I do not understand why people disliked this movie

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2006)

We went with a group of 7 people to the opening day of The Da Vinci Code. We had all read the book. We also, unfortunately, had read most reviews (in this database and in our local Florida paper), which were generally not complimentary. Thus, we were prepared for the worst. I sat there through the movie wondering, "What movie were those people watching?" We all thoroughly enjoyed it! The only negative comment was from one gentleman who had just finished listening to the audio book on a recent trip who said that the ending was different. From those of us who had read the book when it first came out in 2003, it generally followed the book. We were genuinely puzzled at the negative reaction to this movie and postulated two reasons: (1) it is a dialog-driven movie that requires you to think and remember plot lines and characters and, thus, you have to actively participate in it; and (2) could all these negative reviews be coming from people who want you not to see it for religious reasons.
I use this database, along with television critics and newspaper reviews, usually before I view a movie, or perhaps after I see a movie that does not live up to the hype of the movie trailer. I felt strongly enough to write my first review for this forum because I believe that if you like the book, you will enjoy the movie. It's not "take your breath away and I have to see it 10 more times" great like one of my favorite movies, "Titanic", but Ron Howard did a credible job with the material. Although it was photographed mostly at night, it was photographed beautifully. Go with an open mind and see it for yourself.