I'm back albeit part time!! Almost settled in completely, so finally able to come back to write and ...
I'm back albeit part time!! Almost settled in completely, so finally able to come back to write and read - and have loads to read!!! Thanks for the r/r/c's much appreciated and will be returned!!!!
Member since:02.10.2005
Reviews:124
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Sorry for the naff title but I had to get this in because of the Director Ron Howard (who starred in Happy Days for those younger members of Ciao who have never heard of him). After reading Dan Brown's book (which I have reviewed separately) which was the inspiration for this film, I just had to get my grubby little paws on the DVD. I was that eager to watch it that, the day the DVD was released, I was at the NAAFI the minute it opened and stood waiting while an assistant went and got me a copy from the stockroom (they were just in and hadn't quite got round to putting the DVD's on the shelves!). Not that I was desperate to see Tom Hanks in action as Robert Langdon - oh no! I wanted to see how true to the book this film was going to be, as the majority of "book to film" adaptations I have seen have had quite a lot of "artistic licence" used to make the film more marketable.
I paid 24.99 Euros for this 2-disc set which equates to around £17.23, and so it was about the same price as the UK was charging when it came out on general release. Now the prices have changed, and this is retailing on websites like Amazon and Play.com for around £13.99 for a brand new set. Obviously my advice is to shop around, as there are bargains to be had if you are prepared to have a good look. You can also buy it on sites like Ebay with prices starting from £0.99 (but beware of postage costs!).
**The Film**
Well the film is pretty much the same as the book, with Tom Hanks playing the lead role of Robert Langdon, expert in symbology, who is in Paris giving lectures and also signing books. When the curator of the Louvre museum is murdered, Langdon is called in by the police to help solve the clues that the curator (Jacques Sauniere) has left. Little does he know that this is not the only
reason for the police contacting him, and that some of the clues have been purposely erased by the same police.
Along with Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tatou who also starred in Amelie), Langdon must evade the French Police led by Jean Reno as Captain Bezu Fache and deciper the codes left for them by Sauniere. Langdon comes to believe that they are following clues that will lead them to the fabled Holy Grail. Luckily Neveu is a cryptologist, as she spent her early years being taught the science of cryptology by her grandfather.
However, unbeknown to them, they are being pursued by Silas (Paul Bettany - Wimbledon), an albino monk who works for Bishop Aringarosa (Alfred Molina - Spiderman 2, Shirley Valentine), who is working on the information given to him by "The Teacher" and is also part of Opus Dei, a more radical section of the Roman Catholic Church.
Along the way they are helped in their quest by Sir Leigh Teabing (Sir Ian McKellen - X Men 1, 2 & 3, Venus), who is deemed to be somewhat of a Grail expert, and has knowledge of Opus Dei's nemesis, the Priory of Sion, who are guardians of the grail and sworn to protect its whereabouts and to take the secret of this to their graves.
Do they find the Grail? Who do they meet along the way? What challenges do they face? What knowledge do they gain? Is there even such a thing as a Holy Grail?
These questions are ones that will not be answered by me as that would make this review pretty pointless. If you want to know the outcome, you will just have to watch the film!
**My Opinion**
I have to say that, just like the book, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, especially as it does stay pretty close to the book. There are a couple of parts missed out of the film, but these would really have made the film a heck of a lot longer than it already is, and their absence did not really detract from my viewing experience.
I was not sat on the edge of my seat in anticipation of each scene, but that is because I have read the book and had an inkling of what was to come, but nonetheless, I would avidly recommend this film to everyone. It really was quite entertaining.
Not being a great fan of Hanks (I only really like him in Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump), I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really did enjoy his performance and portrayal of Langdon. Audrey Tatou is also very good as Sophi Neveu, but as an on-screen couple, their "relationship" is pretty bland and does not make for compelling viewing. However, Paul Bettany portrayal of Silas is fantastic and his desire for his role to be believable is obvious. Molina also puts in a wonderful performance as the faithful but ruthless priest, who will do whatever it takes to make sure that the secret of the Grail is destroyed forever, in order to protect the Church that he loves so very much.
But to be fair, it is Sir Ian McKellan's performance as the crippled Sir Leigh Teabing that really does steal the show and (in my opinion) made the film the box-office hit that it was. His performance was absolutely fantastic and I really loved watching him on the screen as he is totally believable as the charming but eccentric gentleman who is obsessed with finding the Grail before he dies. In his own words, Langdon, Neveu and himself go on a "grail quest".
I have to admit that I have always associated Director Ron Howard with "Happy Days" and probably will always have this association in my mind, but I have to say that I was impressed with his take on the book and the way that the film was made. The film was shot on location wherever possible and Howard tried to make sure that the cast members were of the same nationality as their characters in the book. I was very impressed with this, as some other Directors would have cast actors that they believed would make the film the most money, while Howard really tried to stay true to the original story as much as he possibly could.
**DVD Extras**
Well, there is a full second disc in this set, entirely devoted to the special features. Obviously I am not going to go into too much detail on these as it would really spoil your viewing enjoyment of the extras.
~~ First Day on the set with Ron Howard - this is a short feature which shows Ron Howard in action on set (obviously!) .
~~ A discussion with Dan Brown - this is an interview (of sorts) in with Dan Brown (the author of the book for those who did not know!).
~~ A Portait of Langdon - all about the character of Robert Langdon. Who is he and what does he do? This featurette will explain about him and how Hanks came to play this character.
~~ Who is Sophie Neveu? - about the character and how Audrey Tatou came to play her.
~~ Unusual Suspects - all about the cast and characters.
~~ Magical Places - all about the locations used to film the movie.
~~ Close-up on Mona Lisa - the cast and crew share their thoughts on what is was like to work alongside one of the most famous paintings in the world.
~~ The Film-making experience part 1 - Ron Howard talks about working with other members of the crew and there is also a little sneak peek into the filming of the final scene.
~~ The Film-making experience part 2 - a continuation of part 1.
~~ The Codes of "The Da Vinci Code" - this is about the hidden codes and symbols that are throughout the film, eventually showing what they are meant to mean.
~~ Soundtrack featurette - how the soundtrack was created.
This disc is also a DVD-ROM which allows the watcher to experience a demo of the puzzle game for PC. To be honest I have not played this as I am not really that interested in playing games, but would imagine that for someone who does like playing games, this would be quite enjoyable and interesting.
**DVD Info**
Region - 2 (PAL)
Certificate - PG-13 (some violence, nudity etc)
Languages - English and German (on mine anyway)
Run time - approximately 174 minutes for the main feature
Cast - Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Sir Ian McKellen, Jurgen Prochnow, Jean-Pierre Marrielle.
**Final Word**
Do I recommend this film to you, my fellow reviewers? The answer has to be a resounding Yes! I so enjoyed the film, even knowing the outcomes due to reading the book previously. I have watched this a few times now and have found that I have picked up little extras that I did not notice first time around. If it certainly an entertaining film and if you have not seen it yet, then I fully recommend that you rent it before making a purchase decision. I am very happy with my purchase and found it to be great value. The extras are really interesting and I found them to be the best I have seen in a long time. In all, it was an entertaining film with really interesting extras.
Thanks for reading. Di xx
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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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
This was news to me: that it kept to the ideas in the book, because I have not read it and reviews on TV said not. I enjoyed the film too, and this was well written, so have an E!
missy0303 02.04.2007 20:04
I haven't seen the film yet...although have read and enjoyed the book. Will need to get round to seeing the film soon! x
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Dan Brown's international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed ... more
By Academy Award Winner Ron Howard (2001 Directing, A Beautiful Mind). Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award Winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelph...
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Mar 18th, 2007
exceptional by (3%):
very helpful by (98%):
