Although the movie adaptation of Ubisoft’s iconic franchise didn't set the world on fire commercially (or critically) wise, it was nonetheless a fun romp and a cut above the usually abysmal video game adaptations that plagued the film industry these last decades.
With an awesome cast that includes Michael Fassbender and Marion Cottilard, and even better action sequences (at times reminding a little bit of the classic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) Assassin’s Creed left a action shaped hole in our hearts. So here are 10 movies to help you fill it while you wait for the next video game adaptation!
10. Brotherhood Of The Wolf
With a weird combination of genres and themes, Brotherhood of The Wolf is a stylish piece of media that swing for the fences, and mostly it hits in all the right places. Loosely based on some historical facts about 18th century France, it has action packed sequences, court intrigue, woman-eating monsters, martial arts, potions, and all the crazy stuff you would expect from a video game, but in a historical drama form.
Oh, it seens that’s were Bloodborne got its inspiration from...
There's a contractual obligation from the internet that if there's a movie with Monica Belucci in it, you have to see it.
09. Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time
Created in a time where a lot of studios were looking to their own “Harry Potter” or “Pirates of The Caribbean” mega blockbuster franchise, Prince of Persia got a lot of criticism for its casting of the main character and for utilizing tired tropes for an adventure movie. If you brush the sand off, though, you will find a movie filled with amazing open wide shots of crazy photography, head spinning stunts, and a visual design that has aged quite well. It's also Prince of Persia, so you have to take what you can get from this franchise these days.
Theres a prince and theres Persia, so I dont really see where the movie went wrong.
Oh... So that's what happened.
08. Spartacus (TV Series)
With more blood, sex, violence, intrigue and politics you can shake your gladius at, Spartacus is a mix of 300, Game of Thrones, The White Princess and at least a dozen video games where you play as a gladiator. The series had a trouble development, with its main actor sadly passing away due to cancer in the first season and being recast, but it managed to remain consistently well rated until its final season. It also has a ton of slow mo fighting.
Theres a serious lack of people clothed in this series. The budget must have run out or something.
No, really, I am not kidding!
07. Troy
Troy is a weird movie, from an era that we maybe will not see again. It has a ton of army combat scenes, and a very unlikable protagonist, but the movie works just because of the sheer scale of its ambition, and also by the amazing cast and action scenes. The legendary story about the fall of Troy because of a lovers quarrel has never looked this good.
I don't even have joke here, the set pieces were amazing!
Remember Brad Pitt?
06. Sucker Punch
Sucker Punch is an even weirder one. From the mind of Watchmen creator Zack Snyder and his wife, Sucker Punch was maybe too meta for its time. The story about Babydoll, a girl wrongly imprisoned in a asylum that has to escape from the horrible reality by dancing to a horrible audience (a commentary about how real life audiences demand a show) is a crazy one, full of insane action pieces that wouldn't look far fetched in the craziest video game made by Platinum Games.
This is straight up video game promotional material. You can even see that each of the girls is a character class.
I mean come on, this IS a video game, for Pete's sake!
05. 300
When it was released in 2006, 300 was the action movie to be beaten. Influencing action sequences and setting the “Slow-fast motion” for at least a dozen video games and movies that followed, the tale of King Leonidas and his “300” captivated audiences worldwide with its over the top, testosterone fueled carnage with crazy color swaps and insane soundtrack. Just like the tale it was based on, this one is going to stand the test of time.
Be honest, you are screaming “This is Sparta!” right now.
Aho! Aho! Aho!
04. 300 - Rise of An Empire
300 made a boatload of money, so the sequel was inevitable. How, then, can you make a sequel to a movie where everyone died? Simple, you put Eva Green on it, crank the crazy comic book effects to eleven, add boats, and you get the most unnecessary sequel of 2014, but by the Greek gods it was a glorious insanity. There's also Eva Green, did I mention that? That's worth the ticket by itself.
I dunno, do you think this was based on a comic book?
I am a simple man. I see Eva Green, I watch it. I honestly can’t say anything bad about her.
03. Gladiator
This movie proved director Ridley Scott still had it when it was released in 2000. WIth a stellar soundtrack, amazing set pieces and memorable cast of characters, Gladiator was an anomaly, when epic movies were all but extinct in the big screen. It’s still an awesome movie to this day, something that is a feat on itself (go watch other movies from 2000, you will see). Russel Crowe gave such an amazing performance in this movie that people would probably remember it for ages to come.
From the series “Images you can hear”
They even had tigers, goddamn, this movie was awesome.
02. Blade 2
Released in 2002 and following once again the human-vampire hybrid Blade, a popular comic book character from Marvel (yeah, I know, who would have thought, right?), Blade 2 may be a little dated if you watch it with 2019 eyes, but at the time it was a novelty, since comic book movies were rarely given that much budget and production values. It's a fun romp full of blood and witty one liners, and it was a fresh time when Blade Trinity hasn't killed the franchise yet and superhero movies weren't the only reason cinemas are still in business.
The original “Using shades at night”.
Yep, Del Toro directed this movie. I am as surprised as you are.
01. Clash Of The Titans
The last movie on this list is actually a lot like the most recent Assassin’s Creed videogame: A fun, engrossing adventure with Greece as a backdrop and excuse to have a ton of awesome fights and amazing special effects. This was one of the movies that happened in the wake of Avatar, so there was a ton of post processing effects added up until the release in 2010. I mean, how many movies can you actually say “Release the Kraken!” and a kraken actually gets released?
Remember Sam Worthington?
Something, something, the Kraken right?
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