Not entirely forgettable, better than I thought it would be.

Rating: 4/10 (10 November 2007)

The very first you'll notice is that the director is madly in love with Hitchcock, from the overly bouncy shot of the old man running in the first scene, to the constant close-ups of everything (even chase scenes), all the way to the shot of blood swirling down a drain. Even the basic meter of the movie is much like the later works of Hitchcock. I wouldn't complain about the acting, it's really kind of interesting to see this kind of movie done by a director and cast that one thinks of as the emotional equivalent of comfort food (porridge, hot cocoa, etc...).
The basic concept of the plot is very reminiscent of several science fiction stories (which is why I forgive the out-of-place computer graphics used to display Dr. langdon's thoughts) and is a refreshing departure from rather more monotonously mundane or emotionally disgusting story-lines that choke the entertainment industry. Having said that, however, I must point out that there is quite a bit of unnecessary material such as the overabundance of scenes where the crazy monk stands around naked and/or beating himself, we can see their makeup department has a talent for realistic wounds, but we don't need that much time to appreciate it. Then there's the constant barrage of hints, making the entire plot known to the audience and leaving no surprises to look forward to. it just isn't as much fun if you already have all of the important story points handed to you by a careless camera shot, a character blurting out something that gives away the end when your only part way through, or a "good guy" that seems just a little too naive to actually be a good guy. Lastly, I found the all of the flashbacks and personal phobias unhelpful, uninspired, and unconvincingly portrayed. Also they never did explain what that ritual was that frightened Sophie as a little girl.
I recommend that you come in just about when they introduce Ian McKellen's character (a scene entitled "Seeking Sanctuary" and watch from then on, you'll miss the boring stuff and find that it actually manages to be an entertaining movie.