It’s not exactly a secret that movies adapted from video games don’t exactly have the strongest track record in terms of quality. 20th Century Fox is hoping to break that streak with their upcoming adaptation of ‘Assassin’s Creed’. While the film’s ultimate success remains to be seen, it is if nothing else clearly shaping up to be an immersive experience, between the use of practical effects and of Spanish-language dialogue in historical scenes.
With the theatrical release of ‘Assassin’s Creed’ now just over three weeks away, it’s time for the film’s promotional engine to shift gears away from full trailers and toward specific clips. The first of those clips was released today, and represents what will no doubt be a pivotal moment in the film. The moment in question is the first scene in which lead character Callum Lynch (played by Michael Fassbender) enters the Animus for the first time.
A piece of technology every bit as vital to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games as warp drive is to ‘Star Trek’, the Animus allows the user to relive the memories of their ancestors. Notably, the film’s depiction of the Animus is one of its more significant departures from the source material. In the games, the Animus has taken a variety of forms across different entries, but it has most often resembled a chair or a bed. The film, by contrast presents a version of the Animus that can best be described as a giant, wall-mounted mechanical arm, allowing a more dynamic portrayal, as previous trailers have suggested that characters will move around the room while using the Animus. In addition to dramatic necessity, the fact that this version of the device draws a less immediate comparison to ‘The Matrix’ was no doubt a consideration on the part of the filmmakers as well.
The preview clip is available to watch here:
Directed by Justin Kurzel, ‘Assassin’s Creed’ stars Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Michael K. Williams, Ariane Labed, and Matias Variela. The film will arrive in theaters on December 21, 2016.
