Angels and Demons

A sequel, by definition has typically been labeled inferior in the film industry. But there are a few exceptions, "The Godfather: Part II," "The Empire Strikes Back," and who could forget "The Pink Panther 2 (Hah)." Ron Howard's screen adaptation of Dan Brown's first literary adventure featuring Robert Langdon, "Angels and Demons" is a very flawed film; but it might contain the gusto to surpass it's predecessor "The Da Vinci Code."
The thing most commented on in the first installment of these features was Tom Hank's apparently terrible hair cut. Well, the hair is gone, but this is just the beginning in terms of the improvements made in both the writing and filming if Akiva Goldman and David Koepp's adaptation. The dialogue is much smoother and easier to follow. The film capitalizes on spectacle and action, avoiding the religious controversy that derailed 'Da Vinci."
The story is set around a crisis in Vatican City. Four cardinals have disappeared just as conclave is about to begin. The threat here is a little known substance called "antimatter," which is said to be more potent than TNT. Hanks returns as the Harvard symbologist called upon to assist due to his "formidable" past. The bomb is set to go off around midnight, leaving Landgon only hours to discover a "path of illumination" to discover the missing cardinals and hopefully, the perpetrator.
His beautiful sidekick is Ayselet Zuror, playing a physicist from CERN, an enormous lab in Switzerland. The story starts quickly, the music is fast and involved and the epic depiction of Rome is worth the price of the ticket all on its own. Unfortunately, every reader when devouring a story casts their idea of how the plot should be divulged; and this book has many readers. As an adaptation, it is satisfying. But like many books that make their way to the screen, the process of condensing a several hundred page book into a concise two hours means that things get cut. For me personally this was frustrating and disappointing, removing a great deal of the meaning behind the actions of the characters.
Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard offer up potent supporting roles, yet the finished product suffers from too much, too fast, and puzzles far too easy to solve. One might call this a classic case of overproduction. The images are lush and beautiful. The cast and crew were forbidden to film in Vatican City, so almost all of the religious environments were recreated on soundstages and the it is awe-inspiring how effective they are. But that is where the strengths of this film lie, in aesthetic and spectacle.
For us die hard fans, the wait is on for Dan Brown's final Langdon installment "The Lost Symbol" on Sept.19, don't bother with the film; it might only detract from the beloved book. For nonfans, perhaps the movie is your ticket to two hours of blissful nonsense.