For the three people on Earth who haven't heard of either the book or the movie The Da Vinci Code, chances are they will soon. For the millions who have read the book, the question is: How does the movie compare to the book? For those who haven't read it, the question becomes: Is it a good movie?
When the curator of the Louvre, Jacques Sauniere (Marielle), is murdered, the French police, headed by detective Fache (Reno), enlists American symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) to solve the mystery. It looks like, before he dies, Sauniere has put himself in an unnatural position and marked the scene with a riddle. When specialist Sophie Neveu (Tautou) joins the inquisition, Langdon quickly learns that he is the suspect for the murder. In order to clear his name, Langdon must solve the puzzle and find the real killer.
Collecting and solving clues on their way, Langdon and Sophie gradually discover the enormity of the "secrets" behind Sauniere's death. They soon find themselves not only running away from the police and a mysterious albino assassin (Bettany), but also going on a quest to find the "Holy Grail." They seek help from Langdon's old friend, Sir Leigh Teabing (McKellen), an English "Grail" historian. Together, they are going to discover the greatest cover-up of mankind.
While Hanks (The Polar Express) is a seasoned actor with a mild-mannered disposition, he is miscast for the part of Robert Langdon. He is too demure, reactive, passive, and, surprisingly, wooden. Even without reading the book, one could imagine Hugh Jackman or a younger Harrison Ford in this intellectual but heroic role, not Hanks. Luminous French actress Tautou (A Very Long Engagement) seems somewhat lost in this English-speaking role as Sophie Neveu. Even though there is no romance between Langdon and Sophie, the actors still lack certain chemistry together.
.jpg?t=20120527181101)
Article comments