Literally Gorilla Warfare in Planet of the Apes

Hold on to your butts, homo sapiens. A war is coming. A war between apes and humans to determine which species will survive. This is the War for the Planet of the Apes, the third installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot series. An emotionally charged blockbuster so powerful it could be one of the best movies of 2017.

Official synopsis:

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

An upcoming sci-fi film directed by Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) and written by Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback. Sequel to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It stars Andy Serkis returning as the majestic Caesar, Karin Konoval returning as Caesar's trusted advisor Maurice, Judy Greer returning as Cornelia, Caesar's wife, Terry Notary as Rocket, Caesar's right-hand man, and Toby Kebbel as Koba. New to the series are Woody Harrelson as The Colonel, Steve Zahn as Bad Ape, and Amiah Miller in her first major motion picture role as Nova, the human child who becomes an unexpected link between the apes and humanity. Michael Giachinno returns to compose the score for this film. Visual effects are provided once again by Weta Digital.

This is the sequel to 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Let us recap what has happened so far in this trilogy reboot.

The first movie in this reboot series is called Rise of the Planet of the Apes, released in 2011. In the movie, at a facility called Gen-Sys labs, we see the birth of an intelligent species of apes created by a virus called ALZ 113, or the Simian Flu as it became to be called afterwards. This virus is a result of scientific experiment gone wrong and it nearly caused the extinction of the human race. The intelligent apes escape into the wilderness led by alpha chimp Caesar.

In the second movie called Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a decade has passed. The human population is nearing extinction due to the virus while the ape population has thrived and grown. A small band of human survivors encountered tribe of apes. Led by Caesar, there seemed to be hope towards a way to peace between apes and humans. But then an ape named Koba wanted revenge against his human captors from Gen-Sys labs and shattered this little hope for peace.

Summary of the two preceding movies prior to War.

In this third movie, War for the Planet of the Apes, human soldiers have been searching for Caesar and his tribe for 2 years and fate has brought them to him. It is the final showdown between Caesar and The Colonel, the leader of the human army. Will you cheer for the apes if they win the war? Will you sympathize with the humans if they lose? Witness the pivotal moments that determine the fate of the human civilization.

 Two-time Oscar® nominee Woody Harrelson is The Colonel, the main antagonist in this War for the Planet of the Apes.

12-year old Amiah Miller is Nova, an orphaned child living with the apes.

Also new in this movie is Nova, a mute young girl afflicted by the Simian Flu. She is "adopted" by orangutan Maurice and follows on the apes on their journey to a new home. Ironically Nova becomes the silent human amidst talking primates like in atypical animated fairy-tale of talking animals.

Actor & comedian Steve Zhan portrays Bad Ape, a product of the Simian Virus spreading to other parts of the world.

One unique and intriguing character introduced in this movie is an ape called Bad Ape, voiced and motion captured by Steve Zahn. He is.... let's just say, not like the other apes of the tribe. Caesar's encounter with him will play a very important role in the war against the human army.

Watch this video above and stand a chance to win movie merchandise from our Facebook & YouTube Contest (see below for Terms & Conditions, closing Tuesday 18 July, 11.59pm).

Background on some of the recurring apes are available at the Official Planet of the Apes website.

The war action has moved from forests to rugged mountains and snow.

Reviews are now out from those that have seen the early screenings. The results are overwhelmingly positive. (some of the reviews have SPOILERS so don't click on them if you don't want to be spoiled)

Here are feedback from reviewers:

• "An exquisitely filmed, emotionally stunning film that challenges what a big-budget, summer blockbuster is supposed to be. And it’s about a planet of apes."- Germain Lussier, io9.com

• "It’s one of my favorite films of the year so far, and it deepens a little bit every time I think about it, which is always a good sign of its staying power." -Todd VanDerWerff, Vox.com

• "Director Matt Reeves and co-writer Mark Bomback display a fantastic ability for both spectacle and restraint in delivering one of the best blockbusters in years."- Scott Collura, IGN (warning, lot of SPOILERS!)

• "This movie is like having sex with a hot chick without getting an orgasm: still bloody awesome." - Dashran "Dedpewl" Yohan, The Hyped Geek.

New Zealand's Weta Digital provides leading edge motion capture technology allowing apes to emote better than Star Trek stoic Vulcans.

This motion picture values emotion very highly. And its shows very clearly when you look at the faces of the apes and realize how realistic they look like. It is amazing how motion capture has evolved to allow the emotions and subtle facial movements of the actors to be conveyed even through all those layers of digital effects. Weta Digital has really done an amazing job. And Andy Serkis really deserves an Oscar for his motion capture performance during the whole trilogy. You really want to watch this movie on the biggest and largest screen you can find: TGV's IMAX, GSC's Maxx or MBO's Big Screen.

Andy Serkis transformation into Caesar by the magic of Weta Workshop

One of the great things about this trilogy using motion capture is that it shows to the world that there is no need to utilize actual great apes and chimpanzees in entertainment. For many years, these primates have been taken as pets or as attractions. They are being threatened by wildlife trafficking and hunting. This trilogy proves that there are alternatives that are morally correct. In honor of the upcoming release of War for the Planet of the Apes, 20th Century Fox has partnered with the Jane Goodall Institute in Virginia, US, to provide care for rescued chimpanzees.

Gentle orangutan Maurice with orphaned girl Nova.

Expect a lot of emotional drama as well in the conflict between Caesar and The Colonel. Both are self-righteously defending their own species from destruction in a world gone wild.

Woody Harrelson and Andy Serkis were highly moved by each others performance.

Take a selfie or wefie with Caesar at Starling Mall, Damansara Uptown.

Typically the Outpost Movie Recon Team (M.R.T. ) will be sharing valuable intel on where to find movie stuff locally with tips on where to win merchandise. Well this time thanks to the nice people at 20th Century Fox Malaysia, we will the ones giving away the following goodies: Survival Gear to make it through this War for the Planet of the Apes!

PLEASE SCROLL BELOW FOR CURRENT ON-GOING CONTESTS

(BLOG CONTEST CLOSED)

Follow these instructions below for a chance to win these official movie merchandise and maybe even some in-season movie passes to War for the Planet of the Apes:

1. Like our Facebook Page, Outpost Productions, and this article post.

2. Share this Blog post on Facebook and/or Twitter (set your post privacy to Public). 

3. Submit your personal details and answer 3 questions plus write creative caption in the online form below.

Make sure your entries reach us by Sunday 16 July 2017, 11.59pm and stay tuned to our Facebook Page for announcement of winners.

Terms and Conditions for Outpost War for Planet of the Apes Blog Contest (CLOSED):

• Participation only for residents in Malaysia.
• Only 1 entry per person. Multiple entries after the first entry will be automatically rejected.
• Selection of winners will be based on answering all 3 questions correctly and our selection of the most creative captions.
• Winners will announced on our Facebook Page anytime from Monday 17 July 2017 onwards. It is the winners' own responsibility to lookout for the announcement and respond accordingly to the redemption instructions given.
• Prizes may be collected in person at Visual Arts Expo on 22-23 July 2017 at Shah Alam Convention Centre, or alternative locations at dates & times to be advised. Prizes that remain uncollected by 31 July 2017 will be deemed forfeit.
• We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

We are also giving away an exclusive USB thumbdrive loaded with Gen-Sys research on apes via Instagram.

(INSTAGRAM CONTEST CLOSED)

Teams and Conditions for Instagram contest (13-16 July - CLOSED):

• Participation only for residents in Malaysia.
• To participate, Follow OutpostMY on Instagram and Like the contest post.
• Comment with your vote of either #TeamMan or #TeamApe
• Tag 3 friends on Instagram
• All entries to be posted by Sunday 16 July, 11.59pm.
• Only 1 entry per person. Multiple entries after the first entry will be automatically rejected.
• Winner will be selected amongst entries from the most number of either #TeamMan or #TeamApe.
• Selected winner will be contacted by direct message for collection instructions.
• Prizes uncollected by 31 July will be forfeited.
• Just kidding on the Gen-Sys research!
• We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Teams and Conditions for Facebook & YouTube contest (15-18 July) ONGOING:

• Participation only for residents in Malaysia.
• To participate, first Like Outpost Productions / OutpostMY Facebook Page and the contest post.
• Then share the post with hashtags #WarforthePlanetMY and #OutpostGiveaway.
• Open the YouTube video "Bad Ape" on new browser (click YouTube on the lower right portion of this video to automatically open in new browser window) and Subscribe to our YouTube channel myscififanoutpost.
• Watch the video for answer to this question: “Where did Bad Ape come from?”
• Send Message to our Facebook Page Outpost Productions / OutpostMY with the following info: Name & NRIC, YouTube subscriber name, Email, Mobile Tel, Answer to Question.
• All entries to be posted by Tuesday 18 July, 11.59pm.
• Only 1 entry per person.
• Prizes consist  of 1 Cap and 1 Torchlight from War for the Planet of the Apes.
• Winner will be selected from entries with the correct answer.
• Selected winner will be contacted by direct message for collection instructions.
• Prizes uncollected by 31 July will be forfeited.
• We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Now especially for you folks who have watched War for the Planet of the Apes, we seek your movie review to share with friends to stand a chance to win this official merchandise:

Watch with compass and dogtags to help survive the Planet of the Apes.

Follow us on Twitter at OutpostMY and retweet / RT our contest post with your creative captions of the movie by words and hashtags ending with #OutpostGiveaway, e.g. #WarforthePlanet dramatic masterpiece worthy of Ape #Oscar #TeamApe #Caesar #FTW #mustsee. Contest closes Monday 24 July, 11.59pm (Malaysian time)

For chance to #WIN #WarforthePlanetMY #OutpostGiveaway, FOLLOW us + RT your movie review w creative hashtags. TNC: https://t.co/pl1Bisf0BD pic.twitter.com/5nJt19WvzB

— OutpostHoloNet (@OutpostMY) July 18, 2017

Terms and Conditions for Twitter contest (18-23 July) ONGOING:

• Participation only for residents in Malaysia.
• To participate, Follow OutpostHolonet @OutpostMY on Twitter.
• Retweet the Contest Tweet (link above).
• In retweet add Comment with your review of War for the Planet of the Apes in most creative caption and hashtags, e.g. #TheEndIsNear #PlanetoftheApes #ApeSmart #ManStupid
• End tweet with hashtag #OutpostGiveaway
• All entries to be posted by Tuesday 24 July, 11.59pm.
• Only 1 entry per person. Multiple entries after the first entry will be automatically rejected.
• Selected winner will be contacted by direct message.
• We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Also Follow us on all our social media channels for the latest geek intel and chance to win more cool stuff:  OuptostMy on Twitter, MySciFiFanOutpost on YouTube.

War for the Planet of the Apes is roaring into theaters in Malaysia on 13 July 2017. Follow 20th Century Fox Malaysia on Facebook to stay tuned to the latest monkey business and grab your tickets not for this climactic chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster trilogy.  

Disclaimer: Planet of the Apes and other trademarks are copyright 20th Century Fox, referenced here for fan service engagements without intent to infringe.

Will the origins of Xenomorphs be finally revealed in Alien: Covenant?

Fans of the Alien movie franchise will get to rejoice next week with the return of the classic Xenomorph and Facehuggers in Alien: Covenant. Although they were much anticipated during release of the preceding movie, Prometheus (2012), neither were actually featured to the disappointment of fans who were instead treated to a number of new alien monstrosities. This time there is no mistaking return the Xenomorph is it distinctly featured in movie trailers and other promotional materials.

Alien: Covenant is the sixth movie in this billion dollar sci-fi franchise and second in a series of planned prequels. Beginning 38 years ago in 1979 with Alien, acclaimed director Ridley Scott returns to the helm once again and promises to bring back the cinematic terror of sci-fi horror that was invented by the original masterpiece. Although Alien: Covenant is intended to be R-rated with barrels of claret (fake blood) flowing, Scott will also be further exploring the universe that inhibits his films through the search for mankind's progenitors (in Prometheus) and now the origins of the Xenomorphs (in Covenant, hopefully!).

Before joining the crew of the Covenant on their journey, let us briefly recap of the previous five movies according to timeline of the Alien universe: 

Ridley Scott returned to direct this first prequel movie to the saga in 2012 after a 3 decade hiatus from the original Alien in 1979. Prometheus begins in 2089 with the discovery of star map amongst ancient hieroglyphs on Earth. This sets off an expedition team four years later aboard the starship Prometheus to a mysterious planet LV-223 in search of mankind's origins. Needless to say their discovery of the "Engineers", a giant humanoid race, was far from amicable resulting in destruction of the Prometheus and most of her crew. With more questions than answers, the survivors Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and synthetic android David  (Michael Fassbender),  depart LV-223 on an alien spacecraft journeying to the "Engineers" homeworld, setting up the scene for Alien: Covenant.

Check out this official prologue video linking these two prequel movies:

10 years after the doomed Prometheus expedition, its surviving crew Elizabeth Shaw and the synthetic David continue their journey to discover our origins. Watch The Crossing, an official prologue short for #AlienCovenantMY in cinemas 10 May, with special sneaks 9 May
Posted by 20th Century Fox on Friday, 28 April 2017

P.S.: No Xenomorphs.

Official Synopsis:

Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world -- whose sole inhabitant is the "synthetic" David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

Alien: Covenant takes place 10 years after the events of Prometheus. As a colony ship on a mission to spread mankind across the galaxy, crew of the Covenant comprise couples: Captain Jacob (James Franco) and his wife, Daniels, head of terraforming operations (Katherine Waterston); second-in-command Christopher Oram (Billy Crudup) and his biologist wife Karine (Carmen Ejogo); boisterous pilots Tennessee (Danny McBride) and Faris (Amy Seimetz); head of security Sergeant Lope (Demián Bichir) and his second-in-command and husband Sergeant Hallett (Nathaniel Dean). Plus one Weyland-Yutani synthetic, Walter (Michael Fassbender again), a more advanced version of David upgraded by AMD technology(!) to better serve real humans. Indeed reserve your very own Walter at MeetWalter.com and check out the video on YouTube.

Bridge crew of the Covenant. Choose your likely survivors?

As can be seen from the trailers, the mission pretty much goes to hell shortly after planetfall and becomes a full-on gore-fest with the Covenant's crew being eliminated by the classic Facehugger and Xenomorph as well as a new creature dubbed the Neomorph. Following in the footsteps of strong female leads, we can almost expect Katherine Waterston's Daniels to resist being alien-kill for most of the movie. But don't count on her returning for the sequel as Noomi Rapace's Shaw is clearly not returning for this movie unlike Ripley in the original Alien Quadrilogy.

Will director Ridley Scott finally reveal origins of the Xenomorphs?

Whilst Prometheus delved into mankind's origins from outer space, this time director Ridley Scott aims to finally address origins of the Xenomorph. Make what you will of Scott's cryptic statement: “It came to me that no one had asked the question, who made this and why. You could say monsters from outer space, gods from outer space, engineers from outer space invented it. They didn’t. Alien: Covenant's going to flip that around.” Speculation is rife across geek channels on what this actually means. Just search Google and YouTube for numerous fan theories.

Alien: The mother of sci-fi horror movies was unleashed in 1979 hot on the heels of Star Wars frenzy. Set around 30 to 60 years after the first prequel movie, Prometheus, this story revolves around crew of the commercial starship Nostromo who, on the way back to Earth, responds to a mysterious transmission from planet LV-426. During investigation planetside, one of the crew is impregnated with an alien creature and gives birth to the first Xenomorph seen in cinemas to terrify movie audiences for years to come. Most of the crew die save Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver in the role which defines much of her future career.

Director Ridley Scott said he always thought of Alien as a B-movie, but really well done, with a basic subtext of seven people locked in the old dark house and who’s going to die first and who’s going to survive. Pretty much the same subtext carries over in the sequels although the specific environments change and Xenomorphs evolve to keep each movie fresh.

This Time It's War! So goes the tag-line for the first sequel movie Aliens helmed by award-winning director James Cameron in 1986. Taking place 57 years later in the Alien timeline, Ellen Ripley returns of LV-426 with a team of bad@$$ marines to investigate loss of communications with the colony. Battles ensue between the marines and hordes of Xenomorphs, climaxing with a showdown between Ripley and an Alien Queen. No cookies for guessing who walks away as the victor!

The third official movie released in 1992 simply named Alien3 takes place shortly after the events in Aliens on the penal colony Fiorina "Fury" 161 where Ripley crash-lands. Whilst adapting to harsh conditions of the planet, Ripley soon discovers presence of a Xenomorph as prisoners are massacred one by one. Even worst she finds herself impregnated with an Alien Queen and in the end chooses to sacrific herself over allowing corporate suits from Weyland-Yutani to harvest the Xenomorph as a weapon.

Almost like superhero comic books, no good protagonist remains dead for long and Ripley is resurrected 200 years later on the United Space Military starship Auriga as part of an experiment to control Xenomorphs. As expected, that plan goes sour way fast as Xenomorphs escape and overrun the starship. Ripley then teams up with a band of mercenaries to escape the Auriga.

If you have not yet seen these movies, consider saving yourself 10 hours by watching this 5 minute summary before watching Alien: Covenant:

To celebrate the franchise, Alien Day took place last week on 26 April (as numbers of LV-426 by month & year) with a special 1-hour event broadcast live online from Fox Studios in Los Angeles. The event featured interviews with cast members of Alien: Covenant, live art drawings, and peaks into the upcoming movie including the aforementioned Prologue. Watch the entire event below as well as behind-the-scenes with Adam Savage:

Special event for Alien Day 2017.

Adam Savage visits the film set of Alien: Covenant.

Some additional filming trivia: Exterior scenes on Alien: Covenant were shot in Milford Sound, New Zealand, one of the wettest places on our planet. This combination of rain and sheer rocky mountains shrouded in mist provided the otherworldly setting for the movie amidst being one of the top tourist attractions in the world. Here's comparison of the scene from the movie with a scenic photo by our Outpost Commander at Fiordland National Park:

Screen-cap from the trailer as crew of the Covenant discover a wheat field.

View of Fiordland valley along Te Anau - Milford Sound Highway on a clear day.
Compare those mountain ranges!

Just before heading into the cinemas, it would be worth your while to watch this 2nd Prologue introducing the main crew of the Covenant and setting up the scene for the new movie.

Also note Ridley Scott is already developing 2 more prequels with working title of the next one being Alien: Awakening. Perhaps we can expect this movie in a couple of years to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of Alien in 2019.

Typically the Outpost Movie Recon Team (M.R.T.) will be providing intel on where to find movie stuffs locally. Thanks to the nice people at 20th Century Fox Malaysia, we have 8 pairs of Movie Premiere invites to Alien: Covenant for our readers as well as Movie Premiums.

Alien: Covenant Movie Premiere

Monday 8 May, 8.45pm

@ MBO Starling Mall
(Damansara Utama)

UPDATE 8 May: Movie Premiere Contest CLOSED.

Follow our newly launch Instagram channel Outpost MY for chance to win more Movie Premiums during the opening week of Alien: Covenant.

Up for grabs Alien: Covenant t-shirts, notebooks, bottle opener & cup.

Just follow these instructions below for a chance to win a pair of Movie Premiere Invites, an exclusive Alien Day mini-poster (above), face towel and a Movie Premium:

1. Like our Facebook Page, Outpost Productions, and this article post.

2. Share this Blog post on Facebook and/or Twitter (set your post privacy to Public)

3. Submit your personal details and answer 3 questions plus write creative caption in the online form below.

Make sure your entries reach us by Friday 5 May, 11.59pm and stay tuned to our Facebook Page for announcement of winners.

Terms and Conditions for Movie Premiere contest (CLOSED):

• Participation only for residents in Malaysia able to attend the Movie Premiere.
• Only 1 entry per person. Multiple entries after the first entry will be automatically rejected.
• Selection of winners will be based on answering all 3 questions correctly and our selection of the most creative captions.
• Winners will announced on our Facebook Page anytime after Saturday 6 March, 12pm. It is the winners' own responsibility to lookout for the announcement and respond accordingly to the redemption instructions given.
• Giveaways items to be collected in person at the Movie Premiere in MBO Starling on Monday 8 May between 8.00pm to 8.30pm. Winnings are forfeit if not collecting by 8.30pm.
• We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Alien: Covenant Twitter Contest

17-18 May 2017

Please give thanks to the folks from 20th Century Fox Malaysia as we have one final round of giveaways for you Alien fans. Follow us on Twitter at OutpostMY and retweet our contest post with caption on your rating of the movie out of 10 with a few keyword hashtags on why and ending with #OutpostGiveaway, e.g. 8/10 #Xenomorph #horror #gory #plottwist #MichaelFassbender #NewZealand #OutpostGiveaway. Contest closes Thursday 18 May, 11.59pm (Malaysian time).

Click here for our Contest Tweet

Win this tshirt and mini-poster from our Twitter contest.

Terms and Conditions for Twitter contest:

• Participation only for residents in Malaysia.
• To participate, Follow OutpostHolonet @OutpostMY on Twitter.
• Retweet the Contest Tweet (link above).
• In retweet add Comment with your rating of Alien Covenant our of 10, e.g. 9/10, and keyword hashtags on why, e.g. #Xenomorph #horror #gory #plottwist #MichaelFassbender
• End comments with hashtag #OutpostGiveaway
• All entries to be posted by Thursday 18 May, 11.59pm.
• Only 1 entry per person. Multiple entries after the first entry will be automatically rejected.
• Selected winner will be contacted by direct message on 19 May.
• Prize to be collected from Outpost stall at Sunway Pyramid, Blue Concourse on 20-21 May 2017 between 10am to 10pm.
• We reserve the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Disclaimer: Alien and other trademarks are copyright 20th Century Fox, referenced here for fan service engagements without intent to infringe.

VR through your past lives with the Animus in Assassin’s Creed

by contributing writer Michelle Chee


For almost a decade, gamers have been having a world of adventure with the Assassin’s Creed video games, comprising of 9 core releases and many other side games. It’s therefore no surprise that the games have garnered a huge following and so it's just a matter of time before the franchise hits the big screen.

The Assassin’s Creed movie does not follow any of the story lines in the games, and is an independent story line by itself. However, many of the concepts in the movie are found in the game, such as the garments worn by the Assassins, the martial arts they practice and the element of time travel.

Before we jump into the review however, let’s just run through the movie’s plot, which will help some of you who are not familiar with the games...

Brooding and Ominous,  Assassins watch over us

In Assassin’s Creed, there is a war going on for centuries between the Templars and the Assassins. The Templars started out as knights in the medieval era, bent on bringing peace to the world through control and strict regulation of the masses. This brings them in direct conflict with their nemesis, the Assassins, fighting for mankind's given free will. So, basically, it’s the Fascist versus the Liberals, which is a mirror of real life human administrative dynamics too. 

The story begins in the present day when the Abstergo Foundation, the modern day manifestation of the Templars, captures Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) and subject him to experiments on a machine called the Animus . Callum Lynch is descended from a member of the Assassins named Aguilar de Nerha (also Michael Fassbender), who  is the last person in possession of a device called the Apple of Eden.  Abstergo and the Knights Templar hope to use the Apple to remove free will from humanity  and bring peace to the world.  Leading Abstergo are Dr. Alan Rikkin (Jeremy Irons)  and his daughter Sophia (Marion Cotillard) who use the Animus on test subjects to relieve their genetic memories. Callum Lynch is joined by other descendants of the Assassin’s Creed brought in for testing.

As Callum synchs up with his ancestor’s memories, he has to figure out where his loyalties lie and how to deal with a troubled past in today's modern world.

Fassbender (left) and co-star Ariane Labed as medieval Assassins

Movie fans will remember Fassbender as Magneto is the latest installment of the X-Men franchise, and his serious demeanor makes him an excellent choice to play Callum Lynch, who is struggling with his self identity. French actress Marion Cotillard as Sophia Rikkin similarly plays conflicted roles between scientist or Templar. Whilst Cotillard’s acting was commendable, but her accent did come across as awkward in some scenes, especially when conversing with Jeremy Irons.

Marion Cotillard (left) and Jeremy Irons who play the father and daughter Templars, Alan and Sophia Rikkin

Here is a trailer of the movie to give a feel of what’s to come:

As a non-gamer, I went into the movie screening with little expectations, but left feeling really satisfied. Not many action movies deliver this depth of thought and I was particularly fascinated with the para-scientific logic and reasoning behind how the Animus works. The action sequences were awesome to watch, and were not too prolonged overall.  The movie, IMHO, stays very true to the spirit of the game. 

Fassbender, Cotillard, Irons and the rest of the cast did well in their roles, except that I wished I could also see the lives of the of the other Assassin’s Creed ancestors. I thought the portrayal of medieval Spain was very apt, and that many of the sentiments the Templars expressed mirrors strongly how governments of the past and present function, by using various means to control their citizens. However, hope is always present when there are small groups fighting for freedom, personified by the Assassins. 

Without revealing too much, one of the scenes that really strikes me was how the Assassins used their  parkour abilities to outrun their opponents, making cartwheels and skyline jumps look effortless, almost like a dance rather than an act of desperate escape. The chemistry between the main characters is really on point, especially between Callum and his ancestor Aguilar, as well as with his father.

The cinematography is visually stunning as the camera swoops down on medieval Spain before every flashback starts, and the colour choices really transports you back in time, and drags you back to the cold and stark present. 

Last Sunday an Assassin's Creed Fan Gathering was held at Comic Fiesta. It's the first fan panel in the style of overseas Comic Cons organised at a local convention with support of 20th Century Fox, distributor of the Assassin's Creed movie.

Convention attendees enter the panel room under watchful eyes of the Templars.

Full house of Assassin's Creed fans.

The kicked off with introduction of the panelists comprising Cappy Lenoire as moderator with Chel C. representing cosplayers, Kok Jia Wern offering a gamer's perspective and Iain McNally looking through lens of the movie. Short featurettes of the Assassin's Creed movie were screened followed by panelists sharing their thoughts on the subject featured, such as backstory of Templars versus Assassins and the incarnation of the Aminus in the movie.

Screening featurettes of the Assassin's Creed movie.

Panelists share their thoughts; (left to right) Iain McNally, Chel C., Kok Jia Wern, and Cappy Lannoire.

Following the panel discussions, attendees had a chance to win movie premiums by participating in a True-False game. Video was screened with trivia from the movie whereby contestants had to determine whether the statements are true or false. Through elimination of contestants by wrong answers, two winners were determined. 

Winners (middle) of the Assassin's Creed True-False trivia game.

The panel session closed off with group photos of Assassin's Creed cosplayers and then everyone present in the room. A final surprise was revealed with invites for movie preview randomly placed under the seats. But no one left disappointed anyway as Assassin's Creed movie leather bracelets were given out to everyone in attendance.

Cosplayers group photo.

All together now and show off those movie preview invites!

There were even a group of Templars sword-fighting a lone Assassin at Comic Fiesta!

Check out more photos of the panel from Ezli Qamari on Facebook as well as photos from the Assassin's Creed movie preview screening on 22 December 2016 at GSC Mid Valley Megamall.

Cosplayers at the Assassin's Creed movie preview screening at GSC Mid Valley.

For fans of the movie, the Outpost Movie Recon Team (M.R.T.) has tracked down some Assassin's Creed memorabilia to bring home your experience:

Golden Screen Cinemas is conducting a contest from now until 3rd January 2017 where you can win an Assassin’s Creed diorama. All you have to do is pose with an Assassin’s creed poster or display, put it up publicly on your Instagram and tag it with the hashtag provided. 

GSC is also giving away limited edition Assasin’s Creed tankards so you drink your ale like a stealthy Assassin that works in the dark to preserve the light. You can redeem one tankard for every 2 Assassin’s Creed movie tickets purchased for Gold Class or every 4 tickets for Premiere Class (where available while stocks last).

Over at MM Cineplex (formerly Cathay Cineplexes in Malaysia) is giving away assorted Assassin's Creed movie premiums via their Facebook Page.  Just Like the photo and post your answer in the comments section for chance to be randomly selected for prizes.

MSI Malaysia is going all out with its Assassin’s Creed promotion this time, and they’re having several different lucky draws in almost 50 locations nationwide from now until early January 2017 with prizes that include Assassin’s Creed keychains, movie passes, MSI gaming CPUs, gaming laptops, overseas trips and other gamer hardware.

If you’re interested to read more stories from the Assassin’s Creed universe, Popular bookstore is offering a boxset of 7 books by Oliver Bowden based on the characters and concepts from the game.

Malaysian Movie Blog Screenbites is running an online contest with mysterious Assassin’s Creed goodies to give away, so start sending in your entries here.

Those of you who want to subtly insert some badass Assassin’s Creed element into your daily lives can check out this Desmond Miles inspired hoodie on Lazada. Lazada actually has a ton of really awesome Assassin’s Creed stuff you can check out, from sweaters to hidden blade armbands for cosplay, as well as backpacks and the video games themselves. See them all here.

Assassin’s Creed, though marketed as an action/adventure series, is really about reconnecting with your past. As you watch the movies and experience the games, take some time out to think what life must have been like for your own ancestors you’ve never met, and how their life choices has led to you being you.

Assassin's Creed in cinemas now nationwide.

Disclaimer: Assassin's Creed and other trademarks are copyright to Ubisoft and/or 20th Century Fox, referenced here for fan service announcements without intent to infringe.