The Code Reviewed

Before I begin, the obligatory warning. Beware: spoilers follow. Of course, this applies only if you're one of the 10 people left on earth who has not read the 'Da Vinci Code'. Did you know that there are tours of Rome, and even special viewings of Leonardo's works such as the Last Supper, based solely upon this book? I don't know whether to applaud the interest it has generated in great works of art, or to bemoan the inaccuracies and falsehoods that it promotes. I guess now I know how the Church and Opus Dei feel....hehe....

I was skeptical going into this flick. Really, I probably would not have bothered to purchase tickets on my own, but my company was generous enough to provide free viewings for its employees. The movie reviews have all been mediocre at best (some were downright scathing), and the prospect of Tom Hanks running around in a mullet for 2.5 hours was less than appealing. But, having missed the last cultural event of our time (the Harry Potter phenomenon), I was determined not to lose touch with pop culture entirely. My subscription to Newsweek has ended, and somehow I don't think the Economist cuts it.

But enought dithering. In short: the movie was somewhat entertaining. Yes, I know that "somewhat entertaining" is not a glowing review, but it's not let down either, especially considering expectations were set so low. There were definitely a few good action sequences, one or two surprises, and of course a pretty girl. Let me point out the good and the bad, starting with the good (always start on a high note).

The Good:
1 - Ian McKellen as a crippled old geezer with a mean streak. Great acting as always, and you even get a slight hint that he knows he's acting in a sub-par movie. It's fun to watch him.
2 - Jean Reno as Captain Fache. A friend told me that when he read the book, he pictured Jean Reno playing Captain Fache, and I concur. It was perfectly cast. Plus, he's also just a fun actor.
3 - Audrey Tautou. She was much better in Amelie, but she's not bad in this role. Plus, I do think she's quite cute.

The Bad:
1 - Tom Hanks. Oh Tom, how thou hast fallen from the heights of Forrest Gump. That was good acting, this is like watching a block of wood. He could have done much better.
2 - The Direction. The movie is just plain patchy -- it does not hold together. The only reason it was palatable was because the audience had read the book, and thus could follow along. Picture Mission Impossible without the cool action sequences, and you'll get what I mean here.
3 - The anticlimax. It's not so bad in the book, but here it's just plain silly. At the end there is the final revelation (spoiler warning) when Tom Hanks looks at her and says "you are the last descendent of Jesus Christ", and I swear the audience just burst out laughing. Even I did. We all knew it was coming, but it was just so preposterous to hear, and the direction did not give it nearly enough gravity. Levity was the natural reaction. Talk about an anticlimax.

Should you go out and see it? If you liked the book, I can think of better things to spend 10 bucks on. If you really liked the book, then it's not a bad way to kill a rainy afternoon. If you LOVED the book, go see it. Actually, if you liked it that much, odds are you've probably seen it already anyway.

Let's just hope that if they make a movie of Angels and Demons, they keep Tom Hanks out of it.