REVIEW: Angels & Demons (2009)
May 18th 2009 09:01
Angels & Demons - 7/10
Ron Howard's adaptation of the first Robert Langdon novel is much, much easier to swallow.
Admittedly, Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) hasn't had such an easy life these past few years. Only recently, he was involved in a very controversial discovery that cast the Catholic Church into a very harsh shadow. While he may have profited from that in a way, the celebrity status that followed him was more than likely not as enjoyable as one would expect. Just as his life is beginning to move on from those insane events, he is once again thrust into another conspiracy involving the Catholic Church when an Italian policeman working for the Vatican asks for his help in a most troubling crime: four Cardinals have been kidnapped on the eve of the Conclave, and an extremely destructive device has been hidden somewhere inside of Vatican City. The next day-and-a-half will challenge Professor Langdon more than he could have thought possible.
I will admit it right here: I am a fan of Dan Brown. I know that, lately, that is not something to be proud of. It is not uncommon knowledge that Brown seems to skate past history with such bravado that most historians cannot even comprehend his actions. However, from a reader's point of view, Brown has an uncanny ability to create tension and suspense that is unrivaled in most of today's authors. That being said, I was very disappointed with The Da Vinci Code film. I knew that the "history" and "facts" that Brown provided in his novel were skewed to the point of being absurd, but he still managed to make things exciting. Ron Howard's/Akiva Goldsman's interpretation, however, left a lot to be desired...and that is saying something. So my excitement for the next Robert Langdon adventure was a bit waned.
I had no reason to be worried, surprisingly. A lot of credit has to go to the film makers here. They managed to take yet another absurd Dan Brown story and make it more plausible. While The Da Vinci Code tried a bit too hard, Angels & Demons felt spot on! For those of you who have not read the novel of this movie, you may not feel the same way. I, however, was extremely relieved. There ware many parts of the original story that I felt to be ridiculous and far-fetched. Howard/Goldsman seemed to understand their mistakes from the first film (which, to me, was being too faithful to the original text) and did their best to veer away from the parts of the story that seemed too out there.
I was not expecting to be surprised when watching this film. Having read the novel many times (and feeling that it was far superior to "The Da Vinci Code"), I was expecting to be let down. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Angels & Demons held a lot of surprises, shocks, and some good ol' acting to make even the biggest skeptics go "Oh, wow!' It was better written, acted, and directed than its predecessor, and deserves that accolade!
Whether you are a fan of Dan Brown or the first film of the series, I think it safe to say that you will find your heart beating fast with this newest addition to the series.
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