20 Video Game Movie and TV Moments That INSULTED Fans

On paper, an Assassin’s Creed film seems like a no-brainer: nothing about the wildly successful action-adventure games, which blend historical past and technological present, with sweeping, cinematic visuals and grand vistas aplenty, suggest they wouldn’t work in this format. Unfortunately, films aren’t made on paper.

Michael Fassbender was an odd choice for Cal Lynch, the present-day criminal who is given the ability to commune with, and take control of, his Spanish ancestor, Aguilar de Nerha, a member of the Assassin Brotherhood in the late 15th-century. But the Irish actor did well enough, just about managing the balance between the two aspects of his character.

Now, the film itself is far from great, but the story – of Cal’s efforts to prevent the Templar Order from snagging the Apple of Eden and using it to enslave humankind – really plunges into trouble in the final act. Diverging from the hurdles and arc of the game series, and all but ensuring it wouldn’t get a sequel, the finale takes place in the present day, with Cal having fully imbibed the abilities of his Assassin forebear, doing in one 115-minute film what took the series a seemingly infinite number of games, and leaving little room for further development.