Assassin’s Creed (12A)
Three stars
Dir: Justin Kurzel
With: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons
Runtime: 115 minutes
INSPIRED by the video game – cue much birling in old Hollywood graves – comes this action adventure raised a level or two in the quality stakes by a cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Jeremy Irons and Marion Cotillard. Fassbender plays Cal Lynch, a wrong ‘un on death row in contemporary America. Justice is served, or at least seems to be, but when Cal awakes he finds himself staring into the sympathetic eyes of Sofia (Cotillard). Who is she? Where is he? And if this is heaven why is Jeremy Irons purring around in that silky smooth but menacing way of his?
All will be revealed, eventually, but if you are not familiar with the story from the video game it might take some time to join the dots between the tale of an ancient order of assassins guarding the “apple of Eden” and Sofia’s quest for a society free of violence in the here and now. Director Justin Kurzel has faith in his audience for the first half of the film, setting out his narrative stall competently enough and the scenes set during the Spanish Inquisition are thrilling – one can almost smell the fear and flames. But at some point along the way the video game imperative kicks in and the film segues into endless scenes of crash-bang-wallop fighting. Cue much confusion, tedium, and preparation for the inevitable sequel. One for gaming fans.
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