by MS C

Created on: May 21, 2009

Ron Howard keeps his streak as most boring yet successful director alive in the remake of the novel Angels and Demons. Angels and Demons, the novel written before the Da Vinci Code never actually informs the viewer of the timeline; whether the movie comes before or after; to the uneducated viewer they would most likely assume after; having not read the novel. Ron Howard has not had the best of luck in directing films. While his films are highly successful they are extremely tedious and boring to watch; for example: Cocoon, Apollo 13, EdTV (yes he did that atrocity), The Missing, Cinderella Man, Da Vinci Code, Frost/Nixon, and now this. Now don't get me wrong - a lot of what I just listed off was critically acclaimed and people 'loved' them. Did they really? No, critics did because it was something that they considered to have 'substance.' I disagree and find myself falling asleep everytime I hear the name Ron Howard.

The movie itself is saved by Tom Hanks - who is an amazing actor - sure he has done some crappy movies; but who hasn't - look at Samuel L. Jackson and he will tell you to be a super actor you have to wade through crap sometimes. Hanks was allowed a hair cut and actually held a very solid acting gig throughout the entire 2 hours and 18 minutes that this movie was. His counterparts; not so much...but you tend to ignore them since Hanks does most of the talking anyways.

The plot; if you call it that; is just a ride. The viewer watches Tom Hanks run from one end of the Vatican to the other because he seems to be the only one in the world that knows anything about this 'threat' that is happening. The audience is not allowed to think for themselves or figure anything out for themselves because the entire mystery lies in Hanks character being a know-it-all; even more knowledgable than those who devote their lives and live at the Vatican. It gets really ridiculous at points where Hanks goes up to the wall and goes: wow this is crooked; turns it and the entire wall opens up - but no one else who lives in the Vatican studying the same works as Hanks character could ever concieve that notion.

That was what made this action movie boring; there was no action - we just followed Professor Langdon (Hanks) as he made his way around the Vatican trying to stop an explosion that would 'destroy Catholicism.' The movie felt 20 minutes too long and bored me to tears; but the acting was solid. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

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