The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou
Directed by Ron Howard

No secret ‘code’ here…. Tom Hanks + Mainstream Hollywood Fare = solid summer entertainment

Embroiled in controversy following its enormous print success and leading up to the film, I need to first of all point out that I do not possess any religious convictions that put me at odds with the premise of the Da Vinci Code: that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were secretly married and sired a bloodline that still exists today. That secret rests at the core of the puzzle in the Dan Brown bestseller, which has been skillfully adapted for the screen by director Ron Howard. Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor and world-renown symbologist who gets entangled in a murder mystery involving the select few who protect the highly guarded secret that could shake the foundations of Christianity. What plays out over the course of the film is a puzzle-driven treasure hunt, interspersed with chase scenes involving Langdon and the various forces out to stop him. While this might sound like the perfect material for an adventure/suspense thriller, I did find that the movie got a little slow at times with long scenes of exposition and dialogue.

Since millions of people out there are fans of the book, I should point out that I did read the novel, but only after I saw the movie, and I can say the usual maxim for book-to-movie translation holds true here: that the book is always better. I didn’t necessarily like the book all that much, but the print version did do a better job establishing who the characters are and how they are entwined in the plot. The book also describes Langdon’s puzzle solving process much better, whereas the movie tends to hurry through the puzzles Langdon encounters for the sake of time. But for the most part, the movie does follow the plot quite closely with only a few changes, and it is safe to say that I’ve definitely seen worse movie treatments.

As expected, with such big-name talent involved, the film is competently made and well acted. Without being a religious scholar, I found the main idea proposed by Brown to be somewhat plausible and certainly worthy of such an elaborate effort to keep it secret. That made sitting through the dull parts bearable and ultimately I felt the payoff and resolution worthwhile. Strangely enough, however, I’m more inclined to recommend last summer’s National Treasure starring Nicolas Cage, for a more “true” puzzle/quest movie with a better spirit of adventure. But if you prefer a movie dealing with subject matter a little more substantial, it’s no secret that The Da Vinci Code is a safe bet for your summer movie enjoyment.

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