Assassin's Creed reviewed by Mark Kermode
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Mark Kermode reviews Assassin’s Creed. Callum Lynch is taken in by a mysterious organization, who have the technology to make him relive the memories of his ancestor Aguilar - a Master Assassin involved in a centuries-old conflict.
Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark’s review of the film - below. We love to include your views on the show every Friday.
www.bbc.co.uk/5...
Fridays at 2pm on BBC 5 live.
The historical bits are decent, while the problems lie in the modern day stuff? Sounds like they did Assassins Creed perfectly!
Whether or not I'd actually like this movie, it's refreshing to hear a critic who doesn't just dogpile on an easy target.
Kermode has the best job in the world
This is why i love Kermode.
I don't always agree with him, but you can tell he is just giving an honest opinion of a movie rather than a lot of critics who will give a video-game movie a bad review, simply for being a video-game movie.
Wow, from the reviews I have seen I was expecting Mark to rip this film to shreds. Im glad to see that there is hope for future film adaptations of video games.
I like how he doesn't mention the most hated parts: The writing, acting, and characters xD
Isn't the acting the only thing that isn't being universally hated?
I think anyone saying the story is compelling is because that person is ashamed of saying that he/she didn't get it. The story of this film is so convoluted and hard to believe it becomes straight silly, especially towards the end...
The acting is not most hated, they all give their best to the script that was given
spaceboy2095 So nobody can have a different opinion than you? Alot of beloved movies have far fetched ideas that are "hard to believe." It's a video game. Most comicbook movies are hard to believe also but people like them. It's fine that you dont like the movie but it seems like your saying that if people enjoyed the story that they are ashamed to say they didn't get it? Opinions on movies always differ from person to person. You have a right to not like it and say how you feel, but it seems like your trying to explain why someone might have a different opinion than you?
Really hard to criticized with the acting consider the actor who was absolutely great.
Ironic that Ubisoft has no respect for assassin's creed
Wow, this is encouraging. 😀 I wasn't going to see it, but now I think I will give it a chance.
Nah dont its trash
Hua Mulan : Wasn't going to either after listening to so many reviews, but since I've got a few cinema vouchers that are expiring, I might as well give it a go.
If you like convoluted and unbelievable plots and bland acting, then yeah go see it! Notice how Kermode did not mention those things in his review...
+spaceboy2095 Actually, I do like convoluted and unbelievable plots, just not bland acting.
Jono98806
I hope you're not serious! lol
Please don't judge the games by the bad film.
I'm pleasantly surprised how respectful Mark is to videogames. Refreshing.
Frellyouall He hasn't always been this open-minded about them. I remember him 10 or 15 years ago saying something along the lines of 'video games are terrible and want nothing to do with them'
People can change.
That's true. He did say this, can't remember the source though.
Nice to see an Ocean Machine avatar too!
"10 or 15 years ago"
That's a long time buddy. I think most people don't think the same way after that amount of time.
He's worked them into other reviews too. He spoke about wanting to free roam in Big Hero 6 to appreciate San Fransokyo, and compared bits of The Hobbit to Minecraft and Skyrim. It's really nice to see those cues worked into reviews as opposed to many reviewers, who only ever use 'videogamey' as an insult for cheap CGI.
I've never played or bothered much with AC, but the fact that Michael Fassbender was interested enough to want to play in the film gives me enough reason to want to see it.
Got the Ezio collection and the film last week ( for my Son).
PlayStation is smoking
The whole package is awesome
"he's still Mufasa". Oh Simon, that's a big blunder
Yeah Mufasa is voiced by the voice of Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) not Jeremy Irons.
ah he meant Scar dinnee lol
I guess you could say this movies doesn't have much creedibility with critics.
Arno right?
And fans, the movie had bad rating with both critics and fans.
Woooosh
I totally agree with you. I don't understand people who genuinely loathe the movie. I thought it was quite fun to be honest, certainly better than Suicide Squad and X Men Apocalypse. Yes, the character arc is not well developed but it is believable. The historical part was brilliant but the present day stuff is not bad, certainly not as appalling people said it is.
I agree that people playing the game are the one hating it because they expect more historical stuff like in the game. I imagine people will come to love the movie once it hits DVD.
I hope so but I think most people won't even give it a chance when it comes out on DVD if they weren't interested in going to see it in cinemas.
"certainly better than Suicide Squad and X Men Apocalypse"
So is getting kicked in the balls to be fair. Anyway, I'd rate Assassin's Creed lower than both these films, which should say a lot.
I have similar views to Mark after seeing it. Yet I'm surprised. I was not expecting this reaction from him lol.
The depth of the world building in computer games can be the most impressive aspect.
God it would be awesome if Mark kermode actually took the time to play certain story based indie games like inside. it's basically like playing Andrei tarkovsky stalker. Its mysterious and awsome visual story. Its really games like that, that show what the medium has to offer. I just wish more people. not even just gamers. But anyone that would take thier time to see the potential of certain games.
The games actually go into detail explaining the animus change. It actually was a different version of the animus made by sophia rikken to try and utilize the bleeding effect to get better footage rather than the chair version which trys to reverse the bleeding effect
Itd not the same machine canonicly
The switches back and forth ... future/past flicks are absolutely brilliant
Fassbender's stock just rose incredibly for me
The film is pure entertainment
I'm sometimes really surprised by Kermode's opinions on some movies. This one has good action in it, but it is shot badly, the story doesn't make any sense and the acting, even in the french-dubbed version, is so uninspired that this movie really is one of the worst action movies I've seen this year, probably along with The 5th Wave but still better than London Has Fallen.
french...?
Well, I'm French and live in France and the movies was released on Wednesday here... and I had the "chance" to see it on thursday night in preview but couldn't get the original version and had to watch the french-dubbed version.
Even the action I didn't think was great. It has that annoying Olivier Megaton quick-cutting shaky-cam style. It comes across like a low-rent version of Paul Greengrass' action scenes.
Gjakova Shqipni
Or maybe more like a Guy Ritchie flick with action and form being more important than plot and substance...
Who Knew 22
Luc Besson has also made Lucy. Is that a good movie? Maybe that's because I'm French, but I don't like Luc Besson at all. And Valerian is going to be a bad movie, I can tell you! It looks like an animated movie with human actors in it like the First of the Star Wars prequels...
Really glad Dr K managed to review this since end of year films at times get overlooked due to scheduling. As for the review; a very balanced one and now I am really torn since there is such a mixture of reviews; funnily enough the overall reviews from the UK have called the film mediocre, flawed and decent as opposed to the reviews in the US where critics, with one or two exceptions, are turning this film to a bloodbath. Really like how we Brits are taking a balanced stance as opposed to the US.
Oh Mark, you never fail to surprise us.
Gotta love that sauce material... Keeps coming up every couple of reviews.
Petition to coerce Kermode to review a game? maybe something like heavy rain
I'd rather see him play TLoU
As a gamer and long-time fan of the Warcraft universe (more so the original strategy games than WoW) I liked the movie "Warcraft" SO much more, than I expected after reading the reviews and seeing the Metascore. I think, in this case I'll rather trust Mr. Kermode than the reviews, I think.
I loved the Warcraft movie too. I think it did have some issues with pacing and that some characters could have used more development. But I loved the visuals. The changes to the lore didn't even detract from my enjoyment of the film. I wish it had been longer.
Thank goodness there is something of a positive review. Having just come out I was somewhat staggered to see 1 star and 10% reviews in the main - seemed to me the end was rushed, but a great effort and lots of engaging action.
...I actually really quite liked it, I was really surprised. Definitely the best video game movie yet but that doesn't give it enough credit.
Saw it today, found it hard to believe how they messed up such a simple concept.
Nearly the entirety of the Assassin's Creed movie is set in the modern day, and that's the worst way to go about telling this story. There are four or five scenes, compromising roughly 35 minutes of an 130-minute movie, which are set in the past. It is an astonishing miscalculation on the part of the filmmakers - the modern day stuff is, if anything, worse than it is in the games, and its boring in the games.
Show me parkour in ancient times with black-and-white heroes and villains, throw in some wristblades and a recognizable historical figure or two. Put that on film, keep it to 105 minutes, and introduce Abstergo at the very end (as it was in the original game.) Do it on the cheaper end, don't go crazy with the CGI. Done.
whoa, i was waiting for him to finally utter the word 'rubbish', but that didnt happen. Huh, maybe there is some enjoyment to be had with this film after all...
Videogame movies have all a major problem even before it starts since they have to find a way around something huge that is lacking from the source material: videogames have interactivity to mold and construct the story, movies don't.
I'm really glad to hear Mark say that about games. I took his stance previously as being rather hostile and flippant about the medium, glad to hear I was wrong/he changed his mind. I kinda felt like he would have good things to say about this for some reason.
Interesting. I know its been getting panned pretty hard. One of the biggest criticisms that kind of echoed a concern I had was that the modern day stuff was boring. Its a problem the games have where you want to just get back to the past and be the assassin again. John Campea says they keep cutting back and forth between past and present during action sequences. I haven't seen the film but I think a better way that they could have done it is bookend the film with the modern day stuff. Start us off with the Abstergo and Animus stuff in the modern day, then drop us into the past and leave us there following the assassin up to the resolution of the central conflict/plot then pull us back to the past as part of the falling action.
Will give the movie a look, but may wait to rent it or something.
Basically what I thought when I heard of this project - the modern day stuff is kinda "ugh" in game itself so just concentrate on the interesting aspect. Since the Animus is just a nice but of fluff around game mechanics that you might see elsewhere you don't have to think too much about how it makes no sense at all. Just don't see any reason not to just have a period film about the conflict.
"people who don't like the past day stuff, don't like the present"
basically the game tbh
The ONLY positive review I have heard for this film. 🤣🤣🤣
ikr
I kept my expectations low and really wanted to give it a go but I really struggled with this film, it was clunky, and disappointing. The source material managed to create a story and have you engaged yet this movie which has the time to devote to the story just totally failed to do so. I love sci-fi (even the trashy ones), I think Fasbender is a fantastic actor - it should have been a home run. It was so full of tropes, I was unable to feel anything for the characters. After I was actually angered at spending my time and money on it. If I hear it mentioned I still feel a slight negative emotion towards it.
Here's hoping The Last if Us movie brings video game adaptations into greatness
I don't see how it could. The Last of Us is already a 12 hour movie.
Unfortunately, The Last of Us is in development hell because Sony has different ideas than what the game's writer has, who also wrote the screenplay. That's bad news for how it could turn out and the fact that Sony has their own ideas for it is a pity because the game itself was highly acclaimed almost precisely because of it's story and characters.
So, if they mess that movie up, it will will ruin the reputation of the medium with most movie critics who know nothing about computer games judging the whole medium because of the bad movie without even knowing how different the game was. This is what usually irritates me about reviews of video game movies, not because they give them bad reviews but because they always find a way to emphasise that video games are "not art", which has nothing to do with the movie itself, and therefore are not "worthy" of adaptation.
The way he talks about this movie reminds me of how I felt after watching the first Spiderman movie.
The first Mortal Kombat film was pretty good. Considering what had come before it, especially the Street Fighter live action film. Sure it had it's fair share of issues but it had some great fight scenes and the soundtrack was top drawer.
Mark, I was hoping you would review the film more on its own right, not spend most of the time discussing its relationship with the video game. There are a lot of people (me included) who are not gamers but are considering watching the film - given who is involved I am expecting a high quality movie, and the concept sounds intriguing and suited for a movie adaptation. As a film lover, am I going to like it?
I can't get passed that it's a pg13/12a film based on a series of mostly R/18 rated games. It's essentially a story about a shady organisation kidnapping a dude and making him go into the mind of his professional killer ancestor to stab people to death! And they thought that would make a good film for the kids? Something had to give here.
I found that it was weirdly paced for such a fast-paced game. I really liked the fight scenes, but it was messy with exposition and felt unfinished.
You look like a real coool dude ( Steve McQueen ) in your Harrington
Good job this isn't in a poll for your best reviews! Jibba jabba.
Well I'll be! Hands up all who thought Mark would hate it on an almost Piratesian level. How wrong we were.
It’s A LOT better than negative reviews give it credit for.
Scar, not Mufasa 😉😉
Really annoyed (still) about the Max Payne movie. When the first game came out the dark story, gritty visuals and very succinct plot exposition seemed a winner for movie adaptation but the Mark Wahlberg movie spun off into a fantasy action movie with no proper narrative or substance. I don't think a studio really approaches a video game with the same level of reverence to the source material as would be considered for a Book. That said the Duncan Jones' World of Warcraft was a faithful representation but then it gets slaughtered critically
The issue with adapting games into movies is that most game stories are a little hokey, even the best ones.
***** Exactly. But, I think you could make a fun enough action movie out of a game that still felt appropriate, if the plot were cleaner and simpler. Look at Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's universe is convoluted and fully populated with details. But the Lord of the Rings movies are a simple A to B story, and were wildly successful; both with Tolkien fans and the general public. It could probably be done with Bioshock, Zelda, Deus Ex, etc. But not if it's going to be the same generic action movies of overdone digital effects and nameless, faceless bad guys that are dispatched in the final scene with no problem in order to "save the world", and stop the big lazer from destroying New York.
***** Maybe one day.
I think with Super Mario people were largely upset that it was less a fantasy land and more a dystopian science fiction land tonally inconsistent with the games.
***** Honestly the problem with most video game based movies is that the people they often get to make them are mostly doing it because the name will sell the movie and they actually intend to just make their own movie vaguely referring to the property along the way to pretend they're trying.
That and they keep letting people who aren't really appropriate for the style of the franchise be in charge. Like with Super Mario Bros Rocky Morton was fairly unknown as a director but the things that he had produced where mostly thrillers and sci-fi dystopia movies... not really the sort of guy that jumps out as being stylistically appropriate with what Mario has become over time.
which witch is which ?
I thought the trailer looked cool.
Emerald Zone the trailer always look good.
I honestly think I could make a good version of the 'Resident Evil' movies.
"...But the general feeling seems to be, even people who like the past-world stuff aren't crazy about the present-world stuff, they think that's the stuff that doesn't work..."
Oh good, they managed to leave that aspect of the game series intact, then.
That is the main problem with the movie, I felt it should have been more focused on the Spanish Inquisition setting instead of focusing primarily on the modern day aspects.
So the history stuff is ok but the future bits are kind of bad. Sounds like its sticking to the source material very closely! :-p
I think it is perfect as a adaptation from video game to movie adaptation. I think it remains the best video game movie until the last of us is made.
No Simon he Jeremy Irons killed Mufasa.
I can understand why Mark tolerated this movie, but if you're a gamer and happens to be a fan of the franchise like myself you will not like this movie, the action scenes were fastly edited and the switch from animus to past made me dizzy, lost interest and couldn't wait for it to end.
Guys, you really need to get a better camera...
Judging acting in a dubbed version is kind of hilarious in itself, especially as french dubs are most of the time absolutely awful. You lose so much of the performance.
Anyway, one of AC's strengths is the cinematography, Adam Arkapaw has showed how great he is on True Detective, The Light Between Oceans, etc, and he shows it once again. The action in the film is one of its strongest elements, the second regression alone is worth the price of admission, and saying it's cut like ala Olivier Megaton (you seriously need to rewatch that scene of "Liam Neeson" climbing a fence with 15 cuts in 6 seconds) is absolute nonsense, it's cut well, you can see what's going on, it's exciting, they nailed the feel of the game in those aspects, and it's one of the best pieces of action this year.
Film is solid overall, dialogue could have used another pass/polish, script works for what it is, relatively simple to follow, not surprised the critics are giving it a beatdown, video game adaptations are inherently doomed by their nature. It's faithful to the game, very well shot, the action is exciting, the score is excellent, the acting solid, it works.
Kermode often likes to go against the grain of popular critical opinion. Prometheus anyone.
Wow! I genuinely thought that this was one of the worst things I've ever seen and I couldn't even stay awake during it.
Mark should Play The Last of Us!!
I'm unclear...have you watched the game but not played the game? Several repetitions of this fact were not nearly enough.
In the 1st game. No one initially liked the Sci-Fi twist.
I think it's an interesting enough idea and obviously necessary to tie the other games together, it was just really terribly executed
GiantSandles each game incarnation could've just been treated as separate period pieces. With the gameplay and the spirit of an "Assasin's Creed" being the thread as the tie. If you get me.
But definitely agree it was an interesting idea.
As long as you have the animus in it I think it cannot be anything but silly...
spaceboy2095 Why would having Animus in the movie be silly.....its like saying that Star Wars is silly because it has the Force or Lord of the Rings because of the One Ring. In my opinion, it doesnt matter whats featured in the story if it fits the genre and its executed well.
wonderfullgamernmb1
I don't know, I have a lot of difficulty in believing that the lifestory of your ancestors is discoverable or whatever in your DNA whereas that some sort of energy exist throughout the universe and surrounds us all all is more plausible. I don't see how you could made plausible that by plugging on a machine in you, you can experience what your ancestors have lived.
It's a lousy movie and would of been better as a straight forward pseudo-historical romp/action/adventure flick rather than jumping backwards and forwards in time
What on earth are you smoking Mark?!!!!
First Resident Evil and Tomb Raider are decent films. Warcraft is utter bobbins.
Mark needs to play The Last of Us
Rotten Tomatoes gave it 20%
MS I think that's gone up from when I looked!
Just rechecked, still 20%
Its the critics score btw, not general public, which is around 70%
Rotten Tomatoes. Where people go to learn what to say about movies they're never going to see.
Its gone down, 17% now.
this is undoubtedly the single worst movie i have ever wasted $10 to see in theaters
wow. what a looooooong way to explain how SHITTY this movie is.
Or rather not to say it. I think he said he would like to see it again simply because he didn't understand the story...
No, he said he would like to see it again because he enjoyed it.
The Movie Planet
I know what he said but I'm not sure that is what he thinks. I rather think that if he said that he would see it again, it is because he did not understand it ,not because he has really enjoyed it. My sentence was not very clear sorry...
spaceboy2095 There is no reason he would lie. He never said he didn't understand it. He said he liked it. Why create a conspiracy?
The Movie Planet
Because this movie is so bad I can't believe he liked it and he never mentions the story in his review...
Dare God, stop calling it a computer game, makes you sound old
DeAndre West he is old
I hope they do a Dishonored movie seen as Mark appreciate a history side to a movie even movies based on games!
Neil Gaskin there isn't any history in dishonoured...?
I’m a fan of films and a (guilty pleasure) fan of the game series, but this film was the only film I have ever watched to make me feel nauseous. The blaring soundtrack and flimsy editing during the action sequences bordered on giving me a headache. I wanted this film to be the one to prove videogame movies can work. Alas, I left utterly disappointed.