Why The Poor Reviews?

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2006)

Perhaps the movie critics did not read through or enjoy the novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Perhaps they disagreed with its controversial ideas and their closed-mindedness resulted in a total lack of appreciation. However, I believe that as "It's A Wonderful Life" received poor reviews and later became a masterpiece, so too will The Da Vinci Code capture the hearts of anyone who is truly a fan of the book.
Critics are commenting that this film is lacking in action. I beg to differ. The Da Vinci Code offers almost as much excitement as the novel. Its action lies not only in the main plot but in the discussions between the characters. Although there were some parts of the novel that I thoroughly enjoyed that were either left out or cut short, Ron Howard cannot possibly be expected to provide his viewers with the same amount of information that was presented by Brown. This is, after all, a movie that lasts only two and a half hours.
As for Tom Hanks being "miscast" in the role of Robert Langdon, perhaps this is partially true. Although I am a great fan of Hanks' work, he stands out as one of the true Hollywood celebrities whose lives many know and read about in the daily tabloids. Most of the other characters, with a few exceptions (Ian McClellan and Paul Bettany) are faces we have seen before but in much less significant or well-known roles. Hanks stands out to the viewer as the A actor and we naturally place higher expectations on his shoulders. It was initially difficult for me to view him as Robert Langdon but I left the theater a thrilled customer.
I challenge anyone who is contemplating about whether or not to see this film to be his or her own critic. Do not rely on movie reviewers. Instead, be open-minded and judge for yourself. If you are truly a fan of Brown's work, you will likely walk away with a feeling of true satisfaction.