With the upcoming release of the new Ron Howard-Tom Hanks
thriller INFERNO Sony has chosen to re-release their first two original outings
together with the Dan Brown character of Robert Langdon. It’s a good thing to as
some may have forgotten how great those two movies were. Not only that but it
makes a great excuse for upgrading from the old DVD to blu-ray formats. And of
those fortunate enough to have upgraded to the new 4k format it is available
that way as well.
But let’s go back to the beginning with this, the first
film. Hanks stars as Langdon, a professor of religious iconology and symbology,
a less action prone Indiana Jones. While lecturing in Paris he is called upon
by Captain Bezu Fache (Jean Reno) to help in the investigation of a murdered
curator at The Louvre, Jacques Sauniere. Langdon was supposed to have met with
the man but failed to do so. Now he stands over the man’s body looking at clues
put in place by the man as he was dying.
As he interprets the clues for the captain another officer,
Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tatou) arrives with information. She loans Langdon her
cell phone and tells him to call a specific number. When he does, he gets a
recording made by Sophie telling him that he is about to be arrested for the
murder and to go to the men’s room. She aids him in escaping and off they go
with the police in pursuit.
It turns out Sophie was the granddaughter of the deceased
and believes a message he left behind with Langdon’s name on it wasn’t a clue to
the name of his murderer but one to lead her to seek his help. Using the clues
left behind by Sauniere they discover that he was a member of a secret society
known as the Priory of Sion whose duty was to protect the Holy Grail. With not
only the police but a separate secret society, an outlaw sect of the Catholic
Church, they must not only clear Langdon’s name but find the real murderer and
save the grail at the same time. But just exactly what is the grail?
What we have here is a well thought out mystery that takes
the time to offer clues to its solution from start to finish. As I said earlier
the character of Langdon is a sort of Indiana Jones figure, a scholar with an
overwhelming sense of wonder at all things in his field. The look of amazement
on Hank’s face as Langdon when he is presented with various items, paintings,
symbols and more throughout shows the love and respect the character has for
each. It is a subtle display that shows why Hanks is one of the best actors in
the business.
The movie progresses at an even keel combining moments with
a sense of urgency beside others that show the thought process going on as
Hanks and Tatou attempt to solve the puzzle with each clue moving them forward
to yet another. This is author Dan Brown’s method on display, telling us not
just what is happening in the here and now but how it relates to history as
well. While my guess would be there is some narrative license being used at
moments, much of the history told is well researched and solid. This makes the movie
not only a thriller that holds you in its grip but one that fills you full of
history and information at the same time.
In watching the film I was amazed at just how well it was
done. Howard has pulled together some of the most talented people in the
business behind the scenes as well as on screen to present a compelling story
that grabs the viewer by the throat and never lets go until the final credits
roll. You never want to turn from the screen for fear of missing out on
something. Even ten years later and two viewings in the past I still found
myself fascinated. The film remains gorgeous to look at and entertaining to the
extreme.
If you’ve never seen the movie then by all means buy a copy
today. You’ll find it one of the best movies made in some time as well as one
of the greatest thrillers around. And if you pick this one and its sequel
ANGELS & DEMONS up soon you’ll have time to get caught up in the story of
Langdon before the next movie comes out. It will be time well spent.
Click here to order.
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