Think of your favourite video game movies. Struggling already? Not exactly crazy about the likes of Tomb Raider and Silent Hill? Keen to scrub Super Mario Bros from your mind? (To be honest, we all want to do that.)

That's why you seriously need to take note of 2016 action extravaganza Assassin's Creed, already poised to succeed where so many other video game movies have failed spectacularly. Here are the reasons why we're excited, and why you ought to be too...

1) It's got a brilliantly imaginative premise

Assassin's Creed is the big screen spin-off from the bestselling franchise, one that has already spawned nine acclaimed games across the Playstation 3, Playstation 4, X-Box One and countless other platforms. It's also crossed over into iOS and Android – so it's safe to say this series is big.

And one of the reasons why the movie is so feverishly anticipated is it's staying true to the central conceit of the games themselves. In the movie, central character Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) relives his 15th century Spanish ancestor Aguilar's memories, essentially travelling back in time to relive a violent era of swordplay and subterfuge. The possibilities for this to become visually exciting and dynamic cinema are surely boundless.

2) It stars one of our greatest actors

We mentioned Michael Fassbender there – surely if any actor is going to bring the right amount of emotional gravitas and conviction to a role in a video game movie, he's your man. Having delivered three knockout performances in 2015 alone, stunning in Slow West, Macbeth and the Oscar nominated Steve Jobs, Fassbender is poised to bring his charisma to a role that might otherwise become anonymous in the hands of a lesser performer.

3) There's a visionary director behind the camera

Assassin's Creed is directed by Justin Kurzel, so why is that a name you ought to remember? Simply because his 2015 collaboration with Michael Fassbender on Macbeth made for one of the boldest and most brilliant Shakespeare adaptations in years. Dialling back the text and placing greater emphasis on visual imagery with some truly stunning battle sequences, Macbeth could in some ways be considered the dry run for the Assassin's Creed movie.

And these aren't the only credits Kurzel has to his name: in 2011, he demonstrated his skill with a completely different kind of story, Snowtown. This disturbing, factual Australian drama is based on a shocking real-life killing spree and whilst it would appear to be far removed from Assassin's Creed, it demonstrates Kurzel's skill with drawing superb performances out of his actors.

4) Marion Cotillard is the lead actress

She made for a stunning Lady Macbeth opposite Michael Fassbender, and the two stars are hopefully set to bring the same chemistry to the Assassin's Creed movie. Added to that, Cotillard is a fabulous actress on her own terms, having delivered knockout performances in the likes of Two Days, One Night, Inception and La Vie En Rose (in which she played esteemed French singer Edith Piaf, grabbing an Oscar in the process). If anyone can match Fassbender in terms of intensity, Cotillard is that person.

5) Fassbender himself is promising great things...

Of course, we expect the lead actor to big up their movie. Even so, what Fassbender is saying about Assassin's Creed is getting us seriously amped. 

"It was great," he recently raved to the Wall Street Journal. "It was a huge learning experience. To be a producer on it as well was very educational. I think we've got something special. I think we've done something original in this genre."

Well, there you have it from the great man himself. Do you think Assassin's Creed will become the greatest video game movie of all time? Tweet your thoughts and prepare for its release on 30th December.