Comments on: What Assassin’s Creed’s failure teaches us about dramatic tension

By: Andrew Lau

Andrew Lau — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 02:37:56 +0000

In reply to MIKKI. Just wanted to add, in the present, the only characters who have a real goal are Marion Cotillard's and Jeremy Irons'. Michael Fassbender's character, so poorly written, just goes along with it all. He's not actively trying to get out of the clutches of Abstergo. He learns about his family history and via genetic memories picks up the skills of his ancient parkour ancestor but gets active way, way, way too late.

By: Andrew Lau

Andrew Lau — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 01:10:07 +0000

Hi Mikki, agreed. The dramatic tension should have been in the present since Abstergo have captured Callum and imprisoned him. They’re using him (his memories) to find the Apple of Eden so naturally Callum’s goal should be to escape. There is no tension in the past. Whenever he plugs into the Animus, those scenes play out as flashbacks because he has zero control over the outcome of those events. It would have been interesting if Callum learned things from the past when plugged in to the Animus, but tried to keep them from Abstergo and use it as leverage to escape…but it doesn’t play out that way.

By: MIKKI

MIKKI — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 22:22:27 +0000

I agree with you, i was thinking exactly the same in the first half hour…
BUT i think the dramatic tension for the WHOLE STORY was in the present of the character, not the past (or was intended to be) :
Does the protagonist have a choice in the present, and can he alter somehow the will of his “caretakers”,or can he follow he’s own path…
But since it was a very easy and quick problem(due to the fact we get to know everything at almost the end of the movie),with a basic solution.