Many people were apprehensive when the Assassin’s Creed Movie was announced. Game to film adaptations have nearly always been less than satisfactory. But for whatever reason, movie producers just don’t stop trying.
However, the Assassin’s Creed Movie looks promising. It’s not a straight adaptation of the game, but instead, a new story set in the game’s world. It also features some very impressive stunt work, and gorgeous visuals. Nothing less than fans of the series would expect.
The second trailer for the Assassin’s Creed Movie just dropped, and it sheds some positively tantalizing light on the plot.
Who Is Callum Lynch?
We already knew that Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) was a death row convict, abducted by Abstergo for use in their experiments. But, in this trailer we see more of his personality and skills. He seems to be dry and sarcastic, joking even when he is on death row. He is also seen to be a skilled fighter. We see him go toe to toe with four Abstergo guards before eventually being subdued. Maybe Callum has some training already? Perhaps from the Assassins, or whatever criminals he was with in the past?
Templar in Training?
The plotline of Assassin’s Creed II revolved around Desmond Miles, whom the Assassins were training. They did this by having him relive his ancestors’ memories in the hope he would pick up their skills. The same method might be applied here. In Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood it was revealed that the Templars were using this technique on a huge scale. Callum could be another one of these Templars in training. The Animus shown allows Callum to act out his ancestor’s movements, unlike the games in which the protagonist is strapped into a chair. This may allow Callum to pick up his ancestor’s skills quicker. At the end of the trailer, Callum admits he’s “beginning to like this.” Perhaps he joins the Templars after all?
Inside Abstergo Industries
In this trailer we get a good peek inside Abstergo Industries, the modern face of the Templar Order. We get our first real look at Alan Rikken (Jeremy Irons), Chief Executive Officer of Abstergo Industries. As you would expect, having almost all the money in the world, Abstergo is well outfitted. We see an almost military strike team preforming snatch and grab operations in a desert town. Maybe this is where Lynch was hiding out? We also see a clean, sterile canteen where Lynch and many other prisoners eat.
As I mentioned previously, we see the new Animus in all its glory. In the games it was just a chair and headset, but here it’s an entire room. Callum is strapped into a harness, and flung about like a rag-doll, synchronized with his ancestor’s movements. He is even given real gear, such as the iconic hidden blades, and a bow and arrow to play with. I assume this is to get him used to them before operations in the field.
But the thing that struck me the most was that there seems to be a resistance. Callum, and a number of other captives, are seen fighting Abstergo security. Will they escape? Is there an Assassin agent hiding amongst them, inciting revolution? We’ll have to wait and see.
History Is Their Playground
On the historical front, this trailer doesn’t show much we haven’t seen already. The historical narrative follows Aguilar (also Michael Fassbender), a 16th century Spanish Assassin during the Spanish Inquisition (I wasn’t expecting that). Who he is fighting, and what he is fighting for is still unknown, though keen historians may be able to piece it together. Regardless, we see more exciting stunts, and breathtaking special effects. However, we do see the bleeding effect. When someone uses the Animus for too long, their ancestor’s memories can bleed through into their real life, causing hallucinations. In some cases, it can even send people mad. It will be interesting to see where this goes in the finished film.
As a fan, this trailer has assured me that the Assassin’s Creed movie won’t be a disaster. It has also intrigued me as to how everything mentioned above will developed.
