After taking to heart the critics’ consensus that the first movie was too talky and static; Angels & Demons was a much better follow-up compared to its silver screen predecessor.
We first saw Tom Hanks as Prof. Langdon swimming laps in a pool and when he emerged out of the water, you knew he has been working out.
Plus he has gotten rid of that absurd hairstyle he so infamously sported in The Da Vinci Code. So this was a good start.
For those who have not read the book, it might be a little confusing at times when watching the movie because so many details had been omitted. Akiva Goldsman, who also adapted The Da Vinci Code, was teamed up this time with the talent of David Koepp.
And between the pair, they have produced a fast paced movie that didn’t even allow Langdon to catch his breath; and when he did slow down, say researching at the library, you could tell something was about to catch up on him instead.
But comparing Robert Langdon to another professor-slash-adventurer, Indiana Jones, there’s no doubt which lecture students would rather attend. Even with the talented Hanks portraying Langdon, there just wasn’t enough charisma in the adapted character. More often than not, Langdon looked like a reluctant tourist thrown into deciphering cryptic codes.
But there were moments when Hanks really shone and right then you knew there’s no one else who could have delivered those scenes any better, especially when he needed to explain all those scientific mumbo jumbo to the audience.
Fortunately there’s Ewan McGregor to do the charming as the young camerlengo. He was magnetic in this role and really gave some spark in his scenes. Together with Skarsgard and Armin Mueller-Stahl; the three of them created more interests towards the fate of the Catholic Church with each struggling for power in the wake of the pope’s death.
Angels & Demons succeeded in many ways The Da Vinci Code has failed. However, if compared to the book, too much of the final act has been left out in the movie to do the book any justice. I was sorely disappointed in not seeing the final ambigram which was amazing.
But as a standalone, the movie is one fun ride that’s thrilling from beginning to the end.
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