Good -Until the last 10 minutes (no spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (22 May 2006)

First of all, it goes without saying -see the movie with an open mind.
The movie was fast paced, intelligent, and provided the right amount of action without becoming some mindless action flick. The characters were down to earth -Hanks and Tatou are very believable in their roles, and Bettany and Reno's "villans" were flawed and vulnerable, prompting pity for them, a rare feat in a blockbuster film.
I read the book first, and of course, I didn't expect the book to be exactly like the movie; the book is much longer and much more detailed. However, the movie followed the book very closely, so literary perfectionists (like myself were appeased). That is, until the last ten minutes. Unfortunately, the director opted to modify the ending for some unknown reason,deviating completely from the book, which was kind of sad, considering how well the movie had done for the last 2 hours. The ending was entertaining, wrapping up the film nicely, but the film ending added nothing to the movie that the book's ending did not, and the book's ending kept with the overall theme of the DaVinci Code. It was too bad, because the disappointment of the last ten minutes overshadowed the overall effect of the film.
Final verdict? Go see it (if you are ready to, of course), and enjoy it, but book lovers be warned, the ending is rather different. 8/10