There’s probably not much about The Da Vinci Code book series I can say that you haven’t heard already. The Da Vinci Code the book stormed the best-seller charts a few years ago, so of course they fast-tracked it to the silver screen. However, they at least got someone adequate to helm the project: Ron Howard. Howard’s a guy who really puts his all into whatever he’s working on at the time. In my opinion, this is the only real reason that the film The Da Vinci Code was decent. It left out a few key parts, and a bunch of smaller parts, but in the end, it got the job done. For the most part.

Now that they had created a media monster out of that book, it was obviously time to turn to the prequel, Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. I started reading this book a few years back, after reading the sequel, but school wormed its way in between the book and I, so I never got to finish it. And actually, I’m pretty sure I still have your hardback copy, Dancy. Oops!

The first thing I noticed about this movie was the fact that Tom Hanks had ditched the ridiculous Nic Cage hairstyle he rocked in the first movie. He didn’t still look like a 70′s pedophile who had just shaved his mustache, so I thought that was a good place to start. Next thing I know, Professor Robert Langdon is masquerading around the Vatican with another beautiful brunette. Seemed a bit too familiar…

The story isn’t bad. It deals, quite awesomely, with the Large Hadron Collider. There’s a pretty cool scene in the beginning that takes you around through the tubes and the facility. Anyway, the scientists there have finally amassed enough anti-matter as to be significant. There are three canisters holding suspended anti-matter, when one is stolen. This is what leads Langdon to the Vatican; whoever stole the anti-matter plans on blowing up Vatican City with it.

The history and details about the structures, sculptures, and art that the movie revolves around is interesting, even if it’s not 100% true. (Or is it?). My only real problem with the film is the device through which Langdon keeps discovering these new landmarks and clues that point him in the right direction. In this case, it’s The Da Vinci Code all over again; Langdon and hot woman travel to a location that he’s divined through reading various historical manuscripts. When they get there, it turns out that isn’t the place! But don’t worry! Langdon and his extremely textbook knowledge accidentally or coincidentally stumble across some little clue they hadn’t seen before, and instantly know the location of the next clue. I suppose his extensive knowledge can be explained by the fact that he’s a Harvard Professor, but the device they use to reveal where the next relevant location is gets old really quick, especially after having used it for the entire first movie. There’s a decent (if predictable) twist, and a nice little showing of special effects at the end that help make the movie more enjoyable. If you liked The Da Vinci Code the film, you’ll probably like Angels and Demons. If you’re a book purist, let it be noted that they did change a few things from the novel. But either way, if you can get past the obvious reveals, it’s a pretty entertaining movie.