Not a masterpiece but not a disaster either, Da Vinci Code will leave you entertained...and thinking

Rating: 7/10 (20 May 2006)

Every single time that religion is depicted on film, there will be a problem and plenty of controversy behind it. It happened with Dogma years ago, Passion of the Christ not too long ago, and now with The Da Vinci Code. Now, apparently, I totally missed the memo that I was supposed to thrash this film to no end because it's confusing, boring, repetitive, and a written catastrophe of epic proportions. The Da Vinci Code is far from that; it is nowhere near as a bad as critics say it is. While the writing is different from the book (what book-to-film adaptation isn't?) and the directing is a bit flawed, this is still an entertaining murder mystery that requires an open mind and a will to receive a plethora of background information that will be revealed throughout the lengthy movie. It is rather obvious that critics and most of the public were ready to fail this motion picture from the moment the title is revealed.
While it still isn't as shocking or as much of a page-turner than the original work, its Howard's fear of a backlash that results in this being different from Dan Brown's instant best-seller. Like Ron Howard's critically acclaimed Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code frays away from shocking even more in order to avoid a recoil that will result in fewer people watching it. The weakest part of the movie is the writing and the pacing, which is what keeps it away from being an excellent film yet gives it potential in becoming an eventual box office success-turned cult hit (The Matrix). Anyone expecting an accurate description of the book will leave disappointed, even though some of the differences are actually pretty minor, and some actually result in the movie being a bit better. Lack of romance in the movie is a breath of fresh air as it goes against the average drama that needs to throw in some random love story in between the carnage. But, the first part of the film is built up way too slow, too much dialogue and pointless trivia can be found all over the place within the first half hour.
Pacing is ruined because of this. Clocked in at over 145 minutes, The Da Vinci Code has the potential of giving you that nice, long nap that you've needed. Fortunately for us, the pacing totally picks up in the second stage, when the two main characters run into a crucial character, Sir Leigh Teabing. After they meet, the movie picks up and does not let go except for a few moments of slowdown. Ironically, the best action sequence involves a short yet satisfying drive towards incoming traffic while avoiding the enemyin the beginning of the movie. But, don't expect to just sit there and watch, thinking is required, learning is required, and so is the fact that this is all fiction and in no way is trying to question your faith. Actually, The Da Vinci Code does not question or bash any religion, it is an obvious fictitious tale. But when a thing such as God and Jesus is questioned, no matter what the circumstances are, we will have chickens with their heads cut off gawking obscenities at the body of work.
It is about Faith against Fact, Fiction against Non-Fiction, Science against Christianity. This is the sort of stuff questioned constantly in the hit show "Lost," but it is presented in a more underlying manner, which is how it avoids the smoking gun of the public. Da Vinci on the other hand, is not afraid of such a touchy subject, even though Ron Howard obviously is. There is an entire portion of the book left off the movie, just so that it doesn't add to the negative hype. Another reason why The Da Vinci Code the movie failed a little is because Howard also underestimated the intelligence of the audience, as his clue-leaving skills from A Beautiful Mind sadly results in the majority of the public figuring out the plot twists before they happen.
If there is a reason to watch this movie, it is certainly for the acting. Tom Hanks though, he really couldn't make his character that interesting, as hard as he tried. Robert Langdon is not that memorable a person, he is just another person jumbled in a religious mess. His assistant throughout the film is Sophie, played by unknown actress Audrey Tautou, whose previous works are mostly foreign movies. The best performances come from the supporting cast, especially the unrecognizable Paul Bettany as the amazingly creepy and psycho monk whose views on God and whatnot is just scary. Sir Ian McKellen also shines as the friendly and intelligent Leigh Teabing. Other notable performances come from Alfred Molina, and Jean Reno. The acting here is above and beyond the average summer flick, and runs this movie when the writing is running out of gas and Howard is taking a break from leaving obvious clues.
Bottom Line: Risky, but not risky enough. Decent, but not decent enough. While it is not a horrible disaster, it does stand just a few steps above mediocre because of a few flaws here and there. A different director could have been better, and a better writing staff could have quickened the pace of the movie and also cut back on all the worthless dialogue that happens from time to time. We do have some Oscar-worthy performances here though, and we do have some beautiful, beautiful scenery to marvel at. While the Indiana Jones movies are much better in terms of hunting for religious artifacts, this movie isn't as bad as what the bitter critics have been showcasing as. The Da Vinci Code: Enter with an open mind, leave entertained and ready for discussion.