When Hollywood takes a national best selling book and gives it the once over, that usually means bad news. The third book by author Dan Brown tells of Robert Langdons brush with a shadowy secret society, the Illuminati, and his frantic quest for the worlds most powerful energy source, in the company of a beautiful Italian physicist whose father, a brilliant physicist, had been murdered. This summer has Hollywood bringing back the team behind "The Da Vinci Code" for the highly anticipated "Angels & Demons," but unlike the book director Ron Howard has taken some license with the story and made it in what he hopes is an appealing story to today's teens.
Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, (Tom Hanks) once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. Howard left the essential story in place, he leaves the mystery of the Illuminati, and involves Langdon because he is a symbolist of some renown. The Catholic Church and the Vatican are still at the core of the story, but the differences are plenty, the man who is murdered in the beginning is just a scientist, the outcome of the four kidnapped Cardinals is different than the book as well. As for the leading lady we still get Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) who now has only one reason to be at the Vatican, to find the anti-matter device before it explodes. The pace of the movie is lightning fast, we go from one location to the next in seconds, there is scene after scene of police cars racing down the streets. Langdon pitt's his knowledge against a madman in a race to save the future of Catholicism. The Pope has died, and before conclave can begin to determine his successor, the four preferitti are kidnapped. An ominous threat of their hourly demise, along with the complete annihilation of Vatican City, is issued, this elaborate revenge scheme comes from an historically persecuted group known as the Illuminati. Langdon, accompanied by Vittoria Vetra, must travel throughout Rome to unravel the carefully hidden signs that will lead them to a terrifying adversary. One that may be much closer to them then they know. Hindering Langdon is Commander Richter (Stellan Skarsgård) who is in charge of the Vatican guard unit. Another one of the policeman who does try to help Langdon is Inspector Olivetti (Pierfrancesco Favino) he is the one who suggested bring Langdon in on the case at the beginning. Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (Ewan McGregor) has been placed in charge of the Vatican until a new pope can be elected, Langdon talks the Camerlengo into allowing him into the Vatican archives, something he has been trying to obtain for several years, at first no one wants to let Langdon into the archives, but the Carmerlengo overrides them, later on it seems that everyone has ruling power over the Carmerlengo. Commander Richter over rides his order to evacuate the cardinals before midnight, Cardinal Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl) over rides him several times even going as far as saying leave the church rulings to those of us who rule.
Although this is a much quicker paced movie than The Da Vinci Code, it still has nothing that grabs you, it is marketed as an action movie the trailer makes it seem as if it is a fast paced action thriller, it isn't. The movie plods along, at over two hours the movie seems to drag itself through mud at points. The action is quick, maybe too quick. The assassin (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) leaves no impression on the viewers, he seems to be a lost child only doing what he is told, at one point he says "God will have to forgive me for what I'm about to do" and then it looks as if he regrets his actions. Later when confronted at a fountain, he seems to be enjoying himself. The movie never makes you care for any of the characters, they pass by so fast, the ones who do linger are either making a point about how great they are or are just along for the ride. This is a disappointing movie, the confrontation between Langdon and the assassin never comes, it is never more than a quick by the way.
I give Angels & Demons a 2 and on my avoidance scale a 1 this movie will be on DVD rather quickly, it will be one of those movie that fade out of the spotlight as quickly as it appeared. If you have read the book, you will be really disappointed, if you have thought about seeing the movie first, than reading the book, I suggest that you follow through with that idea, the movie is decidedly different from the novel. If you just want to see this movie and have no intention of reading the novel, then you may walk away from this experience liking what you just saw.
Angels & Demons is rated PG-13 for Sequences of Violence, Disturbing Images and Thematic Material
Running time is 2 hrs. 18 mins.
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