THE DA VINCI CODE (Ron Howard, 2006) **1/2

Rating: 5/10 (2 June 2006)

Given all the controversy surrounding the film, the end result couldn't help being a disappointment - but, coming from Howard, I had no real expectations anyway! The premise is intriguing in itself - personally, I wasn't bothered by its questioning of Christ's divinity and the possibility that a descendant of his may still be alive - but the plot is simply too complex to be absorbed in a single viewing (I never read Dan Brown's novel).
Reportedly, it's a pretty faithful adaptation of the source material but this results in a lot of padding (too many stops for exposition, including needless character development) and, consequently, gross overlength for what should essentially be a gripping conspiracy thriller. With regards to performances, while I'm not usually a fan of Tom Hanks I didn't mind him all that much here (although his hairstyle was an eyesore!), liked Audrey Tatou and Ian McKellen was typically imposing - but the rest (Jean Reno, Alfred Molina and especially a ludicrous turn from Paul Bettany) were quite boring!
What had been the film's most discussed sequence prior to its release - Jesus' wedding, actually shot in Malta - was barely seen in the released version! I wonder if there was any pressure on the film-makers for this scene to be removed and, hopefully, it will be included as part of an eventual DVD edition...