Angels & Demons is more entertaining than its predecessor, the Da Vinci Code. In adapting Dan Brown's religious-mystery page turners, director Ron Howard gave its beat-the-clock thriller elements, which makes enjoyable summer movie experience.
But its twists, turns and revelations are ridiculous as those in the first film. Besides Howard, the key players are back from that 2006 international hit, including Tom Hanks as Harvard professor and symbologist Robert Langdon and Akiva Goldsman as screenwriter (with David Koepp collaborating on the script). Although Angels & Demons preceded The Da Vinci Code in book form, the film is positioned as a sequel of the strained relationship between Langdon and the Vatican—only this time, that it's his expertise the folks there reluctantly need.
With the pope dead and the College of Cardinals about to meet in conclave to choose a replacement, a secret society known as the Illuminati has kidnapped the four likeliest candidates. Langdon is brought in to decipher clues at various churches and historical sites throughout Rome to prevent the killing of the cardinals, one every hour, leading to a bomb explosion at the Vatican. He gets help along the way from Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), an Italian scientist who worked at the lab.
One thing is perfectly clear, however: Angels and Demons is a thriller par excellence, and if you’re even vaguely into this kind of jacked-up mystery movie, then there’s no doubt that you need to get out and see this one. Like today, if you can. I never saw or cared to see The Da Vinci Code but was willing to give this a shot because the trailer intrigued me. While Angels & Demons well made and not terrible, it’s also bland, laughable and boring. It has some nice ideas, but never capitalizes on the chance to use them. At the end of the day, you have to wonder what would happen if Robert Langdon wasn’t in the story.
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