Angels & Demons

Though undoubtedly a minor improvement over its underwhelming predecessor, 2006’s The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons is nevertheless unable to replicate the propulsive, downright enthralling sensibilities of Dan Brown’s first Robert Langdon adventure. And while it’d be easy to pin the blame for the movie’s ineffectiveness on the almost unreasonable amount of changes made to Brown’s novel, it’s ultimately clear that Ron Howard’s egregiously solemn directorial choices remain the most obvious deficiency within this ongoing series – as the filmmaker is either unable or unwilling to infuse the proceedings with the fun, fast-paced atmosphere demanded by the source material. The movie follows Tom Hanks’ intrepid symbologist as he races to prevent the fabled Illuminati from executing four Cardinals and blowing up the Vatican, with his efforts aided by a fiery physicist (Ayelet Zurer’s Vittoria Vetra) and a helpful papal official (Ewan McGregor’s Patrick McKenna). It’s an unapologetically over-the-top premise that, although employed to exceedingly entertaining effect within the book, inevitably results in a middling cinematic endeavor, as Howard, working from a script by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman, emphasizes a consistent tone of reverence that proves an incongruous match with the comparatively light-hearted nature of Brown’s eponymous bestseller. The relentless stream of exposition that dominates Angels & Demons‘ opening half hour certainly contributes heavily to the stagnant vibe, with the baffling absence of several of the novel’s most exciting sequences (eg Langdon’s battle with an unnamed assassin within Rome’s famed Fountain of the Four Rivers, Langdon’s perilous efforts at rescuing Vittoria from the clutches of said assassin, etc) undoubtedly exacerbating the pacing problems that persist virtually from start to finish. And although supporting players Zurer and McGregor ably step into their respective roles, Hanks’ atypically charmless work as the central character remains an emblematic example of everything that’s wrong with this series (ie the movie’s resemblance to an Oscar-time prestige picture goes against the intent of Brown’s books). The exhilarating third act does ensure that Angels & Demons ends on a positive note, admittedly, yet it remains abundantly clear that the film simply isn’t as pervasively engrossing as one might’ve hoped.

**1/2 out of ****