I saw The DaVinci Code tonight.
Anyone who's been paying attention the past week has heard the various film critics panning the film but I'm here to tell you all, brother...
That they're absolutely right. This might have been one of the more boring movies I've ever seen.
I liked the book, didn't love it but it wasn't what I would consider a waste of time. I thought it was very cleverly constructed and admired the way the author wove his fictional tale through all the real world historical Christian conspiracy stuff. The Knights Templar, the Holy Grail, the secret history of Christ...it's all pretty interesting stuff.
Anyway, the movie has all of that in it but still manages to just feel flat. It's a suspense thriller without any suspense or thrills. I like the lady that played Amelie and Magneto is always good. Tom Hanks ( who's gotten awfully chubby since Forrest Gump ran across America) sort of drifted through the movie. His character wasn't much of a protagonist. He just sort of got drawn into this adventure then reacted most of the time. Jean Reno (so great in the Professional) was one of the dumbest cops I've ever seen in a movie. The guy that played Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina, I'm not an idiot) wasn't very creepy and neither was Paul Bettany (although he does have A Beautiful Mind)...but if you like seeing a skinny naked albino whip himself, this is the flick for you, my friend.
If going to a movie and watching actors try really hard to make two and a half hours of expository dialogue sound interesting is your cup of tea, by all means check this one out. If you're interested in all the secret Christian Conspiracy stuff (which I do think is fascinating in its own right), then I guess you might enjoy seeing all the dots connected onscreen. But if you like good movies, go back to that last paragraph where I listed the cast and rent those. This one, you can skip.
Talk to you soon,
Keith
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7 comments:
I really enjoyed the book. I couldn't put it down and found the ideas interesting and the thriller element gripping. As for the movie, I disagree a little. Tom Hanks is one of my all time favorite actors, so I thought he did a good job, as did all the characters actually. The first half of the movie felt very rushed and I wasn't thrilled about what I was seeing, but I eventually began to really enjoy it when I decided it was another Harry Potter- The books are wonderful, the movies fall short, but I still like them. I knew the book would be hard to translate to film so it didn't dissapoint me because it was what I expected. I'm not sure I could sit through it again though. I guess I have mixed feelings lol. I agree about the thriller part though, it didn't make you feel tense at all, like the book did.
Keith, have you read "Angels and Demons"? If so, what did you think? I personally really loved it.
Also, I was thinking about your JSA issues today Keith with the new JSA re-launch around the corner! Did that guy ever get back to you? (The one who was upset about Dr Fate?) Also, I hope you can get some more JSA issues soon!
Hey Chris,
I've never read Angels and Demons. A few friends have read it and none of them seemed to like it as much as Davinci so I didn't give it a try. Maybe I will based on your recommendation.
I'm not writing anymore JSA although I'd like to do something with the Saradin character sometime. I've been doing more writing for DC lately than inking though; it'll just be a bit before stuff is announced and in stores.
Thanks for reading the blog!
Cool, that's good to know. Thanks.
Dear All,
I have no plans to see the movie as I thought both the "DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" both boring and poorly written. I guess I'm a book snob but as soon as I started both I could not wait to finish only so it would be over. I think T. Brown has a very basic writing style and his storycrafting is boring. If you've read DaVinci Code then you've read Angels and Demons - Male Protagonist meets clever woman - who loses a loved father figure - who both rush against the clock discovering information on secret religious societies who are anrealistically sinister and one dimensional. Oh and there is the outside police officer like figure who has a different agenda and causes a little added pressure. Also in both there is never any true threat - there can't be because the threat is too dire to actually occur.
If you aren interested in secret societies there are plent of Non-Fictional books which are better written. Or pick up a real book by someone like Kurt Vonnegut.
- OK, I'm tired and grumpy :)
I did not read the book, but rather listened to the unabriged version on tape while driving to and from Virginia (14 hrs). I must say that I enjoyed it, though I find many of Rob's grumpy comments to be true. Its also true, as Chris stated, that it is a hard book to movie translation. So bearing all that in mind, factoring in Keith's review, my low expectations may lead me to enjoy the movie and silently applaud the efforts of Gandalf,the guy from Bossom Budies, and the naked Albino.
My current plan is to see it when it comes out on DVD.
P.S.- Rob, your attack on T.Brown is surprising. The layers of information and story that lie in Tom's first book ,the Tracker, has me reading it once a year if not more often. Even in his field guides , great stories are interspersed in the detailed classifications and exercises.
Mr. Ninja,
Ah Sir, touche! I still stand by my comments on the books listed but I apologize to T. Brown he clearly is multi-layered especially compared to D. Brown. he he he... it really does minimize the impact of my critique if I can't at least get the author correct.
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