Much Ado About Nothing

Rating: 5/10 (2 March 2013)

Dan Brown wrote a book called THE DA VINCI CODE which had a premise that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene had a child and the Centuries of Christian teaching is one big conspiracy to hide this fact . The book itself featured much controversy from the religious leaders and became subject to court cases alleging plagiarism . The novel itself went on to become a big hit with the public but not with the critics who considered it popcorn trash for the masses but literary wotrhless . The same could be said of THE GODFATHER and JAWS two classic examples of trash becoming immortal films . Certainly THE DA VINCI CODE has all the makings of a fast paced high concept blockbuster. Stick in some well regarded names like Hanks , Reno , Molina and McKellen , an Oscar winning director and an Oscar winning screenwriter and you should have a massive hit on your hands . This film can't fail can it ?
As someone who has never read any Dan Brown I'm afraid the film version does to a large extent . The problem with the film is that assumes that no one is aware of the hype involving the book . I've never read the book but I know what the plot involves - an albino monk working for an internal sect of the Vatican bumping off people who know too much . It's a bonkers idea and in the context of a trashy blockbuster it's a good one . The thing is the story structure that assumes that the audience know nothing has to by necessity create an air of mystery to the proceedings . This means that the first half is taken up by some painfully obvious exposition . Everyone on the planet must know where all this is heading and even if they didn't it'd still be badly done and unnecessary exposition
Things do pick up in the second half but that's not saying much and for a film featuring an albino monk bumping off people too clever for their own good THE DA VINCI CODE doesn't feel like it reaches its maximum potential as the storyline descends in to a runaround with the good guys getting crossed and double crossed by the bad guys which makes for an unengaging because the audience are one step ahead of good guy Robert Langdon and good girl Sophie Neveu . One thing is assured whilst watching this film and that is neither Dan Brown or screenwriter Akiva Goldman are going to be bumped off by an albino monk or anyone else for being too clever for their own good