Crap compared to the book

Rating: 4/10 (31 May 2006)

The first comment I read on this movie contained a praise for being faithful to the book. I strongly disagree with that as with the movie itself.
What especially struck me as odd was the move from a strong female and supporting male characters in the book to a full blown male hero who solves almost all the puzzles himself. Miss Neveu, albeit being the driving force in the book, the one that only lacks the knowledge of Mr. Langdon but is not without wits herself, is transformed to a side show character that may only lend some hints, have an idea or two, but is mainly drawn into the proceedings instead of leading during the major part of the story. This is particularly interesting in the light of the story itself, that speaks of the suppressed female in Christianity, a story that culminates in revealing ages of denial of femininity.
There are also a lot of detail changes from the book, just take the cross Captain Fache wears: in the book it is a cross made of 13 gems, called the Crux Gemmata, in the movie it is a simple cross made of lines the same size. The same applies to the bank, described as a metal box in the middle of a nightly deserted industry district with the cross of Switzerland overhead, in the movie it is located in a bustling street, has a strange symbol and is not entered in a car. And why on earth did they change the ending? What on earth made the makers do that?
Changing a lot of details and the chronology of events must have been a main issue for the makers of the film, I could go on and on with examples, but there is another thing really creeped me out and that is how flat the characters got. Aringarosa got away worst of them all I think.
As for the movie itself, not comparing it to the book, I still have a thing or two to complain about. The characters appear far too suddenly, there is little introduction. How could the viewer be convinced that some characters are to be taken trustworthy at first? Also, for my taste, there was too much James Bond in it, the narrow escapes seem too far fetched, the superior intellect and wisdom of Langdon seem too exaggerated, but that might still be me remembering the book.
Sorry, as much as I love conspiracy movies, this one just doesn't cut it.