Movie Review: The Da Vinci Code
I went and saw The Da Vinci Code tonight. Two weeks ago, Circuit City ran a special where certain DVDs were not only on sale for only ten dollars, but also contained a free ticket to see the movie. I ended up with Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Guns of Navarrone, as well as two free tickets, which my father and I put to use tonight.
First off, I must gloat and point out that you can see the hotel I stayed at when I went to Paris in the film. It's towards the end and is just there for a split second, but I have to point it out. It was pretty cool, though, being able to point out all the places, both in Paris and London, that I've been.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the movie. I'm not particularly sure what movie the critics saw, since it obviously wasn't this one. I thought there was a good mix of action and talking, with some neat special effects and one particularly memorable chase scene. I think that people who didn't enjoy the book won't enjoy the movie, simply because the movie stays very close with the novel and the novel itself is very talky. It actually echoes real life in that way; isn't there a saying that certain things are 99% anticipation, 1% mindless terror?
I think they did a good job sticking with the novel, and the major point that the movie had in its favor was being able to see all the locations and the items, like the cryptex, that you had to just imagine in the novel. I mean, I've been to the Louvre and Westminster Abbey, but the Temple Church and Roslin Chapel, in particular, were new to me and it was very neat to see what they actually look like. Roslin Chapel was just stunning and I'd love to visit it in person sometime.
I was actually spoiled for the villian long before I read the book, thanks to one of the articles written about the controversy over the novel. Honestly, I wanted to track the author down, find out their favorite TV show and spoil them unmercifully to let them know how it feels. Actually, though, it was nice in the movie knowing who the bad guy was, since there were a lot of nice little touches that let you in on the secret. Ian McKellan did a fantastic job, though the entire cast was entirely wonderful. Audrey Tautou did an excellent job, especially playing a character that's less quirky, let's say, than her recent roles in Amelie and A Very Long Engagement. It would be rather awesome if she pulled a Penelope Cruz, doing some American films, while doing lots of French films in between.
And, all right, Tom Hanks' hair wasn't as scary as it appeared in all the publicity.
Overall, I really had a good time watching this film and I highly recommend it to anyone who:
a) enjoyed the novel
b) likes codes and mysteries
c) is a fan of Leonardo Da Vinci
or
d) likes fun, entertaining, thought-provoking movies.
First off, I must gloat and point out that you can see the hotel I stayed at when I went to Paris in the film. It's towards the end and is just there for a split second, but I have to point it out. It was pretty cool, though, being able to point out all the places, both in Paris and London, that I've been.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the movie. I'm not particularly sure what movie the critics saw, since it obviously wasn't this one. I thought there was a good mix of action and talking, with some neat special effects and one particularly memorable chase scene. I think that people who didn't enjoy the book won't enjoy the movie, simply because the movie stays very close with the novel and the novel itself is very talky. It actually echoes real life in that way; isn't there a saying that certain things are 99% anticipation, 1% mindless terror?
I think they did a good job sticking with the novel, and the major point that the movie had in its favor was being able to see all the locations and the items, like the cryptex, that you had to just imagine in the novel. I mean, I've been to the Louvre and Westminster Abbey, but the Temple Church and Roslin Chapel, in particular, were new to me and it was very neat to see what they actually look like. Roslin Chapel was just stunning and I'd love to visit it in person sometime.
I was actually spoiled for the villian long before I read the book, thanks to one of the articles written about the controversy over the novel. Honestly, I wanted to track the author down, find out their favorite TV show and spoil them unmercifully to let them know how it feels. Actually, though, it was nice in the movie knowing who the bad guy was, since there were a lot of nice little touches that let you in on the secret. Ian McKellan did a fantastic job, though the entire cast was entirely wonderful. Audrey Tautou did an excellent job, especially playing a character that's less quirky, let's say, than her recent roles in Amelie and A Very Long Engagement. It would be rather awesome if she pulled a Penelope Cruz, doing some American films, while doing lots of French films in between.
And, all right, Tom Hanks' hair wasn't as scary as it appeared in all the publicity.
Overall, I really had a good time watching this film and I highly recommend it to anyone who:
a) enjoyed the novel
b) likes codes and mysteries
c) is a fan of Leonardo Da Vinci
or
d) likes fun, entertaining, thought-provoking movies.