Captivating and very mysterious

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2006)

Out of all of the movies I've ever seen, plot aside, this was one of the most well written. The plot is like a very complicated knot at first, which is very skillfully unraveled throughout the movie. Although you may have figured out towards the beginning, you never are really sure you've figured it out because the movie has a seemingly endless series of twists, turns, and loops that leave you surprised after each. A murder turns into a rush to solve a code, which turns into a quest where the end result could reveal the biggest cover-up ever. The code itself is extremely clever, in Da Vinci fashion its a true oxymoron, its so simply complex.
The movie itself also did not skimp on earing its PG-13 rating, especially parts such as the monk chastising himself with the chain and the whip. Although such parts may have been disturbing to a certain degree, they really helped to set the tone of the movie. I mean, who would doubt that a man who flogged himself daily in the name of God would kill to get a holy artifact. It made it much more believable and added to the sombre and mysterious atmosphere of the movie.
The only possible fault with the movie was the somewhat cliché ending. We find out that the Holy Grail is actually a woman... so naturally the main character who is female turns out to be a descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdelene (original Holy Grail) and thus a Holy Grail herself. However, this cliché ending is saved by the movie overall. In the beginning, I had my suspicions but the many twists in the plot had me seriously doubting, and in some cases believing I was all wrong, until the very end.
In order to really enjoy this movie, especially Christians, you must have an open mind about such things. If you go in thinking "Nope, such and such is what happened and nothing else can possibly be true" then the point of the movie is lost on you. You have to admit, many of the consequences pointed out are eerily plausible. Not to say that Mary Magdelene is buried under the Louvre museum, but such things as the ancient symbols for male and female and the painting of The Last Supper by Da Vinci could be entirely true. However It makes you wonder exactly how far people would go to keep a secret which would ensure their continued power.
All in all, the movie was a top shelf choice for the open minded intellectual, but for many teenagers who are simply looking for a comedy or a good gore fest, the Da Vinci Code is neither comical nor gory. However, it's sequel (should there be one) could indeed be gory, because the implications of such an upset in Christianity would no doubt lead to much violence, as past upsets in the Catholic Church have seen.