The Da Vinci Code

I saw this movie today and really enjoyed it. I hadn't read the book, so I really didn't know the whole story. Nevertheless, I found myself getting very involved and thought Ron Howard and crew made an excellent movie. My wife, who had read the book, really enjoyed it also. After viewing this film, I couldn't figure out why it had so many negative reviews at Cannes. I believe most critics claimed this movie to be boring. They couldn't be farther from the truth, in my opinion. As I said, I got involved from the very beginning and thought there was plenty of action in the film. The acting and screenplay were both topnotch. Of course, this is just one man's opinion.

[goldear]

Wow does that ever differ from every review that I have read...

[2DualsNotEnough]

I have to agree with Sbarber on this one.I havent read the book,either,and I found the film interesting and engaging.I was really apprehensive after having read several negative reviews,but i thought the writing was good,and the acting was solid.Is it the best film of the year?No,but it was a nice way to spend 2 and a half hours.
Jimmy

[Andyman]

I haven't seen it, but my wife took my daughter last night and seemed to enjoy it.
My cynical take on the reviews is that folks who have issues with the film's premises are attempting to stem it's popularity via overly harsh reviews.
I read the book and found it interesting, but not edge of the chair compelling, nor did I find it "heretical" for lack of a better word. But, I'm not a religious person, so it's premises didn't attack/disrupt my religious beliefs either.

Originally Posted by Andyman

I haven't seen it, but my wife took my daughter last night and seemed to enjoy it.
My cynical take on the reviews is that folks who have issues with the film's premises are attempting to stem it's popularity via overly harsh reviews.
I read the book and found it interesting, but not edge of the chair compelling, nor did I find it "heretical" for lack of a better word. But, I'm not a religious person, so it's premises didn't attack/disrupt my religious beliefs either.

I agree with you Andyman. I am not a religious person, so the premise didn't bother me either, and I also have a cynical take on the reviews. I think that they are totally unfounded. I recommend it, so if you take a notion, go see it. I have always liked Tom Hanks as an actor, and he really does a good job in this one.

[opt80]

I read the book and I found it kind of predictable.Brown weaves a good story and one can argue that it is Mary Magdalene at Christ's Right. truth is John the apostle who is seated at the right was painted by leonardo in an effeminate way. Da Vinci had a sense of humor.

The book is a good adventure novel ,in the spirit of Ludlum et al

Beloved Moderator

Alan

[Yamaha B-2]

Wife and I saw it in yesterday's late matinee (nice and quiet - only one cell phone went off and the owner muttered softly, "sorry" and turned it off).

We have both read this and the companion book. We enjoyed the movie and thought it was worthwhile entertainment for our $6.25 ticket. Not up to the book, but still good. Think critiques are based on "art". It was a somewhat artless movie. But, the acting was believeable and the story was well told. A bit too much of the 'rapturess' type of music, but only detracted a small amount from the overall movie. I'd give it a fairly strong 'thumbs-up' and recommend seeing it.

[shacky]

My wife and I saw it last night and were pleasantly surprised - the movie is much better than we thought. Neither of us read the book so it was mostly unknown.

I think the church is getting a little too defensive. Just saw a Jesuit priest interviewed and he compared the movie to "JFK". JFK was not promoted as fiction. Now I'm a practicing Catholic but I also recognize that the church way back did some horrible things - and that makes this fiction believable. Isn't the best fiction based on a little plausibility?

I still prefer actual history - you just can't write this stuff!

Shacky

[drcruz]

I don't think the negative reviews are from religious sources (aint-it-cool-news or darkhorizons are not exactly the center of Christian movie news). I think the negative reviews are based on the attention span of todays audience.

Of the reviews I've read, a lot of them complain about long dialog that explains what's going on (I'm the opposite - I love things explained and I hate plot holes). Todays audience doesn't want to be read to and seem to be MTV video type viewers. Case in point is that old classic "Who Done It" mysteries are not popular.

I love older classic mysteries where you have a group of murder suspects, everyone has a motive, everyone had oportunity to perform the crime and in the end the dective solves the crime and points out all the evidence HE saw through out the story.

Today you have the SUPRISE(!) / twist where the murdering character is someone WAY OUT in left field and the detective finds the evidence on accident. Today it seems to me if you have a more classic "Who Done It' the audience reactions is "I knew he was the one" followed by "What a stupid movie".

I don't like my detective finding stuff on "accident", I enjoy intellegent characters that "solve" problems. But that's just me.

I'm betting that I'll enjoy Da Vinci Code as an intellegent movie/"work of fiction" that requires actually sitting and paying attention to what is going on.

I'm Christian BTW and I don't see me changing my mind in the least if I watch this movie/work of fiction.

[Sandy G]

I really can't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe Jesus did have a wife & kid; who knows ? I think Jesus had a brother, maybe more. And possibly a sister or 2. What difference does any of it make? If you believe the central message of His life, it shouldn't. But almost everyone enjoys a good "What if" story....

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I really can't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe Jesus did have a wife & kid; who knows ? I think Jesus had a brother, maybe more. And possibly a sister or 2. What difference does any of it make? If you believe the central message of His life, it shouldn't. But almost everyone enjoys a good "What if" story....

Well put Sandy G. I couldn't agree more.

[Celt]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I really can't see what all the fuss is about. Maybe Jesus did have a wife & kid; who knows ? I think Jesus had a brother, maybe more. And possibly a sister or 2. What difference does any of it make? If you believe the central message of His life, it shouldn't. But almost everyone enjoys a good "What if" story....

Exactly.

[Andyman]

Originally Posted by drcruz

I don't think the negative reviews are from religious sources (aint-it-cool-news or darkhorizons are not exactly the center of Christian movie news). I think the negative reviews are based on the attention span of todays audience.

Of the reviews I've read, a lot of them complain about long dialog that explains what's going on (I'm the opposite - I love things explained and I hate plot holes). Todays audience doesn't want to be read to and seem to be MTV video type viewers. Case in point is that old classic "Who Done It" mysteries are not popular.

I love older classic mysteries where you have a group of murder suspects, everyone has a motive, everyone had oportunity to perform the crime and in the end the dective solves the crime and points out all the evidence HE saw through out the story.

Today you have the SUPRISE(!) / twist where the murdering character is someone WAY OUT in left field and the detective finds the evidence on accident. Today it seems to me if you have a more classic "Who Done It' the audience reactions is "I knew he was the one" followed by "What a stupid movie".

I don't like my detective finding stuff on "accident", I enjoy intellegent characters that "solve" problems. But that's just me.

I'm betting that I'll enjoy Da Vinci Code as an intellegent movie/"work of fiction" that requires actually sitting and paying attention to what is going on.

I'm Christian BTW and I don't see me changing my mind in the least if I watch this movie/work of fiction.

I spoke with my wife earlier this morning after I posted and she had the exact same opinion; that the film actually required some thought and that was contradictory to many of todays' MTV 20 second attention span viewer.

Thankfully my 14 year old daughter loved the film and is having a hard time deciding which was better, the film or the book (she usually prefers the books for their details and expanded plot lines, vis' a vis the Harry Potter films). I'm so proud of her!!

[Negotiableterms]

For more humorous heresy, take a look at "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff":

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook37387.htm

Like most of us here, I can't see what the controversy is about. It's fiction, it says it's fiction, and it doesn't make any claims to be founding a new religion. Hmmm... now there's an idea...

[GnRNut]

it's a pretty intriguing movie... and this is coming from a godless atheist.