Review-"The Da Vinci Code"

Rated-PG-13 (disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content)
Runtime-2:29
Genre-Adventure, Mystery
Starring-Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellan
Rotten Tomatoes Score-24% (71% Users)

I was hoping this might be another National Treasure. Like that film, The Da Vinci Code was a conspiracy treasure hunt that the critics didn't like. While I completely disagreed with the critics distaste for National Treasure, I can't help but agree with them this time. This film was often boring and very lifeless. Even the usually stellar Tom Hanks turned in a lifeless performance.

Another complaint I have with the movie is the fact it got away with so much more than most R rated films. There was nudity, self-inflicting pain, and some very bloody scenes. After watching the film, I couldn't believe that this didn't get an R rating.

Ian McKellan was probably the star of the show and the only one who provided a bit of humor. I do think that Audrey Tautou showed a lot of potential and could be a future movie star. She didn't have great material to work with but she made the best of it.

If you can stand long movies with a lot of dialog and thinking, you might get some enjoyment out of it. Just don't expect too much from this film. It is often boring and doesn't really do justice to the book.

Pros: Ian McKellan and Audrey Tautou have pretty good performances, there aren't a whole lot of mysteries on the big screen.
Cons: Story is often boring and doesn't do the book justice, deserved an R rating, lifeless performances by everyone else (even Tom Hanks)

Rating: *** (Out of 5)




The most controversal movie of the summer is The Divinci Code. Catholics are upset with the movie because it claims that Jesus was married and had a child. I can see why this would upset some people. The movie's proof that Jesus was married is speculative at best. The theories have no real proof and the movie pretty much shows that the theory isn't true.

Now lets get on to the movie. The movie is pretty much average. The acting is average. The story is average. The whole movie is average.

The worst thing about the movie is that it is slow at times. There are long stretches of time where there are no action scenes what-so-ever. Also if you are not a fan of history you will not like this film. There is a lot of references to historical events and they can become confusing very quickly. I enjoy history and I thought it was too much.

If you are looking for a mystery with some twists along the way you will enjoy this movie. Be warned though. The movie is not as good as it was hyped to be. Overall it is an average movie. If you have a short attention span this movie is not for you. If you can't stand history this movie is not for you. If you can't deal with the controversal issues this movie is not for you. If you like a mystery that is deeply drenched in history this movie is for you.

Pros: Good Mystery, Will be a good rental
Cons: Slow at time, Acting could have been better, Only for history buffs

Rating: *** (Out of 5)