Angels & Demons (2009) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican. Director: a list of 32 titles created 01 Oct 2011 a list of 27 titles created 24 Sep 2013 a list of 31 titles created 22 Mar 2014 a list of 48 titles created 03 Nov 2015 a list of 29 titles created 5 months ago Search for " Angels & Demons " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. 1 win & 5 nominations.

See more awards » Videos A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity. Director: Ron Howard When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot. Director: Ron Howard An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there. Director: Steven Spielberg A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island. Director: Robert Zemeckis NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy. Director: Ron Howard The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Director: Paul Greengrass Jack Sparrow races to recover the heart of Davy Jones to avoid enslaving his soul to Jones' service, as other friends and foes seek the heart for their own agenda as well. Director: Gore Verbinski Captain Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann must sail off the edge of the map, navigate treachery and betrayal, find Jack Sparrow, and make their final alliances for one last decisive battle. Director: Gore Verbinski Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty. Director: Guy Ritchie Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too. Director: Rob Marshall A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth. Director: Barry Sonnenfeld With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.

Director: Jon Favreau Edit Storyline Following the murder of a physicist, Father Silvano Bentivoglio, a symbolist, Robert Langdon, and a scientist, Vittoria Vetra, are on an adventure involving a secret brotherhood, the Illuminati. Clues lead them all around the Vatican, including the four altars of science, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. An assassin, working for the Illuminati, has captured four cardinals, and murders each, painfully. Robert and Vittoria also are searching for a new very destructive weapon that could kill millions. Written by XXDustfingerXX The holiest event of our time. Perfect for their return. See more » Genres: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 15 May 2009 (USA) See more » Also Known As: £6,054,627 (UK) (15 May 2009) Gross: Remo Vinzens was in negotiations to play Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca.

See more » Goofs In the final scene, Robert Langdon tells Cardinal Strauss: "I -- don't believe He sent me, Father." A Cardinal would be referred to as "Your Eminence", not "Father". See more » Quotes [first lines] Narrator: The Ring of the Fisherman, which bears the official papal seal, must be destroyed immediately following the Pope's death. The papal apartment is then sealed for nine days of mourning, a period known as "Sede Vacante", the time of the empty throne. See more » Crazy Credits At the very beginning, when the Columbia girl is standing holding aloft the torch, it flickers like the anti-matter. See more » Connections (Singapore) – See all my reviews Tom Hanks returns as Dan Brown's symbologist Robert Langdon in his first adventure Angels & Demons, which Hollywood decided to make after The Da Vinci Code, given the latter's more controversial subject striking a raw nerve on the faith itself. The Catholic Church was up in arms over the first film, but seemingly nonchalant about this one.

And it's not hard to see why, considering Ron Howard had opted to do a flat-out action piece that serves as a great tourism video of Rome and Vatican City, and would probably boost visitor numbers given the many beautiful on-location scenes, save for St Peter's Square and Basilica which was a scaled model used. So I guess with the bulk of the budget going toward the sets, the ensemble cast had to be correspondingly scaled down. Ayelet Zurer tried to step into the female void left by Audrey Tautou, but given Tautou's character then having a lot more stake in the film, Zurer's scientist Vittoria had a lot less to do other than just waiting in the wings to change some batteries on a canister filled with anti-matter. In the book she's the fodder of course for Langdon to converse his vast knowledge of the Vatican, the Illuminati and the great feud between the two, but here she's neither love interest, nor his intellectual equal.

Ewan McGregor on the other hand, chews up each scene he's in as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, who is temporarily taking care of the Papal office while the other prominent cardinals are in the Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope. And he plays Patrick with that glint in the eye, with nuances enough to let you know there's more than meets the eye. There's no surprises here for readers of the novel, but McGregor's performance here is one of the highlights of the film as Hanks plays well, Tom Hanks. The book itself is rich with arguably accurate content as always, and had a lot more plot points on science versus religion, and a wealth of information that Dan Brown researched and linked together in an engaging fictional piece of work. While reading the book some years ago, I thought that should a film be made of it, it's easy to lapse and dwell more on the set action pieces. Sadly, that's what this Ron Howard film did, with a pace that doesn't allow a temporary breather.

Unlike the first film where you had the characters sit down for some "discussion time" over a cup of tea, this one moved things along so quickly, it's like reading the book all over again, page after page being skipped just to get to the thick of the action. Catholic reviewers have called Angels & Demons harmless, because I guess it didn't dwell on its many controversies, unlike The Da Vinci Code which struck a raw nerve at the centre of the faith. And if anything, this film served as a great tourism promotional video with a nice showcase of the many prominent touristy landmarks that would entice many around the world to go pay a visit. Naturally certain areas like the catacombs beneath St Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican archives remain out of bounds, but the walk along the Path of Illumination, now that's almost free. Nothing new for those who have read the book other than to see it come alive, but for those who haven't, this film may just compel you to pick up Dan Brown's novel just to read a bit more about the significance about the landmarks, and characters such as Galileo, Michelangelo and Bernini who are intricately linked to the plot, but much left unsaid.

Satisfying pop-corn entertainment leaving you with nothing spectacular. 239 of 358 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Dan Brown's Inferno: Tom Hanks to return in 2015 film - Telegraph Book news Dan Brown's Inferno: Tom Hanks to return in 2015 film Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Robert Langdon in April for the film version of Dan Brown's latest bestseller Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code, 2006 By Alice Vincent, Entertainment writer, online 9:56AM BST 27 Aug 2014 UPDATE Tom Hanks will begin shooting Inferno, with the rest of the cast, in April in Italy. _________________________ 17.7.13 Dan Brown's Inferno was only released in May, but already plans for a movie version of the book are shaping up. Related Articles Angels and Demons 14 May 2009 Tom Hanks will reprise the role of Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist and main character of Dan Brown's series of bestselling books.

The Inferno film will be directed by Ron Howard, the director of 2006's The Da Vinci Code and its sequel, Angels and Demons (2009) . It is expected that the film will be released in December 2015, according to film industry website Deadline . The decision to adapt Inferno for film follows a dispute over the third installment of Brown's series, The Lost Symbol. In 2012 it was announced that Danny Strong, an Emmy-winning writer who also played Jonathan Levinson in television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, would adapt the novel for a screenplay. However, Howard refused to direct the film and little has been heard about the project since. Inferno sold nearly a quarter of a million copies in its first week of release, although this is half the 550,000 copies The Lost Symbol sold on publication in 2009. However, the film franchise has traditionally performed well for Sony, who own the film rights: the first film grossed more than £500 million worldwide, with Angels and Demons raking in £320 million at the global box office.

The Official Website of Dan Brown Dan Brown Launches Inferno Experience Robert Langdon needs your help. Are you up to the task? Sony Entertainment, Google, and Dan Brown have teamed up to create puzzles for a three-week online experience, The Inferno Journey Through Hell. In it, players assist Robert Langdon in solving three puzzles per week that relate to Dante's Inferno. Dan calls the game "a plunge into the depths of hell using the Seven Deadly Sins as the ladder." Visit Journey Through Hell to uncover the mystery...and enter for a chance to win a trip to Italy. To learn more about the film, check out this article from USA Today . To stay up-to-date on the latest Dan Brown News, stay tuned to Dan's Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter pages. Dan Brown Announces New Novel Available September 26, 2017, the new novel, Origin, thrusts Robert Langdon into the dangerous intersection of humankind’s two most enduring questions. Global publishing phenomenon Dan Brown, author of the #1 international blockbusters Inferno and The Da Vinci Code, has written his latest Robert Langdon thriller titled Origin. Doubleday will release the novel in the U.S.

and Canada on September 26, 2017 and it will also be available as an ebook and an audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio. Origin will be published simultaneously in the U.K. by Transworld Publishers, a division of Penguin Random House. Additionally, a U.S. Spanish language edition will be published by Vintage Español. The announcement was made today by Sonny Mehta, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Jason Kaufman, Vice President and Executive Editor at Doubleday, will edit the novel. In keeping with his trademark style, Brown interweaves codes, science, religion, history, art and architecture into this new novel. Origin thrusts Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon into the dangerous intersection of humankind’s two most enduring questions, and the earth-shaking discovery that will answer them. There are more than 200 million copies of Dan Brown’s books in print worldwide, and his novels have been translated into 56 languages. To learn more, stay tuned to Dan's Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter pages.

Inferno Vlog#4 - Locations Go on location with the cast and crew of Inferno as they give you a glimpse of the historic locations behind Langdon's latest adventure. Go on location with the cast and crew of Inferno as they give you a glimpse of the historic locations behind Langdon's latest adventure. The film hits theaters internationally starting October 12th, followed by the U.S. premiere on October 28th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page . Inferno Vlog#3 - Langdon's Superpower Robert Langdon’s superpower? Eidetic memory. Ron Howard discusses Langdon’s memory loss in this Vlog for the Inferno movie. Tom Hanks takes you behind the scenes to talk about Robert Langdon's superpower, eidetic memory, in today's vlog for the Inferno movie. The film hits theaters in internationally starting October 12th and in the U.S. on October 28th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page .

Dan discusses The Da Vinci Code - Young Adult Edition For more on what it is and why we believe in the importance of reaching young readers, watch this clip from an interview with Dan. The YA edition of The Da Vinci Code is available internationally. For more on what it is and why we believe in the importance of reaching young readers, watch this clip from an interview with Dan. Inferno Vlog#2 - Zobrist's Manifesto Dan and Ron take you behind the scenes to give you a glimpse of Zobrist's Manifesto. In the word's of Bertrand Zobrist, “It has always been this way. Death is followed by birth. To reach paradise, man must pass through inferno." Take a look behind the scenes, as Dan Brown and Ron Howard give you a glimpse of Zobrist's Manifesto. The film hits theaters internationally starting October 12th, followed by the U.S. premiere on October 28th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page . Inferno Vlog#1 - Cerca Trova Discover the heartbeat behind the film in this behind the scenes video.

Go behind the scenes of the Inferno Movie and find out what the cast, crew, and creators of the film have to say about Cerca Trova. The film hits theaters internationally starting October 12th, followed by the U.S. premiere on October 28th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page . The full trailer for Inferno is now available online! We are thrilled to share the full trailer for the Inferno Movie. The world’s greatest mind faces his greatest challenge. The film hits theaters in the U.S. on October 28th, with an international rollout starting October 12th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page . Inferno When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman from unleashing a global virus that would wipe out half of the world’s population.

When Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock to stop a madman from unleashing a global virus that would wipe out half of the world’s population. W0ITh17ClnM Uncovering evidence of the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati also uncovers a deadly threat to the existence of the secret organization’s most despised enemy: the Catholic Church. The team behind the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code returns for the highly successful Angels & Demons , based upon the bestselling novel by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard religious expert Robert Langdon, who once again finds that forces with ancient roots are willing to stop at nothing, even murder, to advance their goals. Ron Howard again directs the film, which is produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and John Calley. The screenplay is by Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp.

Featuring Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgård, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Armin Mueller-Stall. ArdNQUUcZOM It begins with a spectacular murder in the Louvre Museum. All clues point to a covert religious organization that will stop at nothing to protect a secret that threatens to overturn 2,000 years of accepted dogma. Dan Brown's international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code , directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Featuring Tom Hanks as symbologist Robert Langdon and Audrey Tautou as cryptologist Sophie Neveu, this heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery takes them from France to England and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code "involving" and "intriguing," "a first rate thriller." Also featuring Jürgen Prochnow and Paul Bettany. Produced by John Calley and Brian Grazer.

pc5d24lom8I Tom Hanks 'to star in next Dan Brown film' - BBC News BBC News Tom Hanks 'to star in next Dan Brown film' 18 July 2013 Close share panel Image caption Hanks has played the protagonist, Robert Langdon in the previous two films Actor Tom Hanks is to reunite with director Ron Howard for the film version of Dan Brown's latest best-selling novel, Inferno. Hanks will reprise his role as Harvard professor Robert Langdon in the mystery thriller, according to film industry website Deadline . Howard previously directed the 2006 adaptation of The Da Vinci Code and its prequel, Angels and Demons, in 2009. The new film is due to be released in December 2015. David Koepp, who penned the script for Angels and Demons, is also set to return to the franchise. Brown's latest book, which was published in May, sees Langdon try to stop a threatening plague, following clues in Dante's The Divine Comedy that take him to Florence and Venice in Italy.

Hanks is expected to take on the role of Langdon for a forthcoming adaptation of The Lost Symbol, the third novel in Brown's book series, but Howard opted out of the project. The film franchise has been a high earner for Sony Pictures. The Da Vinci Code made $758m (£498m) at the worldwide box office while Angel and Demons took in $486m (£319m). Prior to the Brown adaptations, Hanks and Howard previously worked together on the films Splash and Apollo 13. The Da Vinci Code (2006) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The Da Vinci Code ( 2006 ) PG-13 | From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity.

Director: a list of 40 titles created 14 Mar 2011 a list of 28 titles created 23 Jun 2012 a list of 35 titles created 09 Jul 2012 a list of 33 titles created 10 Jan 2015 a list of 30 titles created 11 months ago Title: The Da Vinci Code (2006) 6.6/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 21 nominations. See more awards » Videos Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican. Director: Ron Howard A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island. Director: Robert Zemeckis When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.

Director: Ron Howard An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there. Director: Steven Spielberg NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy. Director: Ron Howard The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. Director: Paul Greengrass Daniel Ocean recruits one more team member so he can pull off three major European heists in this sequel to Ocean's 11. Director: Steven Soderbergh Captain Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann must sail off the edge of the map, navigate treachery and betrayal, find Jack Sparrow, and make their final alliances for one last decisive battle. Director: Gore Verbinski Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. Director: Guy Ritchie Danny Ocean and his eleven accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.

Director: Steven Soderbergh Jack Sparrow races to recover the heart of Davy Jones to avoid enslaving his soul to Jones' service, as other friends and foes seek the heart for their own agenda as well. Director: Gore Verbinski A police officer joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth. Director: Barry Sonnenfeld Edit Storyline Professor Robert Langdon is in Paris on business when he's summoned to The Louvre. A dead body has been found, setting Langdon off on an adventure as he attempts to unravel an ancient code and uncover the greatest mystery of all time. Written by comicfan Break The Codes See more » Genres: Mystery | Thriller Motion Picture Rating ( MPAA ) Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 19 May 2006 (USA) See more » Also Known As: El código Da Vinci See more » Filming Locations: £9,501,444 (UK) (19 May 2006) Gross: Did You Know?

Trivia In the story, Robert Langdon's publisher is called Jonas Faukman. Jonas Faukman is an anagram of Dan Brown 's real life publisher, Jason Kaufman. See more » Goofs (at around 1h 3 mins) Teabing says that Jesus Christ was regarded as a human prophet until Constantine's party narrowly voted to deify Jesus in 323. In fact, Jesus Christ had been regarded as God in human form in most Christian documents since AD 95 and possibly early as AD 40. Around 300 a "heresy" was proposed to downgrade Jesus to a mere human prophet, but this new idea was voted down in a landslide in 323 in favor of the original concept of Jesus as God. This council was simply telling everyone what most already believed. See more » Quotes Silas : Stop now. Tell me where it is. [removes hood] Silas : You and your brethren possess what is not rightfully yours. Jacques Saunière : I don't know what you are talking about. Silas : Is it a secret you will die for?

Written and Performed by Dan Brown Courtesy of DGB Records (Singapore) – See all my reviews This movie is becoming as controversial as the book. Since the day it was announced that it's gonna be made, there were protests against it being done, and it has escalated to calls for boycotting, or banning the movie altogether. I'll not waste time and go into its controversies, nor discuss what's real and what's not. Neither will I explain in detail the plot, as I believe most of you readers would already have some vague idea of what it's about, or have read the book, since it's on the bestsellers list for months. Rather, I'll evaluate the movie as it is, on how well it entertains. Those who wish to preach in my comment box, prepare to have those comments deleted, at my discretion. This is the stand I shall take, that this movie is entirely fictional, based on events which are used loosely, for the sole purpose of weaving a storyline that tries to be believable. I think some have already mentioned it's too successful in doing that, and may mislead people into thinking its theories presented, are real.

However, don't take it too seriously, and if you wish to, use another proper platform to debunk the myths, not my movie review blog. The structure of the movie, is exactly the same as the book. There is no change to the ending, despite some rumours that it will be different. Naturally, some of the detailed explanation that's given in the book, especially many three-way dialogue between Sophie- Robert-Leigh, have to be summarized in order to pace this movie into 2 1/2 hours. Herein lies the challenges. For those who've read the book, the movie offers nothing new, other than the gratification of watching events and characters play out on the big screen. For those who haven't read the book, the movie version should be decent enough to make you want to pick up the novel and read more into the controversial theories explained. However, having being familiar with the plot and how the story unfolds, red herrings, character motivations, twists and all, it may leave those who've read the novel, a page-turner in every sense of the word, a bit wanting, that the pace could've been improved.

Undoubtedly the pacing sags when it's time for some dialogue heavy moments, but I suppose that is unavoidable when you're revisiting material. However, its presentation of these controversial dialogue moments coupled with special effects, that will make you go wow. Truly, the technique is nothing original, and some of the visuals used looked like Return of the King and Kingdom of Heaven rejects, but as a whole, combined with the narrative, it helps to present the controversies in a more palatable manner. Casting, I felt, was spot on. Tom Hanks makes Robert Langdon pretty accessible, given Hanks' everyman demeanor, and Audrey Tautou makes a believable Sophie Neveu. Ian McKellen, probably THE actor with 2 summer blockbusters back to back (the other being X- Men 3), is convincing as the rich grail hunter Sir Leigh Teabing. Paul Bettany is chilling as the albino killer Silas, and Jean Reno and Alfred Molina round up the star studded cast as the detective Captain Fache and Bishop Aringarosa. Much is said about the haunting soundtrack, but as far as I'm aware, there's nothing scary about it.

Silas, in his scene of self-cleansing, is horrid enough though, as are some scenes of unexpected on screen violence that hit like a sack of potatoes falling from the sky. In the end, in spite of all the controversies, perhaps Robert Langdon's line is poignant - if given a chance, would you rather destroy faith, or renew it? The book and the movie have provided an opportunity for the faith to renew itself, to debunk the myths and theories (which were developed loosely to make the story flow of course), and to generally point the curious to the direction and light the faith wants to show. Otherwise, this Ron Howard movie makes a good summer popcorn flick, with the usual thrills and spills you'd come to expect with its superb production values. 498 of 866 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes The Writing Bug: Angels and Demons: Book vs Movie and The Da Vinci Code , I liked Angels & Demons better. It had a better storyline, more intensity and great characters. So I had been eagerly anticipating the recent release of the movie , directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks .

I have to admit, I always approach a movie based on a book with some trepidation. The movie is never as good as the book, but I always have hope that the screenwriter and director can pull out the essential elements and plot from the book to make a decent movie. Considering who was in this movie and directing it, I had higher hopes than usual. But those hopes were soon crushed in the opening scene that poorly patched together plot points from the first half of the book in order to get us right into the action. I am all for starting in media res, but it did not work here. I gave the screenwriter the benefit of the doubt at the beginning because I knew there was a lot that needed to be included in order for the story to make sense. I sat with a darkened room of strangers waiting for the plot of the movie to move into high gear, but it never did and I was extremely disappointed. Without the incredible music by Hans Zimmer , we wouldn't have known when the movie was supposed be exciting or scary. Plus, a key element in the climax of the movie was changed, which in turn altered the ending. It drives me crazy when this happens.

I empathize with the plight of screenwriters and I know they work hard, but if you can't fit the main points of the book into the movie, then leave it as a book and find another project to work on. I think they were also banking on the fact that the audience would automatically relate to the protagonist Robert Langdon, because he was played by Tom Hanks. Because of this, they didn't bother with any character development. There was no connection between any of the characters, especially our two main characters Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer). So as with any book or movie, if we don't care about the main characters, then we don't really care what happens to them. In the book, the assassin was intense and downright scary. The actor they had playing this key role was Nikolaj Lie Kaas who looked like he just walked off the cover of GQ. He was nice to look at, but scary--he was not. In the last scene with him, Langdon and Vittoria I almost screamed. Once again a key plot element was altered and it almost became laughable.

I left with a sour taste in my mouth and I know it wasn't from the popcorn and soda. I am a huge Tom Hanks and Ron Howard fan, so I am going to pretend this whole thing didn't happen. Bottom line: Read the book---it is WAY better. Posted by Angels & Demons (Film) | The Dan Brown Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Angels & Demons (Film) May 14, 2009 (Australia)May 15, 2009 (United States) Running time Italian Latin German Swiss German French Spanish Polish Budget Angels & Demons is a 2009 American mystery - thriller film directed by Ron Howard and based on Dan Brown 's novel by the same name . It is the Interquel or third film, although the book was published first in series chronology. Filming of Angels & Demons took place in Rome , Italy , and the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City , California . Tom Hanks reprises the lead role of Robert Langdon , while producer Brian Grazer , composer Hans Zimmer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman also return. Contents Edit This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed .

Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (October 2010) Under the watchful eyes of Father Silvano Bentivoglio and Dr. Vittoria Vetra, the European Organization for Nuclear Research ( CERN ) initiates the Large Hadron Collider and creates, in three vials , suspended antimatter particles larger than any that have ever been detected before. Immediately afterward, Father Silvano is killed and one of the vials of antimatter goes missing. Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church mourns the sudden death of the Pope in Rome and prepares for the papal conclave which will elect the next Pope . Camerlengo Patrick McKenna assumes temporary control of the Vatican. The Illuminati kidnap the 'preferiti' ( the four most likely cardinals to be elected pope ) before the conclave enters seclusion and threaten to kill one candidate every hour and destroy the Vatican at midnight, using the missing vial of antimatter as a bomb. The Vatican summons symbologist Robert Langdon from Harvard University and Vittoria Vetra from CERN to help them solve the Illuminati's threat, save the four preferiti, and locate the bomb.

Langdon listens to the Illuminati message and deduces that the four cardinals will die at the four altars of the "Path of Illumination." However, no one knows where these altars are located. Vetra has Father Silvano's diaries sent from Switzerland , hoping they will reveal with whom Silvano discussed the antimatter experiment. Langdon is granted access to the Vatican Secret Archives to examine Galileo Galilei 's banned book . Clues in the book lead Langdon, Vetra, Inspector General Ernesto Olivetti, and Lieutenant Valenti of the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps to the first church, ( Chigi Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo ). There they find Cardinal Ebner dead, suffocated with dirt and branded with an ambigrammatic word " Earth ". They verify the second altar's location ( Saint Peter's Square ) but although this time they arrive on time, they are unable to save Cardinal Lamassé, his lungs punctured and his body branded with an ambigrammatic word, " Air ".

While Vetra studies Silvano's diaries, Langdon and the Vatican officers locate the third church ( Santa Maria della Vittoria ), but are unable to save Cardinal Guidera from being burned to death. His body is branded with an ambigrammatic word, " Fire ". The assassin appears and brutally kills everyone except Langdon, who escapes. Langdon and two Carabinieri officers race to the Water altar, but the assassin surprises and murders the officers. Langdon sees the assassin drop the bound and weighted Cardinal Baggia into the Fountain of the Four Rivers . Langdon, assisted by bystanders, saves the cardinal, who tells him the Illuminati's lair is Castel Sant'Angelo . Carabinieri , Vatican Gendarmerie, and Swiss Guard officers converge on the location, but it appears to be a dead end. However, Langdon and Vetra discover a hidden passageway leading to the Vatican. Inside, they discover a branding iron with two crossed keys, the Papal symbol. They realize the brand is meant for the camerlengo but are confronted by the assassin before they can alert McKenna. The assassin spares their lives, then cryptically warns them that his contractors were "men of God".

He escapes, but is killed when his waiting car explodes . Inside the Vatican, Langdon and Vetra find Commander Richter hovering over McKenna with a gun, the Vatican symbol branded into McKenna's chest. McKenna shouts for help, and Richter is shot by the Guards. The dying commander hands Langdon a key. The stolen antimatter vial is found, but the battery is about to expire, threatening the lives of all present outside the Vatican. McKenna, a former military pilot, seizes the vial and uses an awaiting helicopter to fly above the Vatican. At a high altitude, he parachutes out as the antimatter bomb explodes overhead. McKenna is hailed a hero and savior, and the cardinals move to elect him pope. Meanwhile, Langdon and Vetra use Richter's key to watch a security video showing that McKenna, not the Illuminati, murdered the pope and he is the mastermind behind the entire plot, intending to become the new pope and suppress scientific interpretation regarding religious matters. This is shown to the Papal enclave and when McKenna discovers his plot has been exposed, he fatally sets himself on fire .

The Vatican officially announces that McKenna died due to internal injuries suffered during his parachute landing and that he will be canonized for his self-sacrifice. Cardinal Baggia is named the new Pope (who takes the name Pope Luke I), and Cardinal Strauss is the new camerlengo. Camerlengo Strauss thanks Robert Langdon for saving the Vatican and the new Pope. In gratitude, he gives Langdon Galileo's "Diagramma Veritas" for his research, requesting only that Langdon's will contain a bequest that it be returned to the Vatican, and that any future references he makes to the Catholic Church in his future publications are done "gently". The movie closes with the newly enthroned pope stepping out on his balcony for the first time, to the cheers of the crowd below. Cast Edit In 2003, Sony acquired the film rights to Angels & Demons along with The Da Vinci Code in a deal with author Dan Brown . In May 2006, following the film release of the 2006 film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code , Sony hired screenwriter Akiva Goldsman , who wrote the film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, to adapt Angels & Demons.

[3 ] Filming was originally to begin in February 2008 for a December 2008 release, [4 ] but because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike , production was pushed back for a May 15, 2009 release. [5 ] David Koepp rewrote the script before shooting began. [6 ] Director Ron Howard chose to treat Angels & Demons as a sequel to the previous film, rather than a prequel, since many had read the novel after The Da Vinci Code. He liked the idea that Langdon had been through one adventure and become a more confident character. [7 ] Howard was also more comfortable taking liberties in adapting the story because the novel is less popular than The Da Vinci Code. [8 ] Producer Brian Grazer said they were too "reverential" when adapting The Da Vinci Code, which resulted in it being "a little long and stagey." This time, "Langdon doesn't stop and give a speech. When he speaks, he's in motion." [9 ] Howard concurred "it's very much about modernity clashing with antiquity and technology vs.

faith, so these themes, these ideas are much more active whereas the other one lived so much in the past. The tones are just innately so different between the two stories." [8 ] [ edit ] Differences between novel and film Edit McGregor's character was changed from Italian to Northern Irish, to accommodate the Scottish actor. [7 ] In the novel, the papal conclave attracts relatively little public attention. In the wake of the huge international interest in the 2005 election of Pope Benedict XVI , this was judged to be out of date, [10 ] and the level of public and press interest is shown as much higher in the film. Moreover, a number of key characters are omitted or merged with each other; including Vittoria's father Leonardo (whose murder sparks the events of the book). Cardinal Baggia, the cardinal accepted to become Pope is saved in the film, then reveals Illuminati's hiding place to Langdon (Langdon's deduction of the location is one of the highlights of the novel) and is subsequently elected, whereas in the novel the Dean of the College Mortati (Strauss in the film) is ultimately chosen after the Camerlengo's downfall and death.

Langdon and Vittoria do not finish the killer off at Castel Sant'Angelo after Vittoria is kidnapped by the assassin and subsequently rescued by Langdon in the movie, and the relationship which subsequently emerges is omitted as well. Kaas' character The Assassin (Mr. Grey) is also different: in the novel, he is a Hassassin of Middle Eastern origin and sadistic in his dealings with women and the kidnapped Cardinals. In the film however, he is of European descent and displays some remorse when executing his mission and is finally killed when a carbomb goes off in the car supplied by the Camerlengo. In the film, the Camerlengo alone, takes the canister of antimatter into the helicopter and then parachutes from it, while Langdon is with Vittoria in St. Peter's Square. In the book, however, both the Camerlengo and Langdon fly up in the helicopter, with the Camerlengo parachuting and Langdon using a piece of the helicopter window as a parachute to descend into the Tiber River. In the book the Camerlengo is chosen pope by 'election by adoration', something which is only considered in the movie.

The Camerlengo's death scene is also different, whereas he chooses to set himself aflame in the book instead of seeing it as his only way out. Finally, the last iron which is bestowed indefinitely to Langdon at the end of the book (and is a combination of the four elements as an ambigram, not the Vatican Seal upside-down) is replaced by Galileo's Diagramma della Verita in the film. The Camerlengo's backstory concerning his birth is also omitted in the film. Filming Edit Shooting began on June 4, 2008 in Rome under the fake working title Obelisk. [11 ] The filmmakers scheduled three weeks of exterior location filming because of a predicted 2008 Screen Actors Guild strike on June 30. The rest of the film would be shot at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, to allow for this halt. [12 ] Roman Catholic Church officials found The Da Vinci Code offensive and forbade filming in their churches, so these scenes were shot at Sony. [11 ] The Caserta Palace doubled for the inside of the Vatican, [11 ] and the Biblioteca Angelica was used for the Vatican Library .

[13 ] Filming took place at the University of California, Los Angeles in July. [14 ] Sony and Imagine Entertainment organized an eco-friendly shoot, selecting when to shoot locations based on how much time and fuel it would save, using cargo containers to support set walls or greenscreens , as well as storing props for future productions or donating them to charity. [15 ] Howard hated that the Writers Guild strike forced him to delay shooting the film until summer. However, the quick shoot allowed him to refine the naturalism he had employed on his previous film Frost/Nixon , often using handheld cameras to lend an additional energy to the scenes. Hanks interrupted filming of one scene in order to help Australian bride Natalia Dearnley get through the crowds to her wedding on time. [16 ] McGregor said the Pope's funeral was the dullest sequence to film, as they were just walking across staircases. Then, "Someone started singing ' Bohemian Rhapsody ' [and] it became the funeral theme tune." [7 ] When recreating the interior of St.

Peter's Basilica , production designer Allan Cameron and visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton recognized the 80 feet tall soundstages were only half the size of the real church. They rebuilt the area around and the crypts beneath St. Peter's baldachin , including the bottoms of the columns and Saint Peter 's statue, and surrounded it with a 360 degree greenscreen so the rest could be built digitally. Cameron had twenty crew members photograph as much as they could inside the Sistine Chapel , and had artists sketch, photograph and enlarge recreations of the paintings and mosaics from the photographs. Cameron chose to present the Sistine Chapel as it was before it was cleaned up , because he preferred the contrast the smoky, muted colors would present with the cardinals. Although the chapel was built to full size, the Sala Regia was made smaller to fit inside the stage. [17 ] The Saint Peter's Square and the Piazza Navona sets were built on the same backlot ; after completion of scenes at the former, six weeks were spent converting the set, knocking down the Basilica side and excavating 3½ feet of tarmac to build the fountain.

As there had been filming at the real Piazza Navona, the transition between it and the replica had to be seamless. To present the Santa Maria del Popolo undergoing renovation, a police station in Rome opposite the real church was used for the exterior; the scaffolding would hide that it was not the church. Cameron built the interior of Santa Maria del Popolo on the same set as the recreated Santa Maria della Vittoria to save money; the scaffolding also disguised this. The film's version of Santa Maria della Vittoria was larger than the real one, so it would accommodate the cranes used to film the scene. To film the Pantheon's interior, two aediculae and the tomb of Raphael were rebuilt to scale at a height of 30 feet, while the rest was greenscreen. Because of the building's symmetrical layout, the filmmakers were able to shoot the whole scene over two days and redress the real side to pretend it was another. [17 ] The second unit took photographs of the Large Hadron Collider and pasted these in scenes set at CERN .

[18 ] Music Edit CBS News interviewed a priest working in Santa Susanna , who stated the Church did not want their churches to be associated with scenes of murder. A tour guide also stated most priests do not object to tourists who visit out of interest after reading the book, a trend which will continue after people see the film. "I think they are aware that it's, you know, a work of fiction and that it's bringing people into their churches." [20 ] Grazer deemed it odd that although The Da Vinci Code was a more controversial novel, they had more freedom shooting its film adaptation in London and France. [9 ] Italian authorities hoped the filmmakers corrected the location errors in the novel, to limit the amount of explaining they will have to do for confused tourists. [11 ] William A. Donohue , president of the Catholic League , has not called for a boycott, but has requested that Catholics inform others about anti-Catholic sentiments in the story. "My goal... is to give the public a big FYI: Enjoy the movie, but know that it is a fable.

It is based on malicious myths, intentionally advanced by Brown-Howard." A Sony executive responded they were disappointed Donohue had not created attention for the film closer to its release date. [21 ] Howard criticized Donohue for prejudging the film, responding it could not be called anti-Catholic since Langdon protects the Church, and because of its depiction of priests who support science. [22 ] The official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano has called the film "harmless entertainment", giving it a positive review and acknowledging that "the theme is always the same: a sect versus the Church, [but] this time, the Church is on the side of the good guys." [23 ] [24 ] Beforehand, it had stated it would not approve the film, while La Stampa reported the Vatican would boycott it. However, it also quoted Archbishop Velasio De Paolis as saying a boycott would probably just have the " boomerang effect " of drawing more attention to Angels & Demons and make it more popular.

[25 ] In a FAQ titled Angels & Demons: from the Book to the Movie [26 ] Massimo Introvigne , Director of CESNUR (Center for the Study of New Religions) points out crucial factual errors in Dan Brown's original novel and the film version. Introvigne also criticizes the Illuminati mythology that is treated as historical fact. Banned in Samoa Edit In Samoa , the film was banned by principal film censor Lei'ataua Olo'apu. Olo'apu stated that he was banning the film because it was "critical of the Catholic Church" and so as to "avoid any religious discrimination by other denominations and faiths against the Church." The Samoa Observer remarked that Olo'apu himself is Catholic. [27 ] Samoan society is, in the words of a BBC News article, "deeply conservative and devoutly Christian." [28 ] The Censorship Board had previously banned the film The Da Vinci Code, [29 ] for being "contradictory to Christian beliefs." [30 ] Critical reception Edit The film received mostly negative reviews from critics.

Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes labeled the film "rotten", reporting that only 36% of 237 critics have given the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.1/10. [31 ] The site's general consensus is that "Angels and Demons is a fast-paced thrill ride, and an improvement on the last Dan Brown adaptation, but the storyline too often wavers between implausible and ridiculous, and does not translate effectively to the big screen." [32 ] Among Rotten Tomatoes' "Top Critics" demographic, which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television, and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 32% based on 38 reviews. [33 ] Metacritic has a rating score of 48 out of 100 based on 36 reviews.

[34 ] Richard Corliss of Time magazine gave the film a positive review stating that "Angels & Demons has elemental satisfactions in its blend of movie genre that could appeal to wide segments of the audience." [35 ] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film with 3 stars praising Howard's direction as an "even-handed job of balancing the scales" and claiming "[the film] promises to entertain." [36 ] The Christian Science Monitor gave the film a positive review claiming the movie is "an OK action film ." [37 ] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film a 2.5/4 stars claiming "the movie can be enjoyed for the hell-raising hooey it is." [38 ] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal gave the movie a mixed review claiming the film "manages to keep you partially engaged even at its most esoteric or absurd." [39 ] Neil Smith from Total Film gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying: "some of the author's crazier embellishments are jettisoned in a film that atones for The Da Vinci Code's cardinal sin — thou shalt not bore." [40 ] Kim Newman

 awarded it 3 out of 5 stars, stating: "every supporting character acts like an unhelpful idiot to keep the plot stirring, while yet again a seemingly all-powerful conspiracy seems to consist of two whole evil guys." [41 ] Box office Edit Overseas Angels & Demons maintained the #1 position for the second weekend as well even with the release of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian which opened at #2.

The Da Vinci Code had opened domestically to $77.1 million, but the sequel's opening met Columbia Pictures' $40–50 million prediction, since the film's source material was not as popular as its predecessor's. Within more than a month, the film grossed $478,869,160 worldwide, making it the largest grossing film of 2009 until it was surpassed by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen . [42 ] [43 ] Of this $478 million, just over 27% of it is from domestic venues, giving the film unusually high worldwide totals, with over $30 million in the UK, $21 million in Spain, $13 million in Brazil, $13 million in Russia, $34 million in Japan and $47 million in Germany.

[44 ] Angels & Demons was the ninth-highest-grossing film of 2009, with box-office figures of $485,930,810 worldwide.[ citation needed ] Amazon.com: Angels & Demons (9780743486224): Dan Brown: Books Angels & Demons Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Page 1 of 1 Start over Sponsored Products are advertisements for products sold by merchants on Amazon.com. When you click on a Sponsored Product ad, you will be taken to an Amazon detail page where you can learn more about the product and purchase it. To learn more about Amazon Sponsored Products, click here . 30 Pieces of Silver: An Extremely Controversial Historical Thriller (The Betrayed Series Book 1) Carolyn McCray The bombastic roller coaster action of Rollins with the controversial religious intrigue of Brown, making Da Vinci look like a Sunday School lesson!

The Enigma Strain (Harvey Bennett Thrillers Book 1) Nick Thacker When a bomb goes off at Yellowstone, releasing a deadly plague, park ranger Harvey Bennett must find the terrorist before it's too late. Marriage Can Be Murder (Dr. Benjamin Bones Mysteries Book 1) Emma Jameson First in a nostalgic cozy mystery series set in 1939 England. Handsome young Dr. Bones moves into a haunted house and must solve a murder. The Last Alchemist Erik Hamre A missing billionaire, ancient mysteries and conspiracy theories. Strap on your reading glasses, The Last Alchemist is like nothing you've read before Ad feedback Special Offers and Product Promotions Save Big On Open-Box & Pre-owned: Buy "Angels & Demonsâ from Amazon Warehouse Deals and save 79% off the $27.99 list price. Product is eligible for Amazon's 30-day returns policy and Prime or FREE Shipping. See all Open-Box & Pre-owned offers from Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Review It takes guts to write a novel that combines an ancient secret brotherhood, the Swiss Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, a papal conclave, mysterious ambigrams, a plot against the Vatican, a mad scientist in a wheelchair, particles of antimatter, jets that can travel 15,000 miles per hour, crafty assassins, a beautiful Italian physicist, and a Harvard professor of religious iconology. It takes talent to make that novel anything but ridiculous. Kudos to Dan Brown (Digital Fortress) for achieving the nearly impossible. Angels & Demons is a no-holds-barred, pull-out-all-the-stops, breathless tangle of a thriller--think Katherine Neville's The Eight (but cleverer) or Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum (but more accessible). Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active.

Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization. Brown seems as much juggler as author--there are lots and lots of balls in the air in this novel, yet Brown manages to hurl the reader headlong into an almost surreal suspension of disbelief. While the reader might wish for a little more sardonic humor from Langdon, and a little less bombastic philosophizing on the eternal conflict between religion and science, these are less fatal flaws than niggling annoyances--readers should have no trouble skimming past them and immersing themselves in a heck of a good read. "Brain candy" it may be, but my! It's tasty.

--Kelly Flynn Look Inside the Motion Picture Angels & Demons (Sony Pictures, 2009) Click on each image below to see a larger view Ewan MacGregor as Carlo Ventresca with College of Cardinals Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon and Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria Vetra Armin Mueller-Stahl as Straus and Ewan MacGregor as Carlo Ventresca Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria Vetra, and Ewan MacGregor as Carlo Ventresca Ewan MacGregor as Carlo Ventresca Angels and Demons Audiobook | Dan Brown | Audible.com "A Trip Inside the Vatican" Although this book is a prequel to <i>The DaVinci Code</i>, also written by Dan Brown, I actually read it afterwards. In the beginning I felt his style of writing was a bit rustier than the smoothness of <i>The DaVinci Code</i>. I also saw a different side of his main character which I didn't really appreciate at first.

However, once I got into the book, I actually felt it was faster-paced and more suspenseful than <i>The DaVinci Code</i>. The beginning takes you inside CERN and was a bit hard to listen to since they were describing several scientific processes. I had to re-listen a few times to deeply understand. But after the first several chapters the mystery unfolds and the book plays out like a favorite Robert Ludlum novel. This is one I actually couldn't stop listening too! The story takes you into the depths of Rome and inside the Vatican, detailing several practices. The journey takes you inside the Vatican Library, into St. Peter's tomb, catacombs, castles, secret passageways, various churches and more. "A must for fans of The Da Vinci Code" This was my first book by author Dan Brown and his character Robert Langdon, and I was very happy with it. In this prequel to The Da Vinci Code we are introduced to Mr Langdon, a symbologist, as he is called to CERN to help with the murder of one of their top scientists.

He in turn is introduced to the scientist's daughter, Vittoria Vetra, who helps him with the investigation, which takes them to Rome and Vatican City. As can be assumed by this setting, the story has a lot to do with Christianity and it's secrets, and the information is presented very well. It also deals with the Illuminati, and therein lies the intrique. The story is a 'page-turner' and keeps you riveted to the very end. While not necessary to read before The Da Vinci Code, it is a prequel, mainly in presenting an earlier 'adventure' of Langdon, an extremely likable main character. "Better in some ways, and worse in others" Like most people I only became aware of this story after having seen and read The Da Vinci code. This book is very suspenseful and the whodunnit/spoilers in this book beat those of the Da Vinci code. If you got used to his writing in the Da Vinci code, it is kind of annoying to go back to an earlier book where Brown uses a lot of cliche's regarding epiphones that Langdon has.

It gets old having things' come to a stunning realization stronger than anything he had ever realized before." I think the cliche part is a little more noticeable because it is in audio form. Fantastic read though, 1000 times better than the movie. "First rate thriller, with weak writing." The bad first. Dan Brown is a pretty bad writer. He overexplains, his characters are constantly amazed or some other cliche expression, many characters are so extreme they seem silly, and his hero seems very unlike a Harvard professor. Also, the constant commentary on the struggle between "religion" and "science" seems overblown. But the story is non-stop action and intrigue, and he does a better job of working his "conspiracy theory" stuff into the action in this one than in "The Da Vinci Code." And the plot is strong. You will know right away who the bad guy is, and then you will change your mind a dozen times before the end. Brown has a knack for knowing what you are assuming and using that against you. Overall, a thrilling book with a good, though overdone and not original, debate about religion and science, and several hairsbreadth and impossible escapes that will tax credulity.

The writing is annoying, but the story survives anyway. Not sure why some people think it's so gruesome. He mentions a detached body part or two, but he doesn't go into graphic detail about them. I've got a weak stomach, and wasn't bothered by anything. "Utterly predictable schlock" There is enough foreshadowing in the first few chapters to allow you to perfectly predict the end of this pitiable, formulaic thriller within an hour. The next seventeen alternate between cheap thrills, painfully stilted dialogue, and the occasional lame attempt to make it seem as though the inevitable plot line is not so inevitable after all. Brown's talent as a writer evolved substantially between this overwraught dime novel and the Da Vinci Code, and it's interesting to draw comparisons between the two as an example of how an author can grow into his metier, but it took real dicipline and a lot of eye rolling to make it to the end of this painful early excersise in suspense writing. "Wanted it to End..." I listened to the Unabridged Audio Version of Angels and Demons and I was rather disappointed. Don't get me wrong.

I really enjoyed DaVinci Code, but this novel read like the exact same book. Lets see: we've got the overly brainy annoying lead character: check. Nubile younger woman: check. Crazed zealot assassin: check. Catholic Conspiracy: check. Add to this long (and pointless) flashbacks by minor characters, and Robert Langdon's endless preaching and I found myself wishing for the novel to end. I really might be able to enjoy this book, if I actually liked a few of the lead characters. No such luck. The only likeable character was the Pope's assistant. But even he was a stereotype, way too saintly. Lets try for a few human characters rather than such extreme sterotypes, next time shall we? Also, I could do without the rather heavy-handed preaching in the middle. Okay, okay we get it. Because of Science we are all drowning in a morass of hopelessness without Mother Church. We get it. Can we get back to the action story now? Eh. 1 star. This was an okay listen, which could've used an editor.

Question: Played by Tom Hanks in the movie, what is the name of the hero in Dan Browns books Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code, and The Lost Symbol?
Answer: Robert Langdon