Dr. Robert Langdon gets brought into the thick of mystery and intrigue as a centuries-old secret society, the Illuminati, strikes out at the Catholic Church as the church’s leadership gathers to name a new Pope.
The Truth
Angels & Demons is better than The Da Vinci Code, but this doesn’t make it a great film, just a decent one. Ron Howard looks like he learned his lesson after critics and fans blasted his epic bore The Da Vinci Code. Angels & Demons is much more exciting and energetic, but I still found it hard to follow and a lot of stuff left out from the book which would have made it make more sense.
Langdon and Vetra have to decipher the secret code that unlocks the stops on the “Path of Illumination,” which points to the Illuminati’s secret meeting place, which is where the bomb’s hidden. You could say it really reminded me of National Treasure, Book Of Secrets when this all went down.
Ron Howard never really risks any controversy when making this film, he never digs into the Catholic Church issues too much, and almost completely avoids the main character’s belief in god through the entire movie. I know Robert Langdon is supposed to be a historian, a man who believes in facts not faith… but it seems odd his point of view never changed since he technically found the only living descendant of Jesus Christ in The Da Vinci code only a short time before.
A few gun fights, explosions and fist-fights later, and the film ends with an opening for another film.
The Action
Angels & Demons has enough action in it to burn through the two hours, and better action than The Da Vinci code. Although the action is often a little too convenient and .. well.. unrealistic, its decent enough to pull the film through.
The Effects
Not a ton of effects, but the film set and production was wonderful. I loved the settings and environment Angels & Demons demonstrated in the film, and it made me want to book a trip to Rome.
What’s good about it?
Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, the soundtrack, the setting, Rome, the mystery and secret societies.
What’s bad about it?
I suppose the mystery of The Code, and the stories around it, are losing interest to me, but my biggest complaint for this film is the incredible amount of detail and intrigue they skipped from the book. The names of characters, important events, and vital information that made the book a great read, were skipped for some reason. Fans of the book will probably not enjoy the film.
You’ll Like It If
If you liked National Treasure, but don’t mind a plot that’s a little more complicated, I think you’ll enjoy the film.
The Verdict
Angels & Demons never had the hype The Da Vinci Code did, but its much better than its 2006 prequel. The film isn’t without flaws and issues, but its decent enough to warrant a visit to the movies. I’d prefer to rent this one at home when it arrives on DVD if I had the choice.
Was thinking about seeing this film, but I always pictured this as a rental, like The Da Vinci Code. Its the sort of movie you have to pause, rewind to get the full grasp of, and the movie experience ruins that for me.
I’m waiting for it to hit the rental market.
I wasn’t impressed with this movie. As usual, the book was fantastic, but Ron Howard can’t bridge the two.