Lighting up the Ridiculous

Rating: 3/10 (27 May 2009)

Before we start this action packed, edge of your seat review of Angels and Demons I am going to take a little time out to explain to you what a film review is, the origins of film criticism and why knowing this will help you understand the subsequent paragraphs. Now you might be thinking, this is a little long winded I want to get to the action, I can pick up on the theory as I go along Well if you are thinking this, and I wouldn't blame you, I wouldn't recommend you see Angels and Demons!
Let me attempt a brief overview of where we are before we hit the main review (Ron Howard, David Koepp take note). Following on from the critically panned but box office success of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's novel Angels and Demons reunites Ron Howard and Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in another religion come politics come art history romp against time. There done! Having read both Dan Brown novels, Angels and Demons is by far the more entertaining book and should on all counts be a better film, which to be fair it is However this is like saying being crucified upright is better than being crucified upside down – there really isn't much in it and either way it is going to be pretty miserable.
One of the many criticisms thrown at The Da Vinci Code was the film's inability to balance the historical storytelling with the modern day action, which in the end slowed the narrative to a plodding lethargic bus ride of a movie. Ron Howard has obviously listened to his critics; by stripping a lot of unnecessary narrative from the book the overall film seems much lighter on its feet, which in general is a good thing. Langdon jumps in cars and runs around Rome with a map in this one! However and here is my big concern the dialogue is appalling. We still have the tour book commentary from the know-it-all Langdon, who doesn't talk to people he lectures them. The plot twists are inevitable and completely ludicrous and don't even get me started on Ewan McGregor's accent or ability to fly helicopters. If you thought Sean Connery's Irish accent was bad in The Untouchables MY GOD! The joy of discovery is totally lost in this film with over explanation after over explanation completely bombing any finer detail out what could have been a decent if not particularly clever plot.
Condescending, unsophisticated and ultimately ridiculous The Vatican must be wondering what it was so worried about. This film isn't anti-Catholic it is anti-intelligent.