Angels and demons was a film that I had wanted to watch for a while, having been a great fan of the book, and the previous film The Da Vinci Code, I knew that this film would be both controversial yet at the same time very action packed and entertaining. Ron Howard is a great director he made the Da Vinci code live up to the book, and previous work in Apollo Thirteen has meant that he does no how to make a great film, with a great cast, great plot and great twist. Some would say that it’s easy to direct a film that was a book, however I think its even harder, You have to make the film suspenseful, people who read the book might no the outcome of the film, but if you put enough thought into it you can still make the intrigued.
Plot:
The film begins with the setting of a scientific experiment at the CERN centre in Switzerland, were a Large Hadron Collider, which
is used to capture particles is being used for a ground breaking experiment, in the hope of creating Anti Matter. During the experiment an unknown figure kills Father Silvano, a priest and the scientist behind the experiment. The killer escapes with the anti matter capsule, which if used in the wrong hand could cause the end of the world.
Elsewhere, the Roman Catholic Church is morning the death of Pope Pius XVI. As the Church prepares of conclave, to find a new Pope, however, the Illuminati kidnaps all the potential successors, and threatens to kill each of them one by one, before the night is over. Professor Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, is once again called to help as he is a specialist in this filed. Flown to Rome, he with the help of Vittoria Vetra and the Swiss Guard must help locate the potential successors and find the anti matter before it is used within the Vatican Walls.
Tom Hanks once again portrays the role of Professor Robert Langdon a Harvard professor, and symbology expert. Tom Hanks has made this character so loveable, he’s not your typical main lead star, he hasn’t got the brawn and the muscle, but rather he uses his brain, his intellect and his whit, he’s almost a Sherlock Holmes type figure. What I love about Roberts’s character in this film is his conflict between science and religion. As an academic, he must use facts, and knowledge to help him; however his character has moments in this film, were his faith is bought into question.
Ayelet Zurer plays Vittoria Vetra:
Much like the first film, this film has to have a female lead role, to help Robert solve this particular case. Her charismatic look and brains is a powerful match for Robert Langdon. This is a contrast to the first film, as I feel Vittoria’s character is just as important as Robert’s character.
I personally felt that Ewan’s character in the film was the central figure, he really made this film stand out, much like the book, and the main central character has to be Patrick. Patrick’s character is one that you are not totally sure about, he’s got a dark muddy background, however his intentions can be said to be agreeable.
My View:
Having been a huge fan of the book, I was also a great fan of the film, they didn’t in anyway disrespect the film, they stuck true with it, whilst at the same time making its own, adding different plots and sub twists. This film is and always will be controversial; it’s just the manor of Dan Brown to make books controversial. However, for me this is what makes the film more watchable and highly anticipated. It’s an action film for sure, but unlike most films out their, it makes viewers delve into their minds, to enlighten them about history, and to ask them the question about whether this could really happen in real life. The action and suspense scene’s in this film are good, they make the viewer want to watch more and more of the film, and regardless of if you may or may not have read the book, the end plot is not really obvious, which for me was the main bonus.
Starring Tom Hanks Ayelet Zurer Ewan McGregor
Budget $150 million Gross revenue $478,869,160
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
When a scientist is found brutally murdered Harvard professor Robert Langdon is asked to ... more
identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man's chest. Realising it must be the work of the Illuminati - an ancient secret brotherhood sworn against Cat...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
When a world renowned scientist is found brutally murdered in a Swiss research facility a ... more
Harvard professor Robert Langdon is summoned to identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man's chest. His baffling conclusion: that it is the work o...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
When a world renowned scientist is found brutally murdered in a Swiss research facility a ... more
Harvard professor Robert Langdon is summoned to identify the mysterious symbol seared onto the dead man's chest. His baffling conclusion: that it is the work o...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: It's relatively short. Rome is a lovely city. Bernini was a great artist. Disadvantages: Taking a mediocre book and duming it down isn't going to make a great film.
Mountainlilly 26.06.2009 (26.06.2009)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Angels And Demons (DVD)
Advantages: Fast paced and entertaining, good acting and direction on the whole Disadvantages: Zurer underused, too long, change of nationality of Camerlengo
Aug 3rd, 2009
very helpful by (96%):
helpful by (4%):
