With the debut of Ubisoft’s big screen video game adaptation Assassin’s Creed only a few weeks away, promotional efforts for the film have amped up. The trailers have heavily featured stars Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Marion Cotillard (Allied), but the film also boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes decorated acting veterans like Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and Charlotte Rampling.
Fassbender takes on the role of convicted felon Callum Lynch, “liberated” from Death Row by Dr. Sophia Rikkin (Cotillard) and Abstergo Industries, a present-day company that acts as a secret base of operations for the Knights Templar. Lynch is then plugged into the Animus, an advanced virtual reality machine that uses his DNA to dig into his ancestral memory and continue the Templars’ ages-old battle with the order of Assassins.
While initial trailers focused on quick cuts of Matrix-like reality-bending fight scenes, director Justin Kurzel (Macbeth) and his crew have incorporated many tangible sets and real-life stunts rather than relying heavily on CGI. That is evident in the latest clip shown above, where Callum and his fellow Assassin Maria (Ariane Labed) take part in an exhilarating speeding-carriage fight and rescue sequence.
While previous videos have offered snippets of plot and action, this clip gives viewers a better idea of what the film will actually look and feel like in real time. Aside from featuring white-knuckle jumps to safety and a literal cliffhanger that doesn’t bode well for Maria, viewers get a taste of the period costume and Spanish dialogue. There are also nods to the Assassin’s Creed video game, like the fact that Callum’s ancestor Aguilar appears to be missing his ring finger, an early requirement for use of the Assassins’ signature Hidden Blade weapon.
Despite the fact that many games are essentially interactive films in their own right, it’s still rare for the medium to translate well to the big screen. The fact that these filmmakers have attempted to expand on the Assassin’s Creed mythology and pseudoscience is a good start, and the insistence on reducing CGI may help separate this film from its less successful predecessors. It remains to be seen how well the entire film will work, but this latest clip promises some entertaining action even if it doesn’t rise to the level of Kurzel’s previous Shakespearean efforts.
Source: 20th Century Fox
