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Movie Review: Angels & Demons

Ilan Mester — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:30:09 +0000

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“Angels & Demons” is worth seeing, even for those who haven’t read the Dan Brown novel of the same title. It has thrill moments, chill moments and surprising revelations. Who would have ever thought Ewan McGregor could pull off playing a church official?

In the second movie of the “Da Vinci Code” franchise, Tom Hanks returns as Harvard professor Robert Langdon, a cheeky historic symbolist. After the sudden death of the Pope and the threat of the Illuminati (a secret society that in the film, seeks vengeance on the Church) destroying the Vatican with an antimatter bomb, Langdon is asked to follow a historic trail dating back 400 years that will hopefully lead to the deadly bomb.

Now that I think of it, the plot sounds sort of ridiculous and as usual, features some loop holes. For example, why would anyone go out of their way to capture four cardinals and murder them separately if they were eventually planning on destroying the entire Vatican? Then again, it does make for a thrilling movie.

For those who haven’t seen the 2006 hit “The Da Vinci Code,” don’t worry, you can walk into “Angels & Demons” without knowing a single thing about the Mona Lisa. The film is based on the novel that was published before “The Da Vinci Code” and takes place before as well.

And if you did see “The Da Vinci Code” and liked the film, odds are you’ll enjoy this movie as well, but it won’t be due to plot similarities (the story-line in “Angels & Demons” is completely different). But it might be because both films have the same “feel” to them. This makes sense since both films share the same director (Ron Howard) and protagonist (Tom Hanks).

Howard does a fantastic job in terms of cinematography. Just like “The Da Vinci Code,” you get an artistic showing of the city, which for “Angel & Demons,” the focus is on Rome and the Vatican. Watching this film is like watching a movie through paintings: every detail is accounted for. And the detailed shots in this movie are very impressive, especially for a film that was denied shooting scenes inside the Vatican (where a majority of the movie takes place). Everything looks legitimate and real.

As for Tom Hanks, well it’s Tom Hanks, you can always expect a lot from the guy. This role doesn’t require an Academy Award Winning performance from Hanks, but as the lead it requires him to carry this movie — and he carries it well.

Although Audrey Tautou does not return in “Angel and Demons” (the character she plays isn’t in the book), Ayelet Zurer plays Vittoria Vetra, pretty much the only female in the movie. Vittoria is a tough-minded Italian physicist (which Zurer pulls off) who accompanies Langdon in the quest to find the antimatter bomb.

But the standout performance by far is Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (although Armin Mueller-Stahl comes close with his Yoda-like voice). McGregor’s character is extremely interesting and at times, also carries the movie.

“Angel & Demons” vaguely touches on the science vs. religion and mind vs. body themes but at the end of the day, it’s just a cool adventure movie. It will have your attention from the beginning to the end, and most importantly, doesn’t feature the slow pace of “The Da Vinci Code” (or the 10 different scenes where it could have ended).

Da Vinci Code Prequel in the Works

andPOP Staff — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 16:07:32 +0000

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Tom Hanks and Ron Howard will team up again for the prequel to The Da Vinci Code.

The 2006 film, based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown, made a whopping $540 million worldwide.

Angels And Demons, Brown’s prequel to The Da Vinci Code, was also an international bestseller. The film adaptation will see Hanks reprise his role as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.

In Angels And Demons, Langdon delves into the world of a secret society that threatens the existence of the Catholic Church.

Filming is set to start in mid-February in Rome with a release date around December 2008.

China Pulls The Da Vinci From Theatres

andPOP Staff — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 08:56:34 +0000

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China pulled “The Da Vinci Code” from all movie theatres yesterday without giving a reason for the decision, reports Times Online.

An official from the New Century Cinema in Beijing had been ordered to stop showing the flick. This is where the film opened on May 17th at a glamorous premier, just hours before it opened at the star-studded Cannes Film Festival.
“We were told it’s due to special reasons. If you want to watch it you had better come today,” he said.

Officials at the Film Bureau declined to comment. However, film company executives said they had been told that the movie was being withdrawn to make way for Chinese films. But the major Hollywood blockbuster, “Ice Age: The Meltdown” was still released, even though it is expected to gross very well at the box office.

It is thought that film regulators may have made the decision after protests from religious groups. China’s state-run Church had urged its followers to boycott the film, accusing it of violating religious ethics, for example.

“The movie has many details that go against the Catholic teachings or are even insulting,” said Liu Bainian, the vice-president of the official China Catholic Patriotic Association.

The film has been banned in several Indian states, as well as Fiji, Pakistan and some other countries, for offensive religious issues. But this one may have come as the biggest shock, considering the length of time between the release date and the ban.

Another Da Vinci Claim

andPOP Staff — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:21:30 +0000

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After settling one lawsuit, Dan Brown is now being compared with another similar book in the July issue of Vanity Fair.

The magazine looks at Brown’s breakthrough bestseller, “The Da Vinci Code,” and compares it to a book called “Daughter of God” by Lewis Perdue, which came out three years before “Da Vinci.”

Both stories feature similar plot points: an American professor who comes to Paris, an art curator/collector who tries to reveal a secret about the Catholic religion, the curator/collector is killed, the secret in both stories in the pivotal role women played in early Christianity, the secret is hidden in art work and how the Catholic church has tried to cover it up.

The issue of Vanity Fair with the article hits stands this month.

‘Da Vinci Code’ Tops Box Office

andPOP Staff — Mon, 22 May 2006 16:00:24 +0000

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Despite bad reviews and global protests, “The Da Vinci Code” lived up to expectations and dominated the box office this past weekend.

The film, based on Dan Brown’s bestselling book, brought in $224 million US worldwide, according to CBC. That makes it the second-largest debut at the global box office, behind last years “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith,” which earned $253 million in its first weekend.

Though “Da Vinci Code” didn’t set any North American box office records, it did pull in $77 million, making it the most successful opening this year. The best North American debut in film history was $115 million for “Spider-Man” in 2002.

Cannes Critics Slam ‘Da Vinci Code’

andPOP Staff — Wed, 17 May 2006 14:26:16 +0000

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Film critics had no trouble spewing unflattering adjectives Wednesday before the world premiere of “The Da Vinci Code.”

The movie, set to open the annual Cannes film festival in France, was described as ?grim,? ?unwieldy,? and ?plodding,? reports Reuters.

?A pulpy page-turner in its original incarnation as a huge international bestseller has become a stodgy, grim thing in the exceedingly literal-minded film version of ?The Da Vinci Code,?? wrote Variety?s Todd McCarthy. Other reviews were similar.

The blockbuster film has already faced its fair share of criticism from religious groups, as andPOP reported yesterday. Though this latest round of jabs will likely have little effect on the movie?s initial box office take, a negative response from general audiences could hurt sales later on.

Protestors Try to Crack The Da Vinci Code

andPOP Staff — Tue, 16 May 2006 18:29:02 +0000

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Christian groups across the globe upped their protest efforts Tuesday as the Cannes Film Festival premiere of ?The Da Vinci Code? drew closer.

Religious organizations from South Korea, Thailand, Greece and India were set to launch boycotts, a hunger strike, and other attempts to disrupt screenings, according to the Associated Press.

The film, adapted from Dan Brown?s biblically huge bestseller, presents the theory that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had children, spawning a bloodline that continues to the present day.

The Indian government put a temporary hold on the movie?s release due to complaints.

Christian groups in Thailand asked government censors to cut the film’s ending, fix subtitles that they say are disrespectful to Jesus, and show audiences a notice saying the content is fictional.

A request to block screenings in South Korea, however, was struck down.

?As it is clear that the novel and movie are all fiction … there is no probability that the movie can make viewers mistakenly believe the contents of the movie are facts,? said chief judge Song Jin-hyun in his ruling.

?The Da Vinci Code? will open in North America this Friday.

‘The Da Vinci Code’ starts filming in Paris

andPOP Staff — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 15:37:34 +0000

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“The Da Vinci Code” starring Tom Hanks has begun filming in Paris, more specifically the Louvre museum where the Mona Lisa is kept.

The $100-million movie, based on Dan Brown’s highly successful novel, started filming on Wednesday at the Ritz Hotel and continued to film at the Louvre where the opening scene takes place.

Hanks plays the hero, Robert Langdon, who decodes a number of clues linked to historic works, including Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” to solve a centuries-old secret guarded by a deadly cult.

Director Ron Howard would also be shooting in Britain but they were denied permission to film in the Westminster Abby because officials deemed the novel to be theologically unsound.

The book has created much controversy and has spurred many books that refute the author’s claims. One of the most debated topics is whether Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus.

French actor Audrey Tautou of “Amelie” fame also stars in the movie.

The film is expected to be in theatres May of next year.