The Da Vinci Code

"What really matters is what you believe."

American symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) is in France presenting a guest lecture.  While signing his latest book, he is summoned to the Louve museum by Police Captain Bezu Fache (Reno).  Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle), the museum curator, has been murdered.  Just before dying Sauniere left a message and some symbols for Langdon.  Fache believes Langdon is the murderer, but police cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Tautou) is skeptical.  She helps Langdon escape and they start to investigate Sauniere's clues.

The clues lead Langdon to believe Sauniere was a member of the Priory of Scion, a group that protects the Holy Grail.  They contact his friend Sir Leigh Teabing (McKellen), who is an expert on the Grail.  Meanwhile, they progress is tracked by albino monk, Silas (Bettany) who killed Sauniere.  He is under orders to find the Grail by Bishop Aringarosa (Molina).  Can Langdon and Sophie evade the police and locate the Holy Grail?


In 2003, Dan Brown published the novel "The Da Vinci Code."  The novel was a bestseller, and was the second novel about Robert Langdon (who was the protagonist in 2000's "Angels and Demons"). 
despite the church denouncing it.  Despite it's popularity, it was also widely criticized for historical inaccuracies and the way it depicted Christianity.  Most Catholic and Protestant organizations denounced the book.

Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, people devoured the book.  Since 2003, Brown has written 2 more Robert Langdon novels: "The Lost Symbol" in 2009 and "Inferno" in 2013.  And three of these novels have been adapted to film, with The Da Vinci Code as the first (Angels and Demons in 2009 and Inferno in 2016, all starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard).

This film received the same treatment by Christian groups, with leaders from the Catholic church calling for a boycott of the film.  In several countries the film was censored, due to protests and requests from Christian groups.  And the film was widely disliked by critics and audiences alike, garnering a Razzie Nomination for Worst Director for Howard.

I read the book and was caught up in the mystery.  To date I have read all of the other books in the series except for "Inferno", which is on my list.  Even though I enjoyed the film, I didn't want to see the film.  My desire to avoid the book only increased with all of the bad reviews and word of mouth the film received.  I finally gave in, and the film was as expected.  Ok, but not as interesting as the book.  The characters aren't fleshed out well and some parts are miscast.  It isn't terrible, but I don't want to see the film again.  I intend to see the other 2 films, after rereading the novels.

The Da Vinci Code (2006) 148 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon
Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu
Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing
Alfred Molina as Bishop Aringarosa
Jurgen Prochnow as Andre Vernet
Jean Reno as Police Captain Bezu Fache
Paul Bettany as Silas
Etienne Chicot as Lieutenant Jerome Collet