It seems that Fox's latest attempt at a video game movie adaptation hits the proverbial wall. Days before its release, negative reviews plague the upcoming Assassin's Creed movie, with one referring to it as "another bad video game movie".

Several websites have provided their feedback regarding Justin Kurzel's take on the Ubisoft's hit action-adventure franchise. Starred and produced by Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Apocalypse), it tells the story of Callum Lynch, a death row inmate, forced to take part in an experiment that relives the life of his ancestor Aguilar de Nerha, an assassin from 15th century Spain, through the Animus project. As he continues going through the life of his ancestor, he adapts the skills and abilities of Aguilar, which Lynch uses to defeat the modern day incarnation of the Templar Order.

Most of the negative reviews for the movie point out at its convoluted plot, some call as incoherent and a combination of silly and needlessly complicated. Forbes adds that the delivery of the plot, from a supposedly simple one to an "explain the rules" type created a layer of detachment between the movie and the audience, removing a huge chunk of interest the film has for its viewer. Character development is also cited as an issue, with one review stating that it stopped rooting for anyone mid-movie.

IndieWire gives the movie a B- rating, stating that it is silly and senseless, though compliments it by calling the flick the most interesting one of the year. Other positive points for the film are its set pieces, which bring to life Spain during the Inquisition era, as well as the costume, which is very much game-accurate. The action sequences, particularly the combat and the parkour-like rooftop travel, are also commendable, however the negatives the film has were more glaring than its positives.

The reviews are clear, though, that the infamous video game curse still lingers. Starting from the theatrical release of Super Mario Bros. in 1993, most movie adaptations of video games tend to become lackluster and usually received mixed to poor reviews. Only a few movies, like Mortal Kombat and Prince of Persia, have gained some success.

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