Three years after the adaptation of author Dan Brown’s novel “The Da Vinci Code” was released comes the second cinematic installment of the series: Angels and Demons. Director Ron Howard and actor Tom Hanks teamed up again for the film and brought along a star studded cast including Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard.
The 138-minute film begins at CERN, the large hadron collider in Geneva where anti-matter was created and then stolen. With the exception of Harvard and Geneva, the rest of the movie takes place in the Vatican City where the Pope has just died.
Soon after, a video threat shows the four candidates to replace the Pope being held captive in a dark room, and then a second video shows the stolen anti-matter in a controlled canister.
Howard then delivers a classic time bomb scenario in which the candidates for papacy need to be saved and the protagonists must find the anti-matter before it is used as an explosive weapon to annihilate the Vatican City. Hanks’ character, Robert Langdo, a Harvard professor, and Ayelet Zurer who plays a physicist named Vittoria, are then called in to the Vatican to help solve a riddle buried deep in Catholic mystery and search for a secret brotherhood: the Illuminati.
Perhaps the most agreeable aspect of the film was Hanks character, Langdon, sporting a much less awkward haircut than he had in “Da Vinc.” All fashionable items aside, the film was very entertaining. Explosions, guns, anti-matter, and Catholicism—could you really ask for anything more in a movie going experience?
Hanks’ character seemed to be very reminiscent of Indiana Jones, minus the hat and whip. However, Langdon is not searching for the Holy Grail, but rather is working to crack religious codes and read symbols to save the Vatican City. Not bad for a character who does not even profess to believe in God, much less display a faith in Catholicism.
However, the film failed to discuss the motives of some of the characters in great detail and thus some of the characters’ actions were unclear in their significance. The history behind the Illuminati and the Catholic church is briefly discussed throughout the film, but a better knowledge of the dispute between the two parties would have aided the audience in understanding the goals and desires of the Illuminati.
Angels also did not go into great detail about the conflict between science religion, which is what the book “Angels and Demons” is essentially about. The Illuminati’s goal, while discussed in the film, is somewhat muffled. The overall conflict of keeping religion relevant in a science- driven world seems to have been lost in the guns and smoke-or fire and brimstone, if you will.
The film my have proven to be more enthralling if the actions and desires of a few select characters were looked at more in depth. This is where the film becomes more entertaining. Fans of the series may be disappointed in the latest installment of Brown’s adaptation, but Howard’s directing makes the film worth watching.
Critic’s Conclusion: “Angels and Demons” is full of all sort of twists and turns which will keep anyone with a pulse on the edge of his or her seat. The acting and cinematic experience is what you would expect from Hanks and Howard, and it is clear that Howard did not cut any corners on production. However, do not expect to be blown away; it is very entertaining, but not as interesting as a film about secret brotherhoods, and science and religion be.
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