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Angels & Demons

Violent!

Movie Details

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 2 hr 18 min

Release Date: 5/15/2009

Genre: Thriller

Writer: Akiva Goldsman, Dan Brown

Website: Visit Website

Director: Ron Howard

Watch the Trailer

Synopsis

Angels & Demons is a 2009 film adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel of the same name. It’s a sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Langdon (Tom Hanks, The Davinci Code) and an Italian scientist named Vittoria Vetra voyage to follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols as their only hope to save the Vatican from an ancient secret brotherhood named the Illuminati. They are a very powerful underground organization in history that is a deadly threat to the Catholic Church.

Review

This film is extremely violent at times and has some torture in it. If you don’t like these two ingredients being thrown in your movie, then this isn’t the one for you. Okay, now that we have that out the way let’s get to the grit.

Angels & Demons is adapted from Dan Brown’s book of the same name. He also wrote the very popular and controversial The Da Vinci Code. Angels & Demons was written before The Da Vinci Code however, since The Da Vinci Code was more popular than Angels & Demons, director Ron Howard decided to do A&D as a sequel and not a prequel. That was a real good idea.

I never read the books so I didn’t know anything about the story. I really liked that. I just went into the movie like a brand new baby – clueless. If you’re clueless too, let me break it down. A&D is a long suspense thriller about certain evidence showing a rebirth of an ancient underground brotherhood known as the Illuminati.

The Vatican is under attack from this old enemy to the Catholic Church and they call on Professor Robert Langdon, (Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson’s War) a Harvard University professor of symbology who exposed one of the greatest cover-ups – The Da Vinci Code. Cardinals who are in line of possibly being the next Pope are being kidnapped. Time is also ticking because destruction of The Vatican is looming and only Langdon and a CERN scientist named Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer, Vantage Point) can understand the clues to stop this madness.

Langdon was the king of solving mysteries. As my husband said, Langdon figured out each clue and ran all across The Vatican before he could even finish a crossword puzzle. Langdon new religion history and had no problem explaining it. I guess for the audience sake. He was such a nerdball, but Hanks played his part well and kept a steady suspense running around like he was a participant in the Midnight Madness “The Great All-nighter” scavenger hunt. Don’t you remember that movie from 1980? All different teams were given clues to solve leading them to the next clue spot hidden in the city.

Anyhoo, I liked A&D’s ending better than The Da Vinci Code’s. It didn’t seem as corny. This film did have some jive moments that were so outlandish. If you can look past all of that and just watch it for what it is, a suspense thriller that is made to entertain, therefore kick back, watch and grab some popcorn for me.


My Rating ~ 3 Reels

3 - Watch during matinee hours (save some $$)

Audience Rating (What's Yours?)