ASSASSIN’S CREED (Rated PG-13)

As a general rule, the beginning of January is the dumping ground for new film releases to the extent that the holdovers from the holiday season still have a grip on the public’s attention.

One such holdover, if only because you can watch the latest “Star Wars” for an X number of times, is “Assassin’s Creed,” which given its lineage of a blockbuster video game seems destined to tap into a certain market.

The problem with a video game as the source material for a story that jumps back and forth between modern times and the Crusades of the 15th Century is that battle scenes, even if artfully staged, become repetitive and confusing.

Confusion also grips the central character of Cal Lynch (Michael Fassbender), a convict facing capital punishment when he gains a second chance at life thanks to the mysterious workings of a research lab in Spain that seeks to unlock the genetic memories contained in his DNA.

The experiments of research director Alan Rikkin (Jeremy Irons) and his scientist daughter Sophia (Marion Cotillard) place Cal in a machine called the Animus to live out the experiences of a distant relative who had been one of the Assassins fighting the Knights Templar.

Amidst the intense and often painful training to which Cal is subjected, he once utters the panicked response of “What the f*** is going on?” At that moment, many in the audience shared this outburst of bewilderment.

From the perspective of one unfamiliar with the “Assassin’s Creed” video game, I can safely opine that finding a narrative string of coherence in the storyline may elude many viewers.

Cal’s quest to help his 15th century relatives in their fight to protect free will from the power-hungry Knights Templar transitions into a rebellion against the puppet masters of the Templar organization in the present day.

The Holy Grail to the Assassins, which has nothing to do with Monty Python, though that could be a nice twist to a medieval story, is an object called the Apple of Eden for which Cal and his cohorts are searching during a pitched battle to defeat the Templars.

When boiled down to its bare essentials “Assassin’s Creed” is about the centuries-long conflict between warring factions. If action matters more than story, the visuals and special effects are first-rate, delivering the expected violent punch of clashing warriors.

“Assassin’s Creed” ends on the type of note that suggests a sequel could be on its way. This expectation would seem to be greeted with great anticipation only by the most fervent video gamers.

TV Corner: 'The Real Mad Men' on Smithsonian Channel

The Smithsonian Channel, much like its namesake national museum, focuses its attention on science, nature and pop culture for some truly interesting television programming.

“The Real Mad Men of Advertising” is a four-part documentary series that taps into the zeitgeist of Matthew Weiner’s popular and long-running AMC series about the free-wheeling advertising executives on Madison Avenue during the turbulent and evolving Sixties.

Narrated by John Slattery, who played Roger Sterling on “Mad Men,” this Smithsonian Channel documentary begins with the advertising world’s prominent role in the post-World War II economic boom fueled by pent-up consumerism.

The first episode focuses on the 1950s where the consumer culture was propelled to avoid another depression.

It was also a simpler time when ad agencies produced shows like Texaco Star Theater and the Colgate Comedy Hour.

Clips of television ads and print advertisements reflect the spirit of the times. Even the kitchen debate between Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev highlighted the allure of modern consumer products.

The second episode that focuses on the 1960s is even more compelling in that the advertising world was popularized by the fictional “Mad Men” series, but kernels of truth emerged from the creativity of that series.

“Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner recounts that advertising executives were “rock stars” of their time, and that the hard-drinking and womanizing ad men, charismatic and glib on their feet, were a reflection of the culture.

One of the more interesting interview subjects is Jane Maas, former creative director at Ogilvy & Mather, who talks about being a second-class citizen because of her gender but managed to survive the male-centric culture.

“The Real Mad Men of Advertising” recalls the famous “Think Small” campaign for Volkswagen created by Doyle Dane Bernbach, producing the then-revolutionary and inspired concept of using humor to sell products.

The series explores some of the creative efforts to mass market everything from tobacco to underwear. The Marlboro Man became an advertising symbol to sell filtered cigarettes as a masculine product tied to the cowboy image.

Iconic print ads were unfurled with the celebrated Avis Rent-a-Car “We Try Harder” campaign and the stylish “The Man in the Hathaway Shirt” where dress shirts were sold with the image of a debonair man wearing an eye patch.

Of course, not all advertising campaigns, as clever as they may be, worked to success. A notable example of failure was the extensive campaign for the Ford Edsel. You can’t persuade the public to buy something they don’t want.

Preview episodes of the 1970s and 1980s weren’t provided for review, but if we were to judge the series by the first two episodes, “The Real Mad Men of Advertising” is a product worth selling.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.