A disappointment...

Rating: 5/10 (29 May 2006)

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It presented a wealth of historical facts (or fiction depending on your personal beliefs) and allowed my imagination to wander. It sparked discussion and brought new ideas forth. I could easily relate to the characters and was just as interested in them as i was the main story.
The movie however did almost none of the above. The first 5 minutes stuck to the book perfectly. But that was about the only part that did. From there on in locations, times and dialogue was changed around. The dialogue between the characters was dry and lacked any interest. The same can be said of the characters themselves. I was no longer interested in what they were like, and now just wanted to get to the end of the movie. The story itself lacked the intrigue that it had had in the book, and it presented the information like solid facts. This didn't allow me to imagine what COULD happen, what MIGHT have happened. Instead it was clear cut, this is the way it happened.
The final nail in the coffin for this movie was the ending. Unlike at the end of the book where we are left to wonder how Jesus's blood line continues, we are told. And it is not much of a surprise. It was somewhat of a cliché having the grand daughter be the continuation of the blood line. Once again the film leaves no room for imagination.
This movie does have one saving grace. The flashbacks were used very well, particularly in reference to the Conference of Mycenia. Besides that the movie was very uninteresting. I would recommend the book if you like to imagine, and the movie if you want clear cut answers.