Complete B*****ks

Rating: 6/10 (22 July 2006)

That says it all really. I speak as only a half-hearted Catholic, but even for my liberal tendencies this is full of historical bumpf. I tried to separate 'fact' from fiction and consider it as a film in its own right, but the film is - unfortunately - rather faithful to its source material, so it's hard to differentiate between the two. If you loved the book, you'll probably love the film, and the same if you hated it.
Tom Hanks and Ian McKellen provide some credibility, up to a point. Paul Bettany reminds me an awful lot of Rutger Hauer in 'Blade Runner'. Indeed, the whole film looks like a much more pompous self-regarding version of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.
In short, a mediocre film has been made out of a terrible book. Both have become inexplicably successful, let's face it, because of their controversy.