BEFORE: I brought this DVD up to Massachusetts, and I intended to watch it the day after Christmas, but my mom said that she'd already seen it. That's rare, that my moms watches a film before I do - a sign I've got to step up my game. Anyway, my wife wanted to see it (we both read the book) so I re-scheduled it for tonight.
We don't go out on New Year's Eve, it's a good night to stay in and watch a movie together. I think the last day of the year should be used for either quiet reflection, or something like cleaning out your attic or organizing your comic books (or whatever it is you've got too much of...).
THE PLOT: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.
AFTER: I have to admit that I was all set to switch my blog posts and make "Nuns on the Run" the last movie of the year - I started the year with "The Commitments", another film set in the U.K. - but that would compromise the integrity of the list. Plus, with the plot of this film concerning a bomb set in the Vatican that's set to detonate at midnight, it actually made for a very appropriate New Year's Eve flick.
Of course, there's a lot of unbelievable outrageousness to this film - how often does a symbologist save the day? Not a secret agent, not a political negotiator, but a symbologist? Come on... Like Harvard's got a symbology department? What the heck are you supposed to do with that degree after you graduate?
But I digress...the framing device here is the death of a pope and the election of a new one - but the kidnapping of four likely candidates suggests that there are sinister elements working within the Vatican hierarchy (say it ain't so!). And somehow only a symbologist with access to the Vatican library can save them...oh yeah, he's got a hot sidekick who is a scientist, but she also seems to be an expert in art, Latin, medicine, and whatever else is needed to advance the plot. (Again, come on!)
Having read the book, I just reviewed the changes made for the movie (conveniently listed on IMDB.com) - and for the most part, I have to say, "Bravo". They took out things that would have slowed the movie down, and corrected some of the wildest improbable occurences, also simplifying the plot at the same time.
The race around Rome following symbols from statues is quite ridiculous, but at least it's good clean action-movie fun. And that's the last film of 2010 - I couldn't really predict where the chain would end, since I only program about a month ahead at a time. But there it is - an update will follow next concerning the future of the Movie Year Blog.
Starring Tom Hanks (last seen in "Charlie Wilson's War"), Ewan McGregor (last seen in "The Men Who Stare at Goats"), Armin Mueller-Stahl, Stellan Skarsgard (last seen in "Ronin")
RATING: 7 out of 10 votive candles
It's always hard to me to enjoy a film after I have read the book. I pretty much just want to see how the have brought the book to celluloid. I found the book quite interesting, and would love to see how accurate the symbols Dan Brown featured are to real world Rome. I don't know if he really did his research or he is more of a Michael Crichton, just making up facts to make his books seem like he did a lot of research.
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