The day The Da Vinci Code came out, I had a "discussion" with co-workers over lunch that lasted not only the duration of the meal, but part of the walk back to the office as well. Two of them in particular were very convinced that the movie would be completely stupid. The history was wrong. The theology was wrong. It wasn't close enough to the book (which was also wrong). On and on and on, this went. But you know what? I didn't read the book. And I don't go to the movies for a lesson in either history or theology. Bearing that in mind, I'm here to tell ya that The Da Vinci Code was an absolute blast.
Tom Hanks is, well, Tom Hanks, and if you like him, you'll like him in this movie. But as good as he is, he's almost overshadowed by the sheer volume of talent amassed in the supporting cast. Jean Reno does wonders with his small role as Captain Fache, Audrey Tatou is completely charming, Paul Bettany is chilling as the tragic villain's pawn, Ian McKellan is perfect as always, and Alfred Molina and Jürgen Prochnow also make brief appearances. With a cast like that, Ron Howard easily could have gone the minimalist route and plopped them down on an empty stage and still had an entertaining film on his hands. However, rather than doing that, he whisked them from one gorgeous European location to the next, and gave the camera ample time to linger on the architecture and setting amid the chaotic storyline, lending a strong sense of place to every scene. Backed with Hans Zimmer's best score in years, I found myself completely sucked in from beginning to end.
In short, The Da Vinci Code is just plain fun, an adventure much in the vein of movies like National Treasure and the Indiana Jones series. It won't change your world, but it's not supposed to either (they'd release it at Christmas if it was :P). What it will do is entertain you thoroughly for the better part of two and a half hours. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good bit of summer blockbuster entertainment, and to anyone else, I recommend the non-fiction section of your local Barnes & Noble.
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