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I thought it a far, far better movie than The Da Vinci Code. I know it's getting terrible reviews, but I don't think they're generated by the movie alone. It's really not that bad. Sure, it's not a work of art in any respect, but as a popcorn thriller, it works pretty well. The thing is that Angels and Demons is a better read than Da Vinci Code in the first place, not least because it has a good, climactic ending, not the damp squib fizzle-out of its more successful sequel.
The film of DVC really accentuated its weak points - the ending, caricatures instead of characters and endless inaccurate exposition. A&D, on the other hand, plays to the strengths of the novel - the relentless pace and sheer chutzpah. The performances are better, the direction less laboured and lumpenly didactic, and it had a proper climax.
It's still ridiculous, though no more so than the cellphone-imaging bits of The Dark Knight, and I doubt it'll stand up to repeated viewings. I can't think of a better Vatican-based thriller, however.
What's the bets that Howard already owns the rights to the new one, The Lost Symbol? |
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