The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Reviews & Comments Thread [Merged]

[Cinemaman]

Ok, I will see it tomorrow. And if it is so bad, I will be too disappointed.

 

[Darth Elektra]

So how packed was it when you saw it in France?

 

[War Party]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]A chef is only as good as his ingredients, an expression that aptly applies to the film version of this decade's biggest selling novel "The Da Vinci Code". Despite the involvement of Oscar-winning talent both in front of and behind the camera, none can lift Dan Brown's material above the level of dull melodrama. Slavishly loyal to a fault, no real attempt is made to adapt the work beyond what is literally on the page. Thus, forced into the quite different mold of feature film cinema, the flaws of the narrative become far more overt on screen than they do on the page.

Brown's book is far from what you would consider great fiction with major gaps in logic, highly speculative long-winded research, little in the way of character, and twists that were so laughably cliche it seems like a joke at first glance. Nevertheless the general hook of the novel is an intriguing one, even with some long drawn out explanations it still ripped along at a decent pace, and the location hopping and moments of action were entertaining enough to be an enjoyable diversion whilst sitting on a bus or plane.

Howard's film is as close to the text as a major studio film probably can be. Some very minor elements are changed - no second codex, Langdon is approached differently, the last act is slightly altered, some of the explanations are dramatically shortened - but otherwise it follows the novel almost to the letter. Thus, much of the problems with the picture can be placed entirely on Brown's source material rather than its cinematic touches.

The trouble with the book was that whilst all the background information about symbology and the intriguing skewering of Christian mythology and church corruption made for interesting reading, the adventure of a killer albino monk and a bland Harvard professor caught up in a murder that framed it wasn't so engaging. On screen that story is a little better thanks to the use of the book's real life locales and Howard's cinematic approach, but too often it grinds to a halt for those long spiels of explanation which don't work so well on screen and help drag it out to a far too long 2.5 hours.

Howard tries to make these scenes more palatable by visually punching up elements, for example the Langdon character has a way of seeing code that's lifted directly from Howard's "A Beautiful Mind". Other scenes contain some not particularly convincing flashbacks to ancient times. Yet they can't get over the fact that much of the film is either talking or low-rent treasure hunting. That can be alright if there's a sense of fun, adventure, intrigue or suspense but none of that is present.

The real life locations and the intercutting of Hanks lecture with Sauniere's murder provides a strong start, but once things leave the Louvre it all becomes deathly serious, solemn, and sticks to the point. To some extent like the far more literate and engaging Michael Crichton, Brown has a habit of focusing on plot so much that little is left to develop the characters. The film itself conveys that problem, all the actors given stock and somewhat flat characters whose only purpose is to drive the plot along. We never get to see the human side of these people and often their actions border on not just the illogical but the stupid - and this is despite the supposed intelligence required for their professions.

A good actor can rise above the material but everyone from Hanks to Molina to Reno all turn in performances on the level of the limp material and nothing more. Bettany and Tatou try their best but the former's character has been reduced to little more than a mildly tragic grunt whilst the latter struggles to be credible. Hanks and Tatou also simply don't work well together, never convincingly pulling off any chemistry, and aren't helped by having to fit so much of the novel's prose in that their dialogue sounds forced - especially Tatou whose English is a little strained at one or two points.

Halfway through the film the action lifts up a little when Ian McKellen enters the picture. The only character to exhibit some life, his few quips and eye twinkle add the sole bits of fire to this very cold affair. McKellen's monologue about the Grail's history, easily the longest one of the book and film, is compelling and utilises elements such as the Last Supper painting to good effect. However as the story goes on and the character follows his predictable thread, he becomes less interesting - even if his general motives for involvement in the quest, when revealed, make for a reasonable argument.

Like the book the film drags out a little with three distinct endings that get flatter and more tired as they go on. Salvatore Totino's cinematography makes great use of the locales and has some excellent wide shots, but much of the action suffers from far too many severe close-ups and camera shifts to seem frentic but only serve to confuse the action. Hans Zimmer's score has moments of strong resonance but at other times is far too bombastic and overpowering for its scenes.

The stop-start nature of the material is fine in a book thanks to chapter breaks and the general ability to walk away and come back to a novel, on screen it feels awkward and uncomfortable. The general concept of the book does make for a great movie idea but the actual tome was never exactly cinematic - certainly nothing like Brown's other Langdon adventure, the far more Hollywood friendly "Angels and Demons". With its ticking time bomb under the Vatican Conclave and Langdon's race around Rome to stop a serial killer slaying cardinals at famous landmarks every hour, it would've made a far more suitable film than Da Vinci does, even if it didn't sell as well in the book stores.

The film version of "The Da Vinci Code" demonstrates, much like the first two "Harry Potter" movies, the danger of being loyal to a book's words rather than its general spirit. All this eruption about the religious controversy of the novel will most likely disappear once the film is out and people realise that quite frankly the movie is so dull it won't change any opinions, and may if anything bolster interest in religion rather than undermine it. It's a very polished affair with moments of interest, but simply too long, too talky and just not interesting or clever enough to engage let alone entertain. Yet another lame entry in what's already been a relatively dull start to the Summer film season.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/reviews/davincin.php

Basically if you like the book, you'll like the movie. It's pretty much a direct adaptation.
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[Darth Elektra]

Thanks for the article.

 

[War Party]

Like the article says, I would of prefered a Angels and Demons adaptation, but I'm sure I'm going to enjoy Da Vinci Code. I like talky films.

 

[Equinox]

Rottentomatoes is at 8 reviews that are rotten now...

Cant beleive that this movie is soo bad!!! I will still watch it, coz Tom Hanks is my fav. actor of all time...

 

[War Party]

I stopped listening to critics a long time ago. If the movie sucks, oh well. It won't be the end of the world.

 

[Gamma Ray]

0% so far. That's really pathetic.

 

[Aiden]

A 9th Fresh one has been added but a 10th Rotten one was added as well. It should be at 10% soon

 

[Equinox]

A 9th Fresh one has been added but a 10th Rotten one was added as well. It should be at 10% soon

Finally....

One "fresh" review

http://www.nypost.com/movies/66112.htm

And it is soo different from the negative reviews we've had so far...

 

[War Party]

It's going to be a hit or miss film.

 

[Equinox]

Its on 1(fresh) - 14(rotten) now...

Cmonn..Is it really that bad ... Even Fantastic four has a better rating

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/da_vinci_code/?critic=all

 

[Darth Elektra]

Its starting to rise a little bit.

 

[Darth Elektra]

"DA VINCI CODE'S first review."

DA VINCI CODE'S A CRACKER
JOHN HISCOCK IN L.A. IS FIRST TO SEE DA VINCI FILM. HIS VERDICT..

IT HAS been at the centre of months of fevered anticipation, condemnation and worldwide debate.

But at last the veil of secrecy shrouding the movie based on author Dan Brown's best-seller The Da Vinci Code has been lifted.

The Mirror has been given an exclusive first look at the religious suspense thriller. And I can report that it Is destined to become a huge hit when it is released next week.

Although some special effects and Hans Zimmer's musical score had still to be added when I saw it, the movie races along at breakneck pace.

In the dramatic opening scenes, a terrified Louvre curator runs through the museum's dark galleries, pursued by a homicidal albino monk, Silas, chillingly played by Paul Bettany.

Director Ron Howard graphically depicts the curator's dying moments as, with bloodstained hands, he feebly struggles to leave the clues that draw Tom Hanks's character Robert Langdon into the murder mystery.

Hanks, with long hair swept back, ideally suits the role of the unsuspecting college lecturer drawn into a murderous conspiracy - while Bettany will give audiences nightmares as the limping, murderous monk.

He has some particularly grisly scenes in which, stripped naked and bleeding profusely from self-inflicted wounds, he viciously whips himself while wearing a pain-inducing barbed strap on his thigh, muttering: "I chastise my body."

ALTHOUGH the film closely follows Brown's storyline, Howard delivers something the book doesn't.

He goes back in time to show Brown's controversial theory that, for 2,000 years, the Catholic church has been covering up the fact that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and fathered a daughter, whose bloodline has survived into present-day Europe.

As well as scenes of the Inquisition and of women being tortured, burned and drowned, Howard shows Mary fleeing the Holy Land for France and giving birth there.

Action fans will revel in a hair-raising car chase in which Langdon's French cryptographer friend Sophie Neveu, fetchingly played by Audrey Tautou, careers her little Smart car backwards along the streets and pavements of Paris with the police, led by Jean Reno's Bezu Fache, in hot pursuit.

Surprisingly, Hanks is the only American in the large cast, which features Sir Ian McKellen in a strong supporting role as the manic Holy Grail historian Sir Leigh Teabing. In a gripping scene set at his mansion in the French countryside he reveals the secrets of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous painting The Last Supper.

Then he explains what he describes as "the greatest cover-up in human history" to an incredulous Sophie, while Langdon expounds on the meaning of certain historical and religious symbols.

But his lecture is cut short in a stunning and unexpected fashion.

The trio, taking with them a bound Silas, travel by private plane to London, where more clues add to the mystery and Silas stages a final assassination involving Bishop Aringarosa, strongly played by Alfred Molina.

Set mainly at night, the film has a sinister look which adds to the brooding atmosphere of suspense and conspiracy.

The film-makers were refused permission to shoot in Westminster Abbey because the novel was deemed "theologically unsound" by Abbey officials.

But Lincoln and Winchester cathedrals co-operated, as did the Temple Church in London and Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland.

FRANCE'S President Jacques Chirac gave his personal stamp of approval to the Louvre being used as a location.

But the Mona Lisa, which plays a key role in the story's opening, was ruled off-limits and a replica had to be used. With the film due to have its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the controversy surrounding the story continues to grow.

A Papal official, Archbishop Angelo Amato, last week denounced the book as "stridently anti-Christian" and called for a boycott of the film.

The Catholic organisation Opus Dei and the Catholic League have also protested and unsuccessfully petitioned for changes to the movie. Even an albino rights group has added its voice to the clamour.

But Sony Pictures and Howard have resisted all attempts to change the plot or to screen a disclaimer over the credits, and rightly so.

As it is, the film stands as a superb thriller which cleverly blends action and intrigue with some thought-provoking theories.

If anything, Howard has improved on the book by some judicious pruning and by going back into history to depict scenes that the novel referred to only briefly.

There is no mystery about The Da Vinci Code's future at the box office.

It will be a massive hit.
Source: Perez Hilton

 

[Equinox]

Its starting to rise a little bit.

Where?

All I see is,

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/da_vinci_code/?critic=all

 

[Darth Elektra]

^ There's one... that was just posted on the IMDB board.

 

[War Party]

One of the biggest complaints I see is the length. If it takes 2hrs 30min. to tell the story, then it shouldn't be a issue. Plus, if I'm paying almost $9 for my ticket, the movie better be long.

 

[Equinox]

One of the biggest complaints I see is the length. If it takes 2hrs 30min. to tell the story, then it shouldn't be a issue. Plus, if I'm paying almost $9 for my ticket, the movie better be long.

Exactly..

 

[BatMatt]

Hanks+Howard=6% positive

I never would have guessed it

 

[A.J.Rimmer(BSC)]

I'm supprised, its a shame that either the film sucks, or no-one likes it...

 

[Nivek]

Eh, critics dont make good art, they just point out what they dont like.

I might be seeing this over the weekend. The story intrests me, so Im more than willing to give it a fair shot. I've always been a sucker for religious conspiracies.

 

[War Party]

[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]COULD BAD REVIEWS HELP?[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]The service also reported that 74 percent of those buying tickets said their religious beliefs did not affect their decision. The book has come under criticism from religious groups who object to its premise that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a child together.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]By comparison, advance ticket purchases for DreamWorks Animation Studio's "Over the Hedge," also opening Friday, accounted for 4 percent of sales.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Box office watcher Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations Inc., said the bad reviews may help the box office, at least in the short term.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]"It means people are talking about this movie, and you have to remember that there is often a disconnect between critics and audiences. What will really count for this film is word of mouth, and that will not make itself felt until the second or third weekend," he said.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]He said he would expect that the film would make about $50 million in its opening weekend.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Chad Hartigan, box office analyst for Reel Source said he expected the film to do between $60 million and $80 million in its first weekend, helped in no small part by the public's awareness of the novel.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]"Our office saw the film and thought it was great. The general public will be more forgiving than the mainstream critics," he said.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]MovieTickets.com said "The Da Vinci Code" was tracking very high in advance of its weekend opener and had 10 times more tickets sold than "Mission: Impossible III" during the same time in its sales cycle.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]The Tom Cruise action film, the first of the summer's big-budget movies, opened two weeks ago to a disappointing weekend gross of just under $48 million.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Brandon Gray of Boxofficemojo.com said he thought "The Da Vinci Code" would gross about $70 million in its first three days. "It has real audience interest and a real fan base," he said.
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http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/20060517/114792073200.html

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[The Riddler]

ian mckellan is awesome.

 

[spideylover89]

I'm seeing it anyway. I stopped listening to critics when I found out that a lot of them don't even see the films they review, they just go by what other critics say. Besides with a film based around a book that has had a pretty controversial affect on people, I can imagine some critics being a little biased. It was a good book, so even if the film isn't a masterpiece, there's no way it is worse than Poseiden.

 

[The Riddler]

was poseidon that bad?

from the trailers it looked decent.