plain and simple: not entertaining. has it's moments, but it's too long and not well directed

Rating: 5/10 (22 May 2006)

First off, I am ashamed that this movie did not turn out as I had expected. The acting of Tom Hanks and the direction of Ron Howard always grabs my attention, but neither of these two entertainment giants do well in their jobs of keeping the audience interested. The film also is way too long at just under 2.5 hours. While the film does get strong performances from Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany, the film does not do a good job of keeping the audience entertained, and it is also very predictable, even if you haven't read the book, which I haven't.
The plot of 'The Da Vinci Code' is as follows: A murder in the Louvre leaves mysterious clues in the works of artist Leonardo Da Vinci, clues that when investigated by symbol interpreter, Robert Langdon (Hanks), and a French police officer (Audrey Tatou), could possibly change the world's view of Christianity with its groundbreaking discoveries.
The movie does have moments where the audience will be sickly disgusted, such as the beginning, moments of some intense action, and some dramatic moments, but one of the main problems circling the film is the fact that Howard fails to establish a true genre for the movie. Sometimes, it feels like an action/thriller, then to a suspenseful drama, then a mystery, then totally shifting gears and becoming a fantasy. This is not the fault of the writing or acting, as one of a director's many jobs is to establish a mood and feel for the film, which Howard fails to do, as much as it pains me to say this about such a wonderful director.
Tom Hanks seems miscast in the role of Robert Langdon, and I feel that an actor such as Ralph Fiennes or Liam Neeson would have made the role ten times better. Hanks doesn't perform to his abilities in the film, as shown when he never really seems to take control of the movie, because the whole movie circles around his investigation and findings of the mysterious clues possibly left behind by Leonardo Da Vinci. Hanks is constantly thrown around, and from what I've heard from friends, that's not what Robert is like in the book.
The primary supporting role is that of Audrey Tatou's character, and I must say that her character often seems expressionless and flat, which is sad, because the writing for her character is very well done. She has her opportunities to shine, but simply doesn't.
Now, it's time to give some good things about the film. Paul Bettany's Albino character Silas is just plain creepy, yet you can't help but be in awe of how real Paul Bettany plays the character, because he barely speaks English in the film (Silas speaks mostly French throughout the film). I really felt that Silas was in control of every scene he appears in, while Bettany still provides a good human realism to the character. Ian McKellen shines as always as Leigh, Robert's old friend and fellow clueseeker. He provides a certain amount of mystery about his character, while still keeping him charming and likable (Ian provides most of the films comedic moments). McKellen proves that he can survive any genre with class and style again, and I think that had the film been better, he could scrap an Oscar nod.
There are two other name actors in supporting roles, but they feel forced into the film, and the movie could have done without them. The characters played by Jean Reno and Alfred Molina are both characters that could have been divided into smaller characters. I'm not knocking Reno and Molina, as they both perform admirably, but there is really no point to their characters, especially Molina's bishop.
When push comes to shove, Ron Howard's direction and the acting of Tom Hanks are not up to snuff, thus being two of the elements that sink 'The Da Vinci Code'. The film gets decent supporting performances and B class writing, but other than that, this film seems lost in its own skin. The movie seems to drag on forever, and you'll find yourself sleepy after the resolution, as the denouement takes too much time. I felt severely let down.
5/10 --spy