The DaVinci Code

Having read "The DaVinci Code" over a year ago, plus Dan Brown's other hit novel "Angels & Demons", I had been looking forward for months to the release of this movie. But, after reading a number of negative reviews prior to going to see "The DaVinci Code" I was concerned about how I was going to react to the movie. Overall, not greatly disappointed, yet not blown away either.

While it's hard to fathom the idea that some people may have no idea what the story is about, let me give it a try. A museum curator kills himself after giving away a dark secret to an albino monk. This sets into motion a massive series of events as Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and the French granddaughter of the dead man (Audrey Tautou) try to unravel the mystery of why the man killed himself. What they soon discover is that a centuries-old secret sect is trying to recover the Holy Grail and all of its secrets, including the suggestion that Jesus Chris was married. There are conspiracies, murders, flashbacks, and more tales of Catholic Church cover-ups than one can count. The entire story comes together with the help of Sir Leigh Teabing (Ian McKellen). The race is on to recover an ancient map before the bad guys do.

I knew I shouldn't have tried to put together a synopsis as that only covers part of what happens. Therein lies the rub. The magic of the book is the amount of information that comes forward as the story progresses. There are massive amounts of research, suggestion, innuendo, and supposition throughout. The downfall of the movie is that, in attempting to convey that onto the big screen, a lot of the excitement is gone. We have to stop and listen to endless dialog of conspiracy theories, which include going back in time to review the history of Rome and the Church.

As for acting, Tom Hanks really does little to add life to the story. Tautou is unengaging and I really found her to be of little interest. While Paul Bettany does bring a good level of creepiness to the role of Silas the albino monk, it's McKellen who really enlivens the story. With his absence near the end, the last 30 minutes drag on to a conclusion that will be less than satisfying to those who have read the book.

I have spoken to a number of people regarding "The DaVinci Code" to get their take. Those who have read the book weren't overly disappointed, but still found the book to be superior to the film. Those who have not read the book found the movie to be very entertaining and worth seeing. A second viewing may bring about a greater appreciation for the film, but I'm not rushing back anytime soon. I give it a B.

"The DaVinci Code" is rated PG-13 with a running time of 148 minutes.