The Da Vinci Code (2006)

 Thought provoking, yes, but also a wonderful adventure.
Now, when I first heard about The Da Vinci Code, I thought it was about finding codes in paintings. It turns out that I was partially right. What I DIDN'T know was that it was also about religion. Not being religious whatsoever, I thought that this movie would be disappointing. However, although there were a few spots that I found difficult to understand, I actually enjoyed the film.

So what's the movie about? Without giving too much away, I'll say that a man who has kept a very important secret is found dead. The man's grandaughter asks a professor for assistance in figuring out the secret.

Let's talk about the positives first. Acting-wise, the casting director couldn't have done a better job. Even the minor characters were spot on. Second, as most people know, this movie was based on a book. I hadn't read the book but, unlike most movies based on books, it wasn't incredibly hard to follow nor do you NEED to read the book in order to understand the movie. If you like puzzles or mysteries, this movie will have you thinking. And talk about adventurous. From police chases to treasure hunts, there's a ton of thrills to be had.

And now for the negatives. As I said above, I'm not religious so it was hard to follow what was going on when the characters mentioned certain biblical people or events. Second, the movie doesn't have a realy big AHA! moment or a turning point. This normally would disappoint me but there's enough little surprises and twists that kept me watching.

Would I recommend this movie? Not really. I don't think it's a movie that can be watched more than once and if you don't like mysteries, you may not find anything interesting about this movie. I still gave it 4 stars because it had me at the edge of my seat almost the entire time. April 25, 2008

 So Wrong in So Many Ways
I saw this movie in on the big screen and was very disappointed. Recently I received this DVD as a gift, and I'm still disappointed. The "extras" reflect the film. They seem "tacked on" to make a quick buck. That sums up the movie, too. The casting in the film is bad. The acting is excellent but these folks are way, way miscast. But that's not really the problem. The problem is that they "shot the book." They just filmed some actors reading the book. Fast. This approach left us with a bit of a mess, and a big embarrassment to a lot of skilled and talented people who have had the bad luck to be associated with this film.

Actually, if the actors had just read the book on an empty stage, it would have been a better movie. The "action" is distracting. It doesn't make you sit on the edge of your seat, it makes you want to go get a snack. Nothing works as it should, because they shot the book.

What was required here was the courage to do something else. Writers notoriously resist any attempt to alter their work when it's made into a film. Well, Dan Brown should have encouraged it. I could write the bones of better script right here. And I will.

The first act introduces a ship-load of weirdos. So let's explore that. Langdon is a professor. That's weird right there. Did he kill the curator like the French police think he did? Maybe. He's a weirdo. Maybe they had a dispute over the number of apostrophes in alphabet soup. What about this strange woman who shows up and butts in? She must be insane. She ought to act a little more insane. The French police are trying to arrest a killer but this loony woman helps him get away, and displays uncanny driving ability doing so.

We learn that Langdon is just weird. He's not a killer. The strange woman is not crazy. She had an unusual upbringing. Think James Bond meets James Beard. Incidentally--there was some hocus pocus about DaVinci paintings that Langdon...

"...figured out while you were in there..."
"In where?"
"Th-th-there."
"WHERE?"
"Th-the ladies room..."
"You mean the men's room?"
"Th-th-th-th-the"
"Never mind."

Oh yeah, give Langdon a stutter. A severe one.

Now we're on our way. The scene where our albino friend whups himself is silly, offensive and dumb all at the same time. Take it from me, cowboy, if you whip yourself regularly, you won't feel it much. Sorta like shaving. All that wincing and prancing just looked fake, not real. Hate to say it but Ron Howard really HAS led a pain-free life. Who'd a-thunk?

Now, I can't write a whole synopsis here, but this film would have benefitted greatly from just about any effort to MAKE IT DIFFERENT FROM THE BOOK. But that didn't happen.

Finally, I gave this movie two stars--but took one away in honor of the God of the Israelites whom this film goes out of its way to mock (takes more guts than I have).

C-ya! March 31, 2008

 This is what it boils down to for me.........
....."high speed" chase through Paris is a Smart car.

Not exactly Ronin, is it?

I actually wanted to like this as I really like Tom Hanks but, dear oh dear, Tom. I just can't bring myself to give it anything above 1 star. Over hyped rubbish. March 29, 2008

 Excellent movie
If you liked the book, you should like the movie. There's much adventure and suspense to keep you interested. March 24, 2008

 Very moving, thought provoking movie
The mastermind of Dan Brown comes alive in this adaption of the book by the same name. If you are a fan of Ron Howard movies, you won't be disappointed. There are a few deviations from the book, but they are as brilliant as the original story line. The music is also a highlight. Highly recommended. March 21, 2008

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