Da Vinci Code
With over 50 million copies of Dan Brown’s novel in print, The Da Vinci Code
is a guaranteed blockbuster. His controversial story is a Holy Grail
treasure hunt laden with suppositions regarding Jesus leading a very
different life than what has been propagated for some 2,000 years and the
murderous steps the Catholic Church will go to keep this a secret. Add in
an outstanding cast, Ron Howard at the helm, and the film has all the
ingredients for a great movie. This is the sort of film that regardless of
reviews, regardless of advertising, people are dying to see because it’s
both accessible and controversial.
Unfortunately, it feels like the cast and crew of the film knew that the
film was a guaranteed success and the movie suffered as the challenge of
creating a blockbuster was gone. Tom Hanks barely acts in the film,
irregardless of the fact that he stars in it; his dry, dispassionate
performance as Robert Langdon frequently clashes with the frantic pace of
the film. Audrey Tautou suffers as she spends the majority of the film
acting in her second language, giving many of her lines a stilted,
uncomfortable feel (for proof of her skill rent Amelie). Ian McKellan’s
performance is by far the most enjoyable, and the film picks up considerably
when his jovial, offbeat version of Sir Leigh Teabing hobbles onscreen.
In comparison to the book, the main story elements survive as some changes
to both characters and details take place in an attempt to fit everything
into one sitting. While it generally achieves its goal of condensing, often
times some basic facts are overlooked, such Silas being portrayed as a
blue-eyed albino, when one of the defining conditions of albinism is red
eyes. Its oversights such as this that highlight how this film was made and
plays; everything looks and feels great at first but as the movie meanders
on the connection between the audience and the film slackens just as it
should be pulled taut.
Written by: Brian Tracy
Reviewers Rating: 5
Reader's Rating: 1.00
Reader's Votes: 1
Added: 22-May-2006
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