Mediocre at best

Rating: 5/10 (18 May 2006)

While he may not be the world's greatest writer, Dan Brown is an excellent storyteller, as judged by the millions of people who have read and enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code" - me included. So I was keenly anticipating the release of this movie, partly because I enjoyed the book and also because a number of scenes were shot in Lincoln Cathedral, which is my birthplace.
First the good points. Ron Howard has chosen some great locations, and produced a sumptuously photographed film, with a thought-provoking, well-paced storyline which sticks pretty faithfully to the book. For me, Silas (Paul Bettany) is the strongest character in the film, graphically portrayed as a faithful servant of Opus Dei. His role is certainly one heck of a contrast with his recent leading role in Wimbledon!
Unfortunately, for me those good points are outweighed by a wooden dialogue which poor old Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou have virtually no hope of making anything meaningful from. There is simply no chemistry between the 2 leading characters and some of their lines made me cringe because they were so embarrassingly weak. At no point did I feel involved in what should be a powerful and emotional story; it simply failed to engross me in any way. Bored is a strong word, but I was verging on it by the end.
In summary, disappointing.