The Assassin's Creed movie has been largely panned by critics, and I get it- it's no Citizen Kane. However, I think there is value in this film beyond what it has been given credit for, and I'd like to talk about that. So I will, seeing as this is my article.
For those not in the know, Assassin's Creed is a video game series that began in 2007 and has seen steady releases ever since. It recently received a film adaption which takes place within the canon of the games, but tells its own distinct story with new characters. This mostly translates to what ended up being an action movie with cool stunts in the universe of Assassin's Creed, and to the layman this would be average at best; hence the rather disappointing review scores.
I think it's important to praise the movie for what it gets right, though. See, it might not have the tightest script in the world, or even be the most unique film or anything like that, but it absolutely nails fan service. Longtime fans of Assassin's Creed will recognize plot threads and some familiar faces that others won't. Seeing Altair's sword from the original Assassin's Creed Connor's bow from Assassin's Creed 3 might not mean much to the casual movie-goer, but to fans, it's awesome seeing them in real life.
Speaking of which, a lot of effort went into being accurate and faithful to the games while adding its own twists. Working hidden blades were created for the movie.
A stunt double even performed a Leap of Faith of over 150 feet, one of the longest on record, just to make sure that the movie's props and stunts looked the part.
CG could have been used, but it wouldn't have looked as good, so they opted out and took the more challenging path instead. The main protagonist Callum's story is familiar in its setting and in elements that fit in with the series' established rules, but with enough new twists to make him feel distinct from the earlier protagonists like Desmond Miles. Likewise, the Spanish Inquisition was a fine choice in setting for the past section of his story.
The film even inspired Ubisoft, the games' creators. They have said that they plan on incorporating elements of lore that the film added into the games, and I look forward to this. I understand that critics must review films for the general public, but I can assure fans of Assassin's Creed that the movie is worth the ticket price, and it'd be a shame to see such a good effort go unrecognized. More video game movies should be like this.
