Dan Brown
Angels and Demons re-teams director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks for the sequel to their international blockbuster adaptation of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code. Although the book Angels and Demons was written before the novel The Da Vinci Code, the movie transpires after the events of the earlier movie. Hanks stars as professor Robert Langdon, the most respected symbologist in the United States, who uses his knowledge in order to decode a symbol on the skin of a murder victim. The clues put him on the trail of an international conspiracy involving the Catholic Church. Ewan McGregor and Ayelet Zurer also star in the Sony Pictures production. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Ayelet Zurer, (more)
Dan Brown's controversial best-selling novel about a powerful secret that's been kept under wraps for thousands of years comes to the screen in this suspense thriller from director Ron Howard. The stately silence of Paris' Louvre museum is broken when one of the gallery's leading curators is found dead on the grounds, with strange symbols carved into his body and left around the spot where he died. Hoping to learn the significance of the symbols, police bring in Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), a gifted cryptographer who is also the victim's granddaughter. Needing help, Sophie calls on Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), a leading symbologist from the United States. As Sophie and Robert dig deeper into the case, they discover the victim's involvement in the Priory of Sion, a secret society whose members have been privy to forbidden knowledge dating back to the birth of Christianity. In their search, Sophie and Robert happen upon evidence that could lead to the final resting place of the Holy Grail, while members of the priory and an underground Catholic society known as Opus Dei give chase, determined to prevent them from sharing their greatest secrets with the world. Also starring Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, and Alfred Molina, The Da Vinci Code was shot on location in France and the United Kingdom; the Louvre allowed the producers to film at the famous museum, but scenes taking place at Westminster Abbey had to filmed elsewhere when church officials declined permission. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, (more)
Cracking the Da Vinci Code takes a closer look at some of the events discussed in Dan Brown's massive best-seller The Da Vinci Code. In addition to interview footage with Brown, the film also features interviews with religious expert Dr. Stephen A. Hoeller and authors Clive Prince and Lynn Picknett, whose nonfiction work had a direct effect on Brown's fictional creation. Also included is footage of some of the locations where the action in the book transpires. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Dan Brown's blockbuster best-seller The Da Vinci Code has intrigued millions of readers with its tale of classic paintings and their relation to biblical history. Da Vinci Code Decoded attempts to explain the factual basis for the elements in Brown's story. The film touches on such controversial topics as if Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, what are the Gnostic Gospels, and what if any influence Roman leaders had on the writing of the New Testament. The film does include interviews with Brown as well as other experts on the topics discussed. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
