After all... I enjoyed it!!

Rating: 8/10 (17 May 2009)

By far, Angels & Demons is better than The DaVinci Code! Still, Ron Howard has repeated some of the latter's mistakes. The action-packed events and the information-stuffed script give no space whatsoever to other factors, such as performance and underlying themes, to arise. It is a fact that a lot of directors face the usual problem of fitting a rich bulky novel into a two-hour movie. However, many of them have managed to overcome such a problem apparently, Howard is not one of them. This leads us to the fact that Angels & Demons' success over The DaVinci Code is attributed to the excellence of the novel itself.
Regarding cast and performance, again, I think Tom Hanks is a tragic miscast as Robert Langdon! Hanks is a great actor, and he is one of my favorites, but I just can't see him as heroic symbologist Robert Langdon. Besides, he showed nothing of his acting brilliance, for all he has done in that movie is raising his eyebrows and trying to look astonished all the time! Ewan McGregor, or Camerlengo Patrick McKenna to be honest, I expected more from him! But, I don't want to sound too judgmental, I think this is due to the script's flaws; there wasn't enough space on paper for the extremely important and deeply complicated character of the Camerlengo. Thus, McGregor couldn't fully bring it to life on screen. As for Nikolaj Lei Kaas (the assassin), he successfully and masterfully makes his debut in the American movies' scene, for I think that his performance was really applaudable, reminding me of the terrific performance of Paul Bettany as Silas in The DaVinci Code. Stellan Skarsgård, as Commander Richter, stood out as well.
One of the things that I also liked about the movie is the soundtrack. The orchestral symphonies reflect the holiness and grandeur of the setting, and they manage in some scenes to give you goosebumps! The visual and special effects were quite lame for a movie like this. In some shots, things don't seem real at all and you feel as if you are watching a state-of-the-art video game.
Finally, Angels & Demons is certainly an enjoyable experience, especially if you are not familiar with the novel, and the twists and turns of the plot.