Angels and Demons Review
by Homer Yen (homeryen88 AT gmail DOT com)May 26th, 2009
Angels & Demons - Beautiful Film within Unsatisfying Narrative by Homer Yen
(c) 2009
What's the fundamental difference between an employee and an owner? I believe that an employee considers their activities to be tasks - things that are done based on someone else's grand plan. Meanwhile an owner sets in motion a vision that they have. They want to bring that grand plan to realization no matter what the cost. When you are all-in, no sacrifice is too big. Today, in my world, if given a choice, it's better to be an owner than an employee.
In 2006's "The DaVinci Code," Dr. Langdon (Tom Hanks) becomes involved in a mystery after a crime is committed. But, in that film, he comes across like an owner - filled with passion as he pursues his personal vision to uncover a sacred secret/truth. Now, in the follow-up to that film, the setup is similar here as he become involved in a mystery after a crime is committed. But, from the get-go, that spirit of ownership never gets established for two reasons. First, he's relegated to the status of an employee, for in this film, he follows someone else's grand plan. Second, given his feelings of church and God (established in the first film and early on here), there doesn't seem to be any compelling reason for him to accept the case. When he does, it's more like a sharp detective accepting challenging work just to keep him busy.
"Angels & Demons" is really just a well-dressed but formulaic thriller. The plot structure is familiar if you've seen "Speed" or "DieHard 3". You know, if you don't get to a certain locale by a certain time, something sinister will happen. There is a secret society called the Illuminati that has possibly re-emerged to exact vengeance on the church. There is a massive explosive device that has been planted somewhere within the Vatican which has the firepower to level the city as well as centuries of history along with it. There are enigmatic clues that have been left behind to help the authorities stave off this cataclysmic event. Despite his previous run-in with the church (in the first film), Dr. Langdon's unique expertise in Roman history makes him well-suited to find the trail of breadcrumbs left through time. Throughout, there is a definite sense of urgency as Dr. Langdon whisks through various parts of Rome. And Tom Hanks appears more professorial (and has better hair) than in his previous outing.
What did make this film interesting was the peek into the inner workings of the papacy. I certainly learned some interesting (and probably arcane) vocabulary such as: preferati - the likeliest candidates to be the next Pope; and: camerlengo - the one who presides over the conclave when appointing the next Pope; and: conclave - the place in which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church meet in private for the election of a pope. I think my IQ might have increased a few points.
One need not have seen that first film to follow "Angels & Demons". It is a stand alone film much like the "Indiana Jones" films or "National Treasure" films. But having seen it would allow you to understand my employee vs. owner analogy. In fact, I think that you would actually enjoy this film more if you had not seen the first film. And because I did, here's what keeps tugging at me. This is a follow-up to one of the most controversial stories of all time (now, in the world of publishing, Angels & Demons was published first, but moviegoers will see this after "The DaVinci Code")! "The DaVinci Code" might have been labeled blasphemous. But at least those ideas made that film compelling and engrossing. This one is ok to watch, had high production values, and has more texture than films of similar ilk. But it lacked the sense of wonder and discovery of the first film. I heard that even the film review in the Vatican newspaper deemed the film as harmless entertainment. Really then...how good could this be?
Grade: C+
S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
More on 'Angels and Demons'...
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