Start a free trial Thousands of TV series and movies to watch instantly. Already a member?

Reviews > Movie Reviews > Angels & Demons…

Angels & Demons Review
11 May 2009
Critics rating: 2 stars out of 5
Reviewed by Tom Charity , LOVEFiLM
Angels & Demons

Catholics can relax. The sequel to The Da Vinci Code does not replay the previous film's all-out assault on the Church and its central tenets.

Cast details

One candidate will be killed at eight o’clock that evening, the next at nine, ten and eleven, culminating in the destruction of the Church at the stroke of midnight. The Illuminati is armed with a canister of highly unstable anti-matter, courtesy of the groundbreaking secret research of physicist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), which is hidden somewhere in Rome.

What has this got to do with Langdon? He doesn’t even believe in God. The professor has studied the Illuminati – a secret society of scientists and artists persecuted by the Church. While the local cops seem clueless, he is immediately on the trail – the Path of Illumination – criss-crossing Rome reading the runes carved into centuries-old sculptures, masonry and artwork.

It would be crazy to take this hokum seriously, although Ron Howard, Tom Hanks et al are surely right to play it straight.

The ritualistic murders of the cardinals – each inspired by the elements – are reminiscent of the grisly killings in Seven. On the other hand the wild goose chase that doubles as a Roman travelogue – with Tom Hanks as our tour guide – is not so far from the historical fancies of the National Treasure movies.

And if they had got it very wrong, some of the wildly far-fetched and melodramatic scenes at the end might have turned out uncomfortably close to Steve Martin’s run-in with the Holy Father in The Pink Panther 2.

Angels & Demons: Tom Hanks

It’s not that bad. But be warned, if you go back and reconstruct the plot after the grand denouement the conspiracy is so wildly preposterous it could seriously scramble your brains. I’m still trying to get my head around the idea that Harvard’s top symbologist and professor of religious iconography struggles with Italian and Latin.

That it works at all is due to Howard’s diligent and crisp direction, efficient performances from Hanks, Armin Mueller Stahl, Stellan Skarsgaard, and Ewan McGregor in a potentially tricky role as the deceased pope’s most trusted ally, the Camerlengo, and especially the exemplary production design.

Although it's superior in some ways it's hard to believe this will repeat the incredible box office of the last film

It’s hardly surprising that the Vatican refused access to certain interiors for the filming, but watching the movie you wouldn’t know which locations are real and which have been recreated digitally or in the studio. The encroaching darkness as the story goes on is carefully developed in Salvatore Totino’s atmospheric cinematography, and the son et lumiere show at the climax is impressive to behold.

Scripted by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman, the movie ramps up the race-against-time element in the book and tones down the relationship with Vittoria, who has little to do and except look chic and intelligent (Zurer doesn’t have a problem in either department).

The pacing is better than The Da Vinci Code, but even so, the writers are stuck with reams of expository dialogue, potted lectures on antimatter, papal protocols, science and dogma that the actors do their best to barrel through without checking their watches.

Although it’s superior in some ways it’s hard to believe this will repeat the incredible box office of the last film – but the studio has more faith. Brown’s next book in the series, due out this autumn, has already been optioned.

Angels & Demons Reviews

loading loading...

 

Agree or disagree? Write your own review

Review title:

Close

Tips for writing helpful reviews

  • Only review titles you've actually seen!
  • Talk about what you liked and disliked
  • Compare this title with other similar titles
  • Provide plenty of detail - at least 20 words
  • Space things out - use blank lines between paragraphs.
  • Be appropriate - no adult content, libellous statements or naughty words
  • Don't SPAM! No promoting of other websites or services
  • Don't plaguerise! Your submission must be your own original work
  • Don't talk about LOVEFiLM by name

Close

Tips for an eye catching title

  • Don't just repeat the name of the title you're reviewing
  • Don't summarise your entire review in one word - a minimum of 2 words please.
  • Give people a reason to read your full review - create a sense of intrigue or curiosity!
 Keep me anonymous This review contains spoilers (or might spoil it for someone who hasn't seen it yet)
By clicking Preview review you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Sign up to our free newsletter

Get a weekly dose of love film

Our weekly newsletter is packed full of news, reviews and opinions, and handily delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up now
Take a gamble on LOVEFiLM competitions and win prizes every week Competitions

News, Reviews & Interviews

Want to watch something right now?

Start your FREE trial now

LOVEFiLM - An Amazon company

Follow LOVEFiLM on

Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | EULA | Affiliates | Jobs | Inside LOVEFiLM Blog | About Us | Contact Us

International sites UK DK DE SE NO

LOVEFiLM, the LOVEFiLM logo and all other LOVEFiLM product or service names are trade marks of LOVEFiLM International Ltd. or its affiliates.

© 2012 LOVEFiLM UK Ltd. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.