The Da Vinci Code

Big selling novel brought to big screen life - but only just

Film Review by Paul Gallagher | 15 Jun 2006
Film title: The Da Vinci Code
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellen
Release date: May 19

Ron Howard's highly anticipated adaptation falls into the same trap as the first two 'Harry Potter's, sticking so closely to the book as to leave no room for anything genuinely cinematic to happen. The cast are paralysed by plot, each one merely voicing the next step in the elaborate tale, with Reno coming off particularly badly (he wears an expression of yearning throughout the film, seemingly remembering days when he was allowed to, you know, act). At least the Potter movies contained some emotion though; this film is singularly cold, dark and lifeless, with only McKellen bringing any kind of 'Indiana Jones'-ish fun to the proceedings. Too long, and without charm, it's contemporary blockbuster status is guaranteed, but it will barely rank as a footnote in film history. 

Read our review of the Da Vinci Code PS2 videogame adaptation here.

http://www.sonypictures.co.uk/movies/thedavincicode/index.html