Brilliant suspense thriller with some spectacular photography...

Rating: 7/10 (19 May 2009)

Personally, I enjoyed ANGELS AND DEMONS much more than the DA VINCI CODE. It moves at a quick pace, never becomes boring despite the bits of exposition needed to explain the plot, and is accompanied by another good Hans Zimmer score that accentuates the suspense at every turn.
The plot is much more straightforward and easier to follow than the previous Dan Brown story, although the clues seem a bit hard to swallow for the average man. In this, we trust the screenwriter that a man such as TOM HANKS plays would be able to pick up on all these facets of the church to know what he's doing and where he must turn next.
The assassin played by NIKOLAJ LIE KAAS does a superb job of keeping the sinister aspect of the Illuminati plot chilling enough to keep you glued to your seat. He's highly believable in a pivotal role even though his motivations are never quite clear. EWAN McGREGOR does a fine job as Camerlengo and his participation in the film's final twist is handled with style by director Ron Howard and his screenwriter.
AYELET ZURER is much better at portraying Tom Hanks' assistant in solving the mystery than the woman in the previous film, her accent not as thick as the French actress which was a huge drawback in THE DA VINCI CODE. Others in the cast do commendable work, but it's the whole look and style of the production that fascinates from beginning to end.
The photography is outstanding in its recreation of the Vatican artwork, the night scenes through the streets are done with great flair, and the story builds in intensity toward a very smashing climax.
It's a lot less offensive in dealing with the Catholic Church than the previous work was, using the Illuminati only to provide a chilling current tale of corruption and deception. It works beautifully.
One of the best action thrillers of the year, highly entertaining and full of gripping suspense.