Movie Review: Angels & Demons
directed by Ron Howard
based on the book by Dan Brown

“I am an academic so in theory I cannot understand God. My heart tells me I am not supposed to. Faith itself is a gift I have yet to receive.”
--Robert Langdon, when asked if he believed in God.

And so early on in this incredible movie, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon has to answer a challenging theological question about the tension between faith and reason. This will set the stage for the story as it unfolds. Angels and Demons is a powerful thriller which grips you from the beginning and makes you think about the impact of the church in today's world. While you at times in the movie be sickened at the church's history by some of the stories which provide a historical basis for this film, you will be given the side of faith for which billions on this planet hold true as their faith, based on Christ.

A few years back, all the craze in the world of literature and cinema was the controversy around The Da Vinci Code, a brilliant yet fictional novel by Dan Brown based around heretical claims about Christ. What resulted in the first Ron Howard's first Robert Langdon movie was a film that was heavy on myth and lacking in character development and relevance...not to mention lacking in the energetic plot which made the novel such an international sensation.

What we find in Angels and Demons is everything we did not find with The Da Vinci Code. And thank goodness. While the story is of course fictional & based on sketchy history, there is a good plot which helps draw us into the suspense and thrills to come, and most of all makes us care about what happens to the characters and to the world's most popular religion.

The movie begins with the death of the pope, and the Vatican rallying its leaders to choose the next leader of the Roman Catholic church. While preparing, four prime candidates, known as the preferati are kidnapped with the threat of certain death only hours away. As the cardinals gather themselves in the Sistene Chapel to pick the new head of the church, police and investigators and Robert Langdon are deciphering the meanings of clues to the captured cardinals and what would be a city/religion wide destruction. One remarkable aspect of the movie is the “tour” of Rome so few people ever get to see, and the hidden aspects of Vatican City and rituals within the catholic church so few understand and fewer still respect as foundational to the faith of so many people. For this the film is applauded.

Tom Hanks, who plays Robert Langdon with the strength and determination we have come to expect from the actor, balances the questions of faith and science in the film with clarity and depth and care—more on that in a moment. His character is both genius and questioning, hence his being asked to help solve the mysterious signs. Hanks' actually feels like he cares in this movie, compared with the first based on the Langdon character, and this time Hanks does not have the ridiculous looking long hair. The supporting cast is also strong, especially Ewan McGregor in role that gives him a lot to work with and you care about his character to the very end.

The film paces itself very fast, you have to keep up with the plot and the various twists/turns in order to grasp the impact of what is going on. The action is great, without being over the top. The film allows you to breathe at certain points as it fills in the blanks on much of the backstory surrounding the mythical aspects of the mystery, for instance with the two instances where we get a glimpse into the ultra secretive Vatican archives and the sheltered past of the imfamous historical group Illuminati. While glimpses into unique stories and historical references, you must remember that much of the details in Dan Brown's story and the movie are false, added to make the story move forward. While false, they are fascinating to consider, but a “google search” on the movie's fact and fiction would be advisable to learn the truth behind the film.

In conclusion, this is a really good film based on an even greater novel by one of today's great thrilling storytellers. Langdon is a great character, and many of us cannot wait for the third Langdon book to come out in September. But for now, just enjoy an excellent movie built around a fascinating topic.

Speaking of the topic, a note about the film's question of faith and reason...what the film does very well is bring to the conversation issues many of us consider on a daily basis, like how does our faith influence our ability to reason and vice versa. Through its depiction of a relatively dark and peculiar part of christian tradition, the questions come to life with lines such as the one quoted by Langdon above. He is a typical academic who knows too much about the past history of a faith that has influenced history, and therefore he remains skeptical. But with that knowledge, he comes into contact with religious leaders who seek to steer his thoughts toward the realm of religion. The final scene with Langdon and the pope's right-hand adviser is classic in this case. What we gain is a sense of balance in the age-old question of science and religion, and how they influence each other in the end, perhaps as part of God's plan for balance in the human beings God created.

Interesting and provocative, but helpful to advance the conversation. And that is really what we need more of.

Until the next post...