The Da Vinci Code (* * * *)

Brooke and I made it to the movies over the weekend and saw The Da Vinci Code. I have been wanting to see this movie ever since I heard they were making a movie based on the book. I have gone through different stages of worry and excitement over the making of the film. I am a big fan of the book and so I really wanted them to do a good job. I had my reservations but in the end I was extremely pleased with the result. I really enjoyed this movie and am giving the movie 4 stars. Beware of spoilers to follow.
As far as a comparison between the movie and the book goes, they really did quite a good job. I think they stayed very true to the book and only changed a few things. Of course it's to be expected that there will be some differences, but the plot and even the dialogue are very close. I still recommend people read the book, it's a really quick and fun read, and the movie does fall short of being better than the book, but don't they all.
The plot of the movie is actually quite complex for a story that unfolds in only 24 hours of real time. I am not going to make an attempt at summarizing the plot, if you want to know the plot you can read the book, see the movie, or go to IMDB and read the plot summary.
One of the worries that I had before the movie was made was that the casting was way off. Tom Hanks didn't seem much of a Robert Langdon to me and I didn't know much of Audrey Tautou (Sophie Neveu). I was excited to see Ian McKellan cast as Leigh Teabing as well as Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa. Paul Bettany (Silas) and Jean Reno (Bezu Fache) were toss ups, I felt they could go either way for me. I have to say that the acting was very good. Tom Hanks was on form as he always is, I really shouldn't have worried because he seems to be able to play a broad range of characters well. He is a recognizable face and having him in the film automatically gives the film credibility. Audrey Tautou was a surprise hit for me, I hadn't seen her in anything prior to this film but she was great. Having an authentic French woman I think really helped, she is also supposed to be the heir of Jesus Christ himself, so I felt like her looks were important. I know that's sad, but generally you would assume that the heir of Christ would be a fairly attractive person, and she really is. But besides the way she looked and her accent, she really played the part well, I had no problem picturing her as Sophie. As the character that learns the most in the film and has the biggest character shift, it seemed very genuine and you can really see the changes that take place over the course of the film. Ian McKellan was brilliant as Leigh Teabing, he is always such a good actor and he really doesn't disappoint. He captured the personality of this character so well, the humor and the dedication of the character. He also makes a large character shift, and plays the part of a hero and villain. Although he had limited time on screen I think that Alfred Molina was good as Bishop Aringarosa, it wasn't a monumental part, but he was believable. Especially the confrontation between he and Silas near the end, where (spoilers) Silas dies and he is carried away in an ambulance. You can really sense the emotion. Paul Bettany was very good as Silas, his image was not exactly as I pictured Silas (controversy surrounding albino's may have had something to do with that) but he played the part well. The frightening personality and intensity was there, his dedication to the cause was apparent and well played. The only character I really had a small problem with was Jean Reno as Bezu Fache. He looked the part and had the accent, but I didn't feel the intensity from him that I did in the book. He seemed a lot more relaxed and subdued in the film, he kept his cool. His characters nickname is "The Bull" and I really didn't get that from him. It was a small issue and one that was easily discarded as I was caught up in the excitement of the movie.
Ron Howard is renowned as a very good director, personally I haven't been extremely impressed with all of his work, although it's relatively safe and I don't see a lot of problems with it. I just don't think he has a very unique look or takes many chances, another concern of mine considering the controversial nature of the film. But he really shines with this movie, granted it is a difficult story to tell, there is a lot of action and intensity but there is also a lot of dialogue and potential pacing problems. I think his vision of this film was right on, there are many unique ways he tells the story, there are flashbacks and good explanations of a controversial and sensitive subject matter. My favorite visual aspect of the movie is the ability to see what's going on in Langdons head. It's difficult to describe, but if you see the movie you will know what I am talking about. Much of the book takes place as the thoughts of Robert Langdon and I expected a lot of narration through the movie that could prove troublesome. However they avoided the narration by giving the viewer a glimpse of what was going on in Langdons head. Shaded images of what he is thinking appear on the screen as well as words that are highlighted on texts and paintings. It's a really unique and interesting way to show what's going on in a characters head. I loved it and thought it was a great aspect of the movie.
There wasn't a whole lot of effects in the film, most of it was shot at actual locations which brought realism and detail to it. I think they really covered the detail and look of the film well. The music didn't necessarily stand out to me, but it did set the mood well and wasn't a distraction. I didn't have a problem figuring out what was going on, I had read the book twice but I think some viewers might have a hard time figuring out the plot. In general I think they did a good job explaining the plot and bringing everything together in the end, but there are a lot of twists and turns so people who haven't read the book may want to watch it more than once.
The Bottom Line... The Da Vinci Code was a great film, as a stand alone film as well as an adaptation of the book. The acting is great with a cast that really fits the parts, the visual techniques are original and interesting. Be prepared that the movie is long but I didn't feel like it suffered from pacing problems, in fact I didn't want it to end. The detail and locations are great and as a fan of the book it's fun to see the actual locations and to see this on screen. Obviously don't bring kids, it's PG-13 and they would be bored. But the movie, although it has controversial subject matter, is presented very tastefully and has minor language and a small sexual reference (although the sexual reference in the book is much larger than the movie). I would recommend fans of the book as well as non fans of the book see the film. It's a very well made movie with a fun ride. See it and let me know what you think.