Angels and Demons

I read this book last year meaning it was inevitable for me to see this movie. My expectations weren't too high (The Da Vinci code was horribly yawn inducing but in print, Angels and Demons has more potential entertainment value). After walking out of the theater with my friends trashing the movie, I was forced to subdue the shear entertainment that the film produced for me. Yes, Tom Hanks essentially phones in his role but the story is just pure entertainment. I will concede one thing though: in print, many things seem to be much more plausible than when you actually see them on screen. And adapting these books to the screen is a doomed cause from the beginning. There is simply too much prose and mythology that there is no time for on screen. Instead of respecting Robert Langdon and believing in him like I did in the books, I found him to be a pompous ass in the few chances he had to display his intellect in the film. Ron Howard seems to have been solely focused on the action and thrill seeking moments of the book when translating them to the screen. In the end, I'm fine with this. The book does offer many moments of edge of your seat thrills that kept me interested in the movie while my friends trashed it from the beginning and never relented even blaming me for the failure of the film at the end.

Perhaps I'm too invested in the book. When things got slow, I was waiting for the next twist that was about to come. When it comes to it, the books are enjoyable for the thrills as well as mythology that come with it (even if it's fabricated, it still compliments the thrill ride you are taken on). Ultimately, it is a breezy film that only half fails.

Grade: C+

2009 Marlon Welles Awards Nominee:

Most Ridiculous Moment: Really? Parachute away from the antimatter explosion? I knew this was coming and still thought it was ridiculous.