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Reviews
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
Faithful to Novel
I saw the movie today expecting to be disappointed. I had read many negative comments from reviewers and individuals who posted on movie sites and was curious how I would feel after seeing it.
I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was very faithful to the story. (Yes, I read the book....three times). There are a few minor changes in the storyline but none that changed the quality of the story. Overall, I thought it was an excellent movie and, judging by the comments I heard from many that were around me, they felt the same.
I wanted to address some of the negative comments I've read. One of the comments I've read often is how awful Tom Hanks was with the dialog. I'm not sure what people were expecting but Hank's character of Robert Langdon is not some James Bond-ish type of character. He is an innocent drawn into the plot and that is the way Hanks played him. Very matter of fact and little emotion. Another comment I read was the poor chemistry between Hank's character and Audry Tautou's character Sophie Neveu. There was no chemistry between the characters in the novel until the end and at no time was it an overwhelming romantic interest. Oh, it may have been hinted at in the book but nothing obvious. Another gripe was that the dialog was poor all the way around. I know there was a lot of dialog about the meaning of the Grail, etc. but that had to be in there. People that have not read the book would have no idea what was going on if the premise of the book was not discussed. Yes, there were stupid lines like at the end with Hanks saying "Godspeed" but gimme a break, it didn't detract from the entire movie. Long movie? Yes...it was. But Brown was not just writing an action novel. He was writing about something that has been debated for 2,000 years and which most people are totally ignorant of (i.e., what the Holy Grail may really be). So if the movie was going to be faithful to the story, there's not a lot that could be cut out and still have the story make sense.
So, that's my two cents. If you want to see it, go see it. I think that people who are open-minded will enjoy it. Those who can't imagine a Christianity in any other way that what the Church has taught for 1,600 years might as well skip it. You'll hate it. Ignore the negative comments....take a look for yourself.
The Journey: Absolution (1997)
Hunky Boys, Silly Plot
This movie will probably excite only two groups of people: fans of latin hunk Mario Lopez and individuals who like to see scantily clad, well-built young men.
The movie purports to be sci-fi but the plot is confusing and unrealistic even for sci-fi standards. The dialogue is predictable and the actors try to make it serious but you can't do much with "you don't wanna ask questions" and other frequently used dialogue lines.
Mario Lopez stars and tries to act but the script forces him to behave and talk like his Slater character on "Saved by the Bell." Even his lead-up dialogue to his love scene with Jamie Pressley is predictable. The scene leaves you watching them talk and then all of a sudden they kiss and are in bed together. Lopez's impressive physique is seen frequently, along with numerous other handsome men, so if you like hunky men, it's not bad. But, having seen his ability to do more than just mouth lines in "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story", fans of Lopez will be disappointed that he's in another Slateresque tough guy, I can kick your butt role.
Richard Grieco and Jamie Pressley are also wasted in this film, although Grieco is humorous at times. However, you can tell he's trying to "act" dramatic and the effect ruins the lines.
If you're looking for an interesting story, you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for dramatic sci-fi action, you'll be disappointed. And fans of Lopez will hope he finds a better script for his next project.