Angels & Demons
The prequel to The Da Vinci Code sees Tom Hanks reprise his role as Harvard cryptologist Robert Langdon, with director Ron Howard also returning.
Langdon heads to Rome when a plot against the Catholic Church is revealed and four cardinals are brutally murdered. The mysterious force behind these attacks? The Illuminati - a shadowy organisation thought long extinct. He joins forces with Vittoria (Ayelet Zurer), a beautiful Italian scientist, embarking on a hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth.
- Director:
- Ron Howard ('Cocoon', 'Apollo 13', 'Ransom', 'A Beautiful Mind', 'The Da Vinci Code', 'Frost/Nixon')
- Writer:
- Akiva Goldsman
- Cast:
- Tom HanksAyelet ZurerEwan McGregorStellan Skarsgaard
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressLess turgid and aggravating than its predecessor, this cleverly produced melodrama remains hamstrung by novelist's Dan Brown's laborious connect-the-dots plotting and the filmmakers' prosaic literal-mindedness in the face of ripe historical antagonisms, mystery and intrigue.
Otago Daily Times
pressAngels & Demons is not that bad. Langdon is still spouting academic text but the puzzles he solves are clear cut enough for us to understand them. Rome looks stunning.
New Zealand Herald
pressIt may contain as much conspiracy theory twaddle as the previous Langdon treasure hunt but here the hokum just flies by. That it isn't as boring as its predecessor is in itself a minor miracle.
Newshub
pressI was left feeling relatively entertained, but disappointed in the knowledge that Hanks and Howard are capable of so much more.
Hollywood Reporter
pressPlucking the same violent, occult strings as "Da Vinci" while avoiding its leadenness, Angels keeps the action coming for the best part of 139 minutes.
Dominion Post
pressIt's beautifully shot, competently acted, impeccably structured, and jaw-droppingly stupid
I haven't read the books this series is based on, but I love the film series. Although I would consider The Da Vinci Code the better of the two, Angel and Demons is not far behind it. The twists and turns last right til the end.
Within about the first 10 mins I was wishing we'd chosen a more interesting film. Admittedly the scenery is awesome because Rome is awesome and it pretty closely resembled the book which might be why I found it boring. I felt like I didn't need to see this film after having read the book.
Good plot, which at first look is easy to follow (has a few twists), with the great backdrop of Rome. A few laughs along the way too.
Great follow on from Da vinci, totally awesome scenery- I now know Rome well. Jolly typical of the Catholic Church all the way through history.This movie would make me read the book which I was told afterward is better. Thoroughly enjoyed it though.
Sorry, I thought this was a huge disappointment. Boring characters, no suspense but quite interesting when we did see some of the Roman sights. Wasn't bored, but certainly wasn't interested.
Tom Hanks called it entertaining tosh. I agree. I had read and forgotten the book so unlike DaVinci this film did not have to live up to a recently read and admired book, and I remember this book didn't impress me like DaVinci had, and this film in my memory was a better watch.
Variety
pressLess turgid and aggravating than its predecessor, this cleverly produced melodrama remains hamstrung by novelist's Dan Brown's laborious connect-the-dots plotting and the filmmakers' prosaic literal-mindedness in the face of ripe historical antagonisms, mystery and intrigue.
Otago Daily Times
pressAngels & Demons is not that bad. Langdon is still spouting academic text but the puzzles he solves are clear cut enough for us to understand them. Rome looks stunning.
New Zealand Herald
pressIt may contain as much conspiracy theory twaddle as the previous Langdon treasure hunt but here the hokum just flies by. That it isn't as boring as its predecessor is in itself a minor miracle.
Newshub
pressI was left feeling relatively entertained, but disappointed in the knowledge that Hanks and Howard are capable of so much more.
Hollywood Reporter
pressPlucking the same violent, occult strings as "Da Vinci" while avoiding its leadenness, Angels keeps the action coming for the best part of 139 minutes.
Dominion Post
pressIt's beautifully shot, competently acted, impeccably structured, and jaw-droppingly stupid
I haven't read the books this series is based on, but I love the film series. Although I would consider The Da Vinci Code the better of the two, Angel and Demons is not far behind it. The twists and turns last right til the end.
Within about the first 10 mins I was wishing we'd chosen a more interesting film. Admittedly the scenery is awesome because Rome is awesome and it pretty closely resembled the book which might be why I found it boring. I felt like I didn't need to see this film after having read the book.
Good plot, which at first look is easy to follow (has a few twists), with the great backdrop of Rome. A few laughs along the way too.
Great follow on from Da vinci, totally awesome scenery- I now know Rome well. Jolly typical of the Catholic Church all the way through history.This movie would make me read the book which I was told afterward is better. Thoroughly enjoyed it though.
Sorry, I thought this was a huge disappointment. Boring characters, no suspense but quite interesting when we did see some of the Roman sights. Wasn't bored, but certainly wasn't interested.
Tom Hanks called it entertaining tosh. I agree. I had read and forgotten the book so unlike DaVinci this film did not have to live up to a recently read and admired book, and I remember this book didn't impress me like DaVinci had, and this film in my memory was a better watch.
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