I Figure The Game Is Better Than The Movie..."Assassin's Creed"

Assassin's Creed (2016)  

Rated PG-13

Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cottilard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson,

Directed by Justin Kurzel

The Story:

Cal (Fassbender) is a convicted felon. He's killed, but brought back to life to participate in an experiment. When hooked to a machine, he's able to channel the life and times of Aguilar, his ancestor and learn the secrets of being a member of the Assassin's Creed.

I'm assuming the game is similar to the movie.

Only more interesting and less confusing.

:)

The production values on the film are astounding, especially the look of the historical eras they produce.

But yeah, this one just never clicked as I watched it.

I get where they were going, and what they were trying to do...

But quite frankly, I never really cared nor felt engaged with any bit of the storyline.

Which you would think Assassin's vs. the Knights Templar would be an interesting idea.

Quite frankly, I was bored throughout pretty much the entire movie, and that's the kiss of death for an action film.

Final Grade: C- Changed my mind...D+

Here Fishy Fishy... "In The Heart Of The Sea"

In The Heart of the Sea (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Brendan Whishaw, Tom Holland

Directed by Ron Howard

The Story:

Herman Melville (Whishaw) is ready to write his next novel. He wants to base it on what happened to the ship, The Essex that was reportedly attacked by a white whale in 1820. For research, he approaches Tom Nickerson (Gleeson) and learns of the fateful attack and the horrific aftermath of the ship sinking and what the surviving crew members had to endure.

Based on a mashup of several bits and pieces of the true story that Melville would create the fictional novel Moby Dick with, the bulk of the story takes place via flashback aboard The Essex. Rookie whaling Captain Pollard (Walker) and perennial first-mate Owen Chase (Hemsworth) butt heads from the get-go, but their determination to fill the ship with oil and return to port to be rid of one another fuels most of the voyage. Along the way, a young Thomas Nickerson (Holland) learns from them and the crew as they are beset with tragedies and unspeakable horrors after encountering the white whale.

Historians can pick this movie to pieces, but they are missing the point.

The sinking of the Essex did happen.

What happened next did happen.

Melville based Moby Dick on those events.

This movie puts all of the above into a blender and hits "go".

It's here to entertain, not turn into a faithful historical adaptation.

Ron Howard brings confident direction to the tale that failed to find an audience in theaters.

Perhaps too long...perhaps not interested enough in "another Moby Dick adaptation", I can't venture to guess.

It kept me interested from beginning to end, and the performances by everyone in the cast were exceptional. Gleeson's Nickerson as the man who's hidden shameful secrets for so long is positively heartbreaking when he finally expresses what happened in the lifeboats as the survivors waited endlessly for rescue.

Hemsworth is a commanding presence as the man who should be captain, and while he is the focal point of the movie, his supporting cast rounds out the film nicely.

A flawed gem from Ron Howard, but they can't all be masterpieces.

Final Grade:  B-