See it again!

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2006)

I read the novel a year ago. And then the wait began...
In the 48 hours or so, up 'til seeing it on it's opening weekend Friday night, I, like most people, had heard the negative reviews (Cannes, pans, etc.). And after the 3 hours that I had sat in a Chicago-area movie theatric that night, I somewhat agreed. That first night, "The Da Vinci Code" seemed rather boring, a little hard to follow, and for the most part, unimpressive. Tom Hanks was something of a shadow: there, but not really more than to just follow the real action, which seemed to be occurring in every other storyline except for his. Ron Howard's direction was so-so, I supposed.
Another 48 hours went by, and on Sunday night, unplanned, I went to see it again.
After walking out of the theatric the second time, I was somewhat speechless. I suddenly had plenty of respect for this movie. Things that I didn't notice the first time jumped off the screen at me the second time around. I found Hanks' portrayal dead on to the Robert Langdon I remember reading of. And yes, Langdon pretty much is a shadow on the wall throughout the book. Oh yes--Hanks is the star. But Imagine (pun intended) Hanks in his ten-year old "Big" mindset screaming at you, "But the movie isn't about me!" Speaking of Imagine, Howard, who did a great job with "The Missing" (at least *I* thought), steered this very well considering, well, how many tens of millions of people have already read the book and already directed this movie in *their own heads.* I wonder how many of us were hoping that we'd see a "shared vision" with Ron Howard up there on the big screen.
Howard got the right performances out of a terrific cast. And a name you might not hear mentioned in anyone else's comments is Akiva Goldsman, who is credited with writing the screenplay. Goldsman does a fine job with a fantastic literary work--don't hear that too often.
"The Da Vinci Code" is a very brainy work of fiction. For movies of this nature, see anything by the Coen Brothers. I learn something new about "The Big Lebowski" every time I see it (and I'm on 10 times at least by now). And that was never a book. Hmmm. "The Le Bowski Code." Maybe I'm onto something here, are you listening Harvey and Bob? Anyhow, my advice is to see it twice.
Write me if you do...tell me what you thought on *second* blush.