Angels & Demons (2009)
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 138 mins
It’s not common that a sequel ends up being better but thankfully, Angels & Demons is an exception. Ron Howard & team fixed the problems that made The Da Vinci Code a flop – namely the pacing and Tom Hank’s hair. Apparently, Robert Langdon found time to get a haircut in between solving all those pesky clues left behind by famous artists. Much better, thank you. I didn’t have to sit thru 2 hrs wishing I could jump in the movie with some hair product, a comb and scissors and do something with that mess on Tom Hanks’ head.
There’s not much to say about this movie, especially if you’re familiar with The Da Vinci Code. Basically, you’ve got a similar plot only this time, there’s more action and better pacing so you don’t end up bored or losing interest as Robert Langdon goes off on some historic whatchamacallits. It’s pretty cookie-cutter and the supposed twist is predictable. Tom Hanks is a great actor but the character of Robert Langdon really isn’t all that complex. This role is something Hanks could execute in his sleep and it sort of feels like that’s what he did. Actually, it felt like most of the acting by the cast was done lacklusterly. I think it had to do more with the fact that the characters in this movie are fairly flat so there’s not much to convey in terms of development. In all honesty, it’s not like Dan Brown is a brilliant writer… However, I do have to say, at least this movie paid attention to continuity and plot unlike Terminator Salvation (yes, I’m a bit bitter about that).
I did like the sets. They filmed in Rome so the outdoor shots are all real but a lot of the internal settings had to be replicated, especially anything inside the Vatican. From what I can see, they did a phenomenal job with accuracy. This movie was a great tourism ad for Rome.
This movie is more enjoyable than its predecessor and I would say it’s not a bad one to see if you’ve already seen Star Trek and Terminator Salvation or are up for matinee. However, it is not material worthy of a summer blockbuster and I don’t expect to be in theaters long or for people to remember it.
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