelined focus' and 'a plot device to serve the scenes in the present day'. The biggest attraction of the games; the concept of reliving the memories of your ancestors, is not a big focus here, and so being immersed in the Spanish Inquisition is all too brief and detached.
Because film fans will know what Kurzel is capable of (his work on Macbeth evidently demonstrates this) I wanted to make sure that his attempt is commended, praising that it 'is admirable that Kurzel wanted to draw more attention to the contemporary struggle,' but then I supported this with the suggestion that it didn't payoff. I described how 'it leaves audiences wanting much more' of the sequences in the past, crediting the film's potential but more the fact that it failed to live up to its potential.
In terms of the verdict, the main issue with Assassin's Creed was that 'it favours spectacle over substance,' which immediately addresses the lack of emotional stakes, and followed this up with how it makes you 'feel cheated out of a different and better story in the Spanish Inquisition', asserting that there needed to be a better balance between the past and present.
I was thoroughly disappointed in Assassin's Creed, mainly because the expectation was high due to the previous work of the director and the lead actors when they all worked on the harrowingly beautiful Macbeth in 2015. Therefore I wanted to make sure that readers were aware of the decline in quality between the two films, and consequently I included the line 'you'd think that Justin Kurzel and his two leads could convert a film about ancient parkour into a thrilling visual experience,' as both a mocking but critical comment that highlights the unexpected disappointment.
Since the main appeal of the film was its action, I decided to make sure that I showed this with 'thankfully, for its faults, the scenes taking place in the Spanish Inquisition are filmed with stylish intensity and slick choreography'. The adverb 'thankfully' shows that the action is the redeeming quality of the film. Like with the tagline I came up with that played on the context of the film, I also continued with references to the context, such as 'we are rushed along at a pace not even Fassbender's Assassin could keep up with,' suggesting that the film is too fast-paced and doesn't allow time to get to know the characters. I have critically observed that neither of the protagonists in the past or the present are developed enough to make them seem engaging and so as a result this impedes the emotional connection between the viewer and the events on screen.
Perhaps the biggest let down of this film was its tendency to build the story in the present rather than the past, using the past as 'a sidelined focus' and 'a plot device to serve the scenes in the present day'. The biggest attraction of the games; the concept of reliving the memories of your ancestors, is not a big focus here, and so being immersed in the Spanish Inquisition is all too brief and detached.
Because film fans will know what Kurzel is capable of (his work on Macbeth evidently demonstrates this) I wanted to make sure that his attempt is commended, praising that it 'is admirable that Kurzel wanted to draw more attention to the contemporary struggle,' but then I supported this with the suggestion that it didn't payoff. I described how 'it leaves audiences wanting much more' of the sequences in the past, crediting the film's potential but more the fact that it failed to live up to its potential.
In terms of the verdict, the main issue with Assassin's Creed was that 'it favours spectacle over substance,' which immediately addresses the lack of emotional stakes, and followed this up with how it makes you 'feel cheated out of a different and better story in the Spanish Inquisition', asserting that there needed to be a better balance between the past and present.
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