Angels & Demons

Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino
Directed by: Ron Howard
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Thriller
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) has been urgently summoned to the Vatican to track down the mysterious Illuminati, a group who have kidnapped four Cardinals and are threatening to bring down the Church by detonating an antimatter bomb. Langdon must follow the ancient Illuminati clues throughout Rome to save the Catholic Church.

Review:

Tim: I have to admit I am a big fan of the Robert Langdon books (and now movies). I really liked "Angels & Demons" the book- in fact, I believe it was better than "The Da Vinci Code" as a novel. And, since I was a big fan of 2006's The Da Vinci Code, I was looking forward to this sequel. Unfortunately, this movie was opposite of the books- this film isn't as good as its predecessor. Still, though, this is a unique, interesting story, and an entertaining movie. While it isn't as good as the original film, it is a very worthwhile sequel.

I know I am a bit biased because I love the books and I love Tom Hanks, but I am also somewhat fair- I acknowledge the strengths as well as the weaknesses inherent in this movie. The strengths are pretty obvious- this is an intense, exciting, thrilling, entertaining movie. It features a very well written and thought-provoking story, and is so different from most of the movies coming out of Hollywood these days. This is a thinking man's thriller, and I really like that.

The film's weaknesses are also somewhat apparent. This is a more convoluted and unclear movie than the original. While thrilling, not a lot happens- it is basically Tom Hanks running from place to place throughout Rome while the clock ticks down. This movie needed more action, or more substance. The other flaw is that the movie easily strays into the outlandish. While The Da Vinci Code put forth some outlandish ideas, the movie itself was more or less grounded in reality. This movie requires much more suspension of disbelief. I have to admit that it is also just a bit long- it could have been a few minutes shorter.

The cast is mostly great, but it also has a few weaknesses. Tom Hanks is terrific as Robert Langdon. I know some readers of the books were disappointing in his casting, but I love him in this role. He does very good work, and is an entertaining and believable Robert Langdon. He has the necessary intelligence to pull off being an author and college professor. I also liked the casting of Ewan McGregor as the Camerlengo. McGregor is a talented actor, and he brings quite a bit to the role. I am not sure if he was "perfect" for the role, as I believe others in Hollywood could have done an equal job, but I enjoyed his presence nonetheless. I also liked the casting of Stellan Skarsgard as Commander Richter. He is such a strong presence on screen, and I liked him quite a bit- I just wish he had more screen time. Finally, rounding out the cast is Ayelet Zurer. I have to say that she was woefully miscast. I felt like she was the weak link in the cast- she added nothing exciting or new to the role. It hurts to compare her to Audrey Tautou in the previous film, because she added so much to that movie. Sadly, Zurer almost completely fades into the background- her role is minimal, and never escapes the shadows of the rest of the cast. This was just a bad casting choice, and it does hurt the movie.

While Angels & Demons is not a great movie, it is still a very good thriller. I enjoyed the book immensely, and I really liked the movie as well. While it might have been a bit disappointing, it is still better than most other movies out there. It is an interesting, entertaining movie. I also like that it is the first live-action movie where Tom Hanks has reprised his role from a previous film. For a lot of reasons, this movie is well worth watching, and now, I'm praying for the trilogy to be complete with a third film.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
The Da Vinci Code