Does The Pope Shit In The Woods?

As with The Da Vinci Code, Ron Howard's adaptation of Dan Brown's novel Angels and Demons appears pretty faithful. And thats the problem with this solid adult thriller.

Angels and Demons was the first Robert Langdon Novel commited to the page. Its got an intriguing premise, woven around the modern church and their history, a treasure hunt structure and cleverly includes iconic mythologys, works of art and landmarks. But Brown obviously didn'y quite nail the story with this version, chosing to re-tell the same story with different variables. So he replaced the Illuminatti with the Templars, replaced Sophie with Vetra, replaced Rapael with Da Vinci, replaced Italy with Paris and London and replaced the Church's conspiricy to gag scientific truth with the church's conspiricy to gag religious truth. And by changing the iconogrphy to those that are much better known, he produced a far more interesting story.

Unfortunately the movie adaptations were filmed the opposite way round, making Angels and Demons much more familiar and far less facinating. But there's still some intriguing stuff here, from Vatican tradition, Renaissance history, Church protocal as well as how Catholicism relates to the modern scientific world.

Its a better photographed movie to it's predcessor, more tightly scripted (thanks to co-writer David Koepp) with a great Hans Zimmer score (proving that, while others may attempt to replicate him, he's still the best). Direcor Ron Howard's direction is fine but unremarkable. The whole endevour comes across like a mild mannered, religious, screen version of TV series 24; you almost expect a digital clock to appear to countdown to each cliffhanger moment.

Now that would have made an adrenalising movie; Jack Bauer consumed with obcession as he tortures his way through the Catholic ranks, seeking to difuse the nuke. If Keifer Sutherland survives season 7, I think season 8 is a go!