The Da Vinci Code Review
Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 05.19.2006
So dark the con of man...
THE DA VINCI CODE
May 19, 2006
Robert Langdon: Tom Hanks
Sophie Neveu: Audrey Tautou
Sir Leigh Teabing: Ian McKellen
Bishop Aringarosa: Alfred Molina
André Vernet: Jürgen Prochnow
Silas: Paul Bettany
Bezu Fache: Jean Reno
Sony Pictures presents a film directed by Ron Howard. The screenplay is by Akiva Goldsman, based on the novel by Dan Brown. The running time is 149 minutes. It is rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references, and sexual content.
BY JACOB ZIEGLER, 411Movies
I, like most of the country, have read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. I read it in one day two years ago, when I was flying to Los Angeles to visit my friend Nik. I couldn't put it down, and while it didn't have a dramatic effect on my spiritual beliefs, I found some of the ideas to be very interesting. More than anything, it was just a great adventure tale. Now that I've said that about the book, I won't speak on it any further. I find it necessary when reviewing movies to separate them from their novel counterparts in order to be fairly judged.
Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon, a symbolism expert who is giving a speech on his latest book in Paris. In the middle of a signing he is pulled away to the Louvre by Bezu Fache (Jean Reno of "The Professional"), a real bulldog of a cop. A dying man placed himself in a pose eerily reminiscent of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Vetruvian Man," and Fache thinks that Langdon can help him figure it out. However, a young detective named Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou, who stole hearts seven years ago in "Amelie") tells Langdon to run and not tell Fache anything. She helps him escape and this sets off the rest of the movie, a combination of chase sequences and other assorted adventure scenes.
Langdon and Neveu are sent on a treasure hunt of sorts, because the now deceased museum curator was in fact Sophie's grandfather, and he obviously wanted the two to meet. So they set off on a mission that is two fold: to figure out why they were supposed to meet, and also to find no less than the Holy Grail.
This somehow has cause a huge uproar in the religious community. The film does present the ideas of Jesus being a mortal man who was married and had a child, and thus a bloodline that could be traced to today, and that an ancient group called The Priory of Scion was charged with protecting. Leonardo Da Vinci was also a member of this group, and it's alleged that he hid clues about this group in his art work. These are all assertions that the film makes, not necessarily my personal beliefs.
For those protesting the film, let me be the first one to say that this film rarely ventures into territory that could be offensive. Any possible controversy is inexplicably diffused by the Langdon character, dismissing the theories of his mentor Leigh Teabing (played expertly by Sir Ian McKellen) as mostly "old wives' tales." This one scene was so baffling that it can only be explained by Sony not wanting to step on anyone's toes. I'm sure some will still find things to be offended about, most likely the depiction of Silas (another terrific performance from Paul Bettany), an extremely devoted member of the Catholic sect Opus Dei.
For the most part though, "The Da Vinci Code" works adequately as a thriller and an adventure film, with Hanks playing a more theological and a bit wimpier version of Indiana Jones. I was never bored during the 149 minute running time, and I do like some of the ideas it brings up. As a summer movie it's smarter than most of its counterparts (think of last year's "The Island"), but it's not by any means a brilliant work. I've noticed that a lot of critics are giving this film an overwhelmingly negative review, and I'm pretty puzzled about that. It's a fun movie with solid performances and may manage to raise a few questions. What it won't do is change any minds.
The 411: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany, and Jean Reno turn in solid performances in director Ron Howard’s latest film (the only actor that was underutilized was Alfred Molina). It’s not likely to be a life changing event for anyone, but it should be enough to satisfy fans of the book.
