Entertainment at all costs...

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2006)

Should I say it or not? Well, I will: "The Da Vinci Code" is a film made for two kinds of people; the ones who have read the book and the ones who haven't. Being a part of the first group, I could be a little subjective, but I'll do my best and just review the movie as what it is: non- stop quality entertainment (I think I said that about "House of Wax", without the quality part).
Why do I say this? Because as a reader of the book, I find myself in a position many may have encounteredThe movie and the book are not the same thing: the book is an entertainment literature piece, with very accurate descriptions of important places of the world and a not very complex vocabulary or technique, but a very detailed view of the facts; the picture is a gift to the interested viewer and a clearly modified version of Dan Brown's novel, however done with the eye for entertainment, which becomes the only thing in common between both elements.
You see, Ron Howard is a truly gifted director and Akiva Goldsman is a truly gifted writer, but "Da Vinci" as a film was, above all things, a marketing project to them, and to Dreamworks of course. If Dan Brown had adapted the screenplay it would have probably been the longest this year; he couldn't have taken anything of, so that's what Goldsman did.
And that's also why the movie moves so fast. The viewer senses this too, but he doesn't mind because, just like in the novel, when "The Da Vinci Code" begins, you can't stop until you get to the end of it. This said, Howard is also very loyal to the viewer, giving him what he wants to get; showing him what he wants to see, the way he wants to see it. So basically, if the spectator hasn't read the book, he'll be amazed; with the accomplished frames and shots of places from all around Europe, as the book exposes.
Because of the same reasons I've been explaining, the cast is not given a chance to shine And it is an all-star cast! Tom Hanks in the main role of Robert Langdon is extremely measured and calm, but you can see clearly that it is not his fault and that he enjoyed playing the part. Audrey Tatou portrays a calm character in some way, so her performance just fits.
Jean Reno is also inside the ride, speaking his very best French and stealing every scene he is in. Alfred Molina participates a little bit as the Spanish Opus Dei member Manuel Aringarosa, who built his first church with the albino Silas, played fearlessly by the unique Paul Bettany. And do I have to mention Sir Ian McKellen's gracious presence as 'Sir' Leigh Teabing? Yes, a Sir playing a 'Sir', having a lot of fun.
That's what everybody had in "The Da Vinci Code's" set: fun. That's what the movie is and that's the feeling you get when looking at the audience trying to find out if they're buying the story or not; specially if you've read the novel. By the way, Hans Zimmer 's score is remarkable, perfect: the man is a genius.