 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
 email this review to a friend
After all the controversy, protests, talk, and guess what? In between all of that, there's a film. THE DA VINCI CODE is finally here. The last thought in my head after the credits rolled was, that's what all the controversy was about? There is absolutely nothing about this film that will change anyones views at all. If the people actually sat down and saw the film, instead of just pointing fingers, and starting protests, they would see Howard was very careful not to offend anyone or push any buttons. They would also see, it's not a very good film. I might be one of the few people who has not sat down and read the book, so I can't give the typical response of book is better then the movie, or the other way around. All I can say and comment on is the film itself and what I saw with my own two eyes. What I saw was a rather disappointing, dull, and tedious exercise in film making. Considering Ron Howard is one of my favorite directors and his last effort CINDERELLA MAN, was one of my favorite films of last year, I ask, what went wrong? The film opens with a murder inside Louvre. This leads to clues in Da Vinci paintings which also lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity. Tom Hanks is on a book singing trip as a Harvard symbolist named Robert Langdon, when he gets dragged into this mess. Tom Hanks in the same way that Russell Crowe could do in A BEAUTIFUL MIND is able decode clues and riddles that he sees through the air. He joins forces with Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), a French cryptologist, and whose Grandfather was murdered. The film then turns into a fast paced race all over Paris, London and everywhere in between. The meet an eccentric billionaire played by Ian McKellen who has plenty of knowledge about historical facts and Da Vinci. It's up to Hanks and Tautou to decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, or unfortunately, it will be lost forever. The acting in this film is the weakest part of the film as it's extremely wooden and uninvolving. Hanks, who is a great actor is left to wince, make faces, and act puzzled as he finds out facts. Tautou, on the other hand just uses her eyes a lot and makes similar faces like Hanks does. Ron Howard knows how to make BIG movies. Movies with big actors (Crowe and Hanks), big loud musical scores, big buildings, and of course, big budgets. But I fear he has become too comfortable with his style and his films are becoming too black and white and been there, done that. I just want something different from Howard. His films are becoming very predictable and too simple. Same screen writer he works with, same producer, and same way he makes the films. The old saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I think it's broke and Howard needs to fix it. THE DA VINCI CODE is like a puzzle or a chess game, but the only problem is you are only watching and not playing. As I stated above, with lackluster characters who are resorted to making faces and being rather dull, it hurts the film as the 2 hour and 30 minute running time starts to become a chore for viewers. The question is "do you care enough about the people on screen to go on this journey with them and endure what they are enduring?". The answer for me became no. Is THE DA VINCI CODE, a bad film? Not at all. It's just an average film. Run of the mill. Considering Hanks and Howard are attached, I expected better characters, and more involving of the audience. We are watching all of this go down, but we don't really care. Sure it's interesting, but if you don't care about anyone on screen, and everyone is just one dimensional and dull, why are you watching? Why would you want to watch someone else go through this? Why do we care? Simply put, I didn't. As a book, I'm sure it's interesting. You can read a book about anyone or anything and can enjoy and want to read more. But with a film, you need theory. This film has none. Tony Farinella Grade: C email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
RSS | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | About MatchFlick® | Press | Contact Us | FAQs
Partnership and Advertising Opportunities | Movie Database | Merchandise ©2004-2008 MatchFlick®. All rights reserved. ©MOVIE IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED AND THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS |