Angels & Demons: What I think of it

Frankly, while watching the movie based on Dan Brown's best selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" a couple of years ago, I'd fallen asleep in the movie theatre. For me, that movie was nowhere near the brilliance of the novel. So when I booked my tickets for the movie "Angels & Demons" - again based on Dan Brown's novel which was the prequel to "The Da Vinci Code" - well, I had my fingers crossed. Understandably.

I'd read the novel a long time ago, so I could barely recall the story or the plot as we made our way to the theater. And it didn't help that we were a good 10 minutes late, thanks to the bursting Bangalore traffic on a late Saturday evening.

The cast comprises of Tom Hanks who plays the symbologist, Robert Langdon, who teams up again with director Ron Howard, the director of "The Da Vinci Code". 

For those who haven't read "Angels & Demons", the story revolves on the development of a substance called "antimatter" by CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). However, the chief scientist involved in that project is mysteriously murdered. At the same time, the Pope in Rome suffers from a fatal heart attack. As the Vatican prepares to elect the next Pope, and all the Cardinals arrive for the election, the "Preferetti" (or the preferred candidates among the cardinals to be elected as the next Pope) are kidnapped. The Vatican receives a threat from the dreaded outfit "Illuminati" which was thought to be long dead. The threat is to kill one of the kidnapped cardinal per hour from 8PM, and then at midnight, the threat says that the Vatican will be "consumed by light" which was to be caused by the antimatter hidden somewhere in the Vatican. The Vatican then summons the help of Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist, to solve this case for them. Langdon, along with Dr. Vittoria Vetra who was also a part of the antimatter project, have to follow clues around Rome and save the cardinals and Rome before the Illuminati can turn its threat to reality by killing the "Preferetti" and devastating Rome by the antimatter.

First things first: the movie unlike the novel, is a sequel to "The Da Vinci Code". The novel, if you recall, was a prequel. 

Also this time around, it looks like the director has learnt from his mistakes in "The Da Vinci Code". There are a lot of changes in the film that are different from the novel. Some central characters, like the reporters for instance, do not appear in the film at all. A lot of such small changes have been made in the film; however, the central plot of the film aligns with that of the novel. 

Although comparisons with the book are inevitable, the film, on its own, is good. The mystery is well placed. The pace I felt was just right, too - thankfully. The characters, even with the streamlining and deviation from the novel, hold good, have substance and are well enacted. Acting is good - especially by Hanks (but of course),  and also be Ewan McGregor (who plays the "Camerlengo"). Even the direction and cinematography were in good flavor. However, personally, I'd have felt somebody like Richard Gere would've fit the character of Robert Langdon better - no offence to Tom Hanks' fans, it's only my personal opinion. 

I'd rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars. Watch the film - more so if you haven't read the novel before. For those who have just read the novel, they probably might feel the absence or deviations from the novel a little hard to digest. But for those who haven't read the novel and just want to watch a good mystery thriller, then this movie comes recommended. Also, if you've read the novel a long time ago and have forgotten what it was all about (like me), then watch this movie not as a refresh course, but because you read and liked the novel once.

If you want to read more on the differences between the film and the novel, click here.