Angels and Demons

Ron Howard and Tom Hanks reunite in this sequel to it's critically panned predecessor, The Da Vinci Code. Angels and Demons is an epic thrill ride that kept me guessing the entire film and this film was better than the last.

This film begins with both the death of the pope and a science experiment in which scientists create a form of energy called antimatter which has the power to create a giant explosion if it touches anything. As this is happening, a secret organization known as the Illuminati kidnaps the four priests, one of which will become the new pope, and also steal one of the cases of antimatter. Then the Catholic Church turns to Robert Langdon(Tom Hanks) hoping that he can help uncover the secrets of the Illuminati and save Vatican City from destruction.

When it comes to the plot, there are several things to think about. This film is a thriller/mystery which means that there are quite a few twists in the film. In many films, twists are a bad thing that causes one to become confused but in mysteries, twists are necessary to deliver a good movie. In this case, the twists kept me into the film and were the fun part about the movie. Several scenes just blew me away because they took me down one trail and then switched it around completely surprising me.

A downside to this film is that it could have been a little shorter. The end seemed to really drag out and after looking back at the film, this problem could have been solved if I read the book. At about twenty-five, thirty minutes before the end of the film, there is a big scene which made it seem like the climax. After this scene, I was expecting the movie to end for the next twenty minutes. A warning to those who haven't seen the movie: The scene with the helicopter isn't the climax. If you remember that, the film will probably not feel as dragged out.

On the other hand, the action was great, the suspense was planned well, and the twists kept me on the edge of my seat the entire film. Since I love music, I also noticed that the score in this film was amazing and fit perfectly with the scenes. All the acting was superb as well and that is no surprise looking at the lead actors Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor. This all mixed together to form one big thriller that, while not as fun as Star Trek and Wolverine, will entertain many crowds that want to see something different. 2.5 stars out of 4.

Angels and Demons has a running time of two hours and twenty minutes. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images, and thematic material.