"I felt stupider after the movie than I did when I came in"

Rating: 8/10 (24 May 2006)

The above summary was overheard in the theater as I was exiting THE DA VINCI CODE. I feel sympathy for those who have not read the book as there is a lot to digest from the dialogue. I felt totally engaged with this film from beginning to end...and I read the book. I needed a greater sense of urgency from Tom Hank's performance.
I have appreciated Tom Hank's acting skills in many of his previous roles. This great cast, especially McKellen, Reno, Tautou and Bettany (in that order) ended up upstaging Hank's in most of the scenes. Still this did not ruin the film for me...just a slight distraction. Do yourself a favor and read the book prior to seeing this fine film. You'll be glad you did! 8 out of 10.