Nothing special, but worth a watch

Rating: 6/10 (2 September 2007)

The movie version of THE DA VINCI CODE is an OK action thriller, but nothing special. Tom Hanks is miscast as hero Robert Langdon, but Ian McKellan, Paul Bettany and Jean Reno all acquit themselves quite nicely as various supporting characters. Audrey Tattoo as Langdon's unexpected companion makes for nice eye candy. The plot involves tracking down the Holy Grail, among other things, and is not a bad adaptation of the book, which itself is a hokey mishmash of conspiracy theories and alternate takes on the lives of Jesus and Mary Magdeline, with lots of international derring-do thrown in for good measure. Director Ron Howard perhaps bit off more than he could chew here, but he does keep things moving at a decent pace, right up to the unnerving climax. I just wish someone other than Hanks had played Langdon. When they get around to filming ANGELS AND DEMONS, an earlier and far superior Langdon adventure involving murder at the Vatican, I'd love to see someone like Christian Bale (astutely suggested by my youngest kid) take on the role. Or Harrison Ford, if he could somehow shed 30 years.