By Vanessa Ho
Tom Hanks, this time with better hair, returns as symbologist Robert Langdon in Angels and Demons, a sequel to 2006's The Da Vinci Code (but in actuality the book is a prequel), who this time around is in Vatican City trying to solve clues to find four kidnapped cardinals before they are murdered and a canister of stolen anti-matter that threatens to blow-up Vatican City that is crowded because of Conclave (the event to elect a new Pope).
The film really picks up pace and excitement as Langdon and Vittoria (Ayelet Zurer) traverse across Rome and Vatican City trying to follow "the path to illumination" in order to find these four cardinals and the canister before potential disaster can occur. Also on hand is Ewan McGregor as the Carmalengo (a priest in charge of the Vatican when there is no Pope) helping Langdon and Vittoria find the cardinals and Stellan Skarsgaard as the head of the Swiss Guard who seems to stand in the way of their investigation.
The detective work was a marvel to watch and eschewed fairly close to the book. I also enjoyed director Howard's interpretation of the Vatican archives, which was quite neat to see and made me wonder if that was a realistic representation of the actual location.
Frustratingly, the screenwriters decided to either completely ignore or re-write key plot points that proved distracting to fans of Dan Brown's book, which was also what happened to The Da Vinci Code. Some of the stuff that they cut out could have helped explain certain things while some cuts made were necessary for storytelling purposes but that didn't make it any less annoying.
As with The Da Vinci Code, Hanks didn't exude much chemistry at all with his leading lady, Zurer, who I felt was a bit underutilized in the detective work. However, why have a beautiful young woman helping Langdon with his detective work and not have her be his love interest (as it was in the book). Here's hoping that when they do the film adaptation of Langdon's next adventure, The Lost Symbol that they actually give him a love interest or re-introduce Vittoria somehow.
Having read the book sort of took the suspense out of the film for me and I think I would have thought the film would have been more thrilling and suspenseful if I hadn't read the novel.
Tom Hanks, this time with better hair, returns as symbologist Robert Langdon in Angels and Demons, a sequel to 2006's The Da Vinci Code (but in actuality the book is a prequel), who this time around is in Vatican City trying to solve clues to find four kidnapped cardinals before they are murdered and a canister of stolen anti-matter that threatens to blow-up Vatican City that is crowded because of Conclave (the event to elect a new Pope).
The film really picks up pace and excitement as Langdon and Vittoria (Ayelet Zurer) traverse across Rome and Vatican City trying to follow "the path to illumination" in order to find these four cardinals and the canister before potential disaster can occur. Also on hand is Ewan McGregor as the Carmalengo (a priest in charge of the Vatican when there is no Pope) helping Langdon and Vittoria find the cardinals and Stellan Skarsgaard as the head of the Swiss Guard who seems to stand in the way of their investigation.
The detective work was a marvel to watch and eschewed fairly close to the book. I also enjoyed director Howard's interpretation of the Vatican archives, which was quite neat to see and made me wonder if that was a realistic representation of the actual location.
Frustratingly, the screenwriters decided to either completely ignore or re-write key plot points that proved distracting to fans of Dan Brown's book, which was also what happened to The Da Vinci Code. Some of the stuff that they cut out could have helped explain certain things while some cuts made were necessary for storytelling purposes but that didn't make it any less annoying.
As with The Da Vinci Code, Hanks didn't exude much chemistry at all with his leading lady, Zurer, who I felt was a bit underutilized in the detective work. However, why have a beautiful young woman helping Langdon with his detective work and not have her be his love interest (as it was in the book). Here's hoping that when they do the film adaptation of Langdon's next adventure, The Lost Symbol that they actually give him a love interest or re-introduce Vittoria somehow.
Having read the book sort of took the suspense out of the film for me and I think I would have thought the film would have been more thrilling and suspenseful if I hadn't read the novel.
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