Whenever video games get turned into movies, the gaming community’s first impulse is to groan and complain about Hollywood’s lack of originality. However, fans of this popular game can rest easy, since this particular film was actually rather entertaining.

“Assassin’s Creed” takes place in two separate time periods that are drawn together by a fixed point. A man named Cal Lynch who, after supposedly dying from lethal injection, is taken to a facility that has revolutionary technology to unlock his genetic past. Through this, he relives the memories of his late ancestor, Aguilar, who was a member of the Assassins during the 15th century  Spanish Inquisition. The facility is run by the Templars, the enemies of the Assassins, whose goal is to obtain the legendary Apple of Eden, which could spell trouble for man’s free will.

With a premise like that, it is bound to be interesting and the film did not disappoint. It made sure that any viewer who knew nothing about the games was not left in the dark but not overloaded with the game itself. The game series is set in a fictional history following the struggle between the Assassins who value peace through free will and the templars who value peace through control.

The cinematography was fantastic, with wide shots that gave a view of the amazing landscapes that were visited throughout the film and showed the unrest within Spain during the Inquisition. These shots also give viewers incredible angles during fight scenes and narrow escapes.

The fighting itself was amazing, the moves and sequences were insanely fun to watch in both modern and ancient settings during the films progression.

Michael Fassbender easily conveyed the moral ambiguity that is also prevalent among the Assassins, alongside showing his evolution from a skeptic man who is just trying to get out to a leader and true believer in the Assassin’s cause. Jeremy Irons and Marion Cotillard also gave stellar performances in their roles of Rikkin and Sofia, making the viewers believe their actions are for peace rather than power, even though it is known otherwise. Every actor in this film were able to bring this insanely complex story to life with ease.

Every aspect of this film helped make a step in the right direction for video game films and gave diehard action fans another great film to check out. A huge win for both industries.