Mov!e Rev!ew
Mov!e Rev!ew is my Movie Review section!
All New!
Mov!e Rev!ew
The Da Vinci Code
Decided to see what the hype was all about.
Directed by Ron Howard, and based on the highly popular and controversion novel of the same name by Dan Brown.
Pretty interesting, so lets break it up into parts.
Actors
Tom Hanks as Dr. Robert Langdon
Tom Hanks has always been one of my favourite actors. Sadly, he didn't really pull off the part of Robert Langdon quite so well. Perhaps its because of the story line in the movie, as Langdon doesn't quite develop as well as the one in the book.
Still. Good acting on Hanks part, but Langdon could be better.
Audrey Tautou as Agent Sophie Neveu
Well. Not familiar with her, but she carries the role of the French Agent very well. Acting isn't that bad too.
Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing
After Magneto lost his power, he lost the use of his legs too. Ian McKellen comes in as weak Sir Leigh Teabing after playing all powerful Magneto. Not bad acting on his part, pretty flexible if you ask me in terms of roles. However, a few interesting things about the movie. No where is Teabing refered to as a knight. He is just Leigh Teabing. Also, the English Accent is totally missing. At least, its not that obvious. Somehow you expect him to have that accent. Still. Not bad.
Jean Reno as Bezu Fache
I have absolutely nothing to say. Bezu Fache is portrayed as a fanatical member of Opus Dei, who has no self control. Probably fits the title of The Bull more though.
Paul Bettany as Silas
Another way to spell scary. Silas just provides that ugh factor. The part where he beats himself and puts on the cilice is graphic, but the main part is the way he looks. Scary. Well done to the actor though.
Alfred Molina as Bishop Manuel Aringarosa
Doc Ock makes an appearance in the movie too. The Spiderman villain portrays the Opus Dei bishop in the movie, but doesn't quite stick to the story line. Molina doesn't really do well in the role, but he was sufficient.
Those are the main characters. Not really going to go into the others, but the actors did enough to bring out the life of the characters in the book. Acting was good too.
Storyline
Well. Its based on a book. What can I say.
They did not follow the book word for word, but they did well to bring out all the imagery. Certain parts were changed, perhaps not for the better, but there is no detrimental effect on the movie. Interesting parts include the part where Teabing illustrates the Last Supper for Agent Neveu. The graphical use of the Last Supper is amazing. Pointing out all the different things that can be seen. This is definitely better than the book, and fully brings out the effect. The best part is, when they switch the places of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the picture, you find that Mary Magdalene's head is resting on Jesus's shoulder. PERFECTLY. They din't say that in the book.
The ending was a bit weird though. The movie claims straightaway that Neveu is a descendent of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and that Jacques Sauniere wasn't really her grandfather, just the Priory Grand Master who looked after her. Her brother is dead, and when they go into the Roslin Chapel, they find the star themselves. After they go underground and come out again, members of the Priory are around them, and Sophie's grandmother comes forward. If you go by the book, she talks to her brother, who brings her to her grandmother, who brings them to the star. Here, its opposite. Still, not that important.
Another thing they missed out though. The Cryptex. They jumped straight into the second one, bypassing the one with the SOFYA code. I guess they did it because of the movie, but if you didn't read the book, it looks fine, so its not that bad.
Robert Langdon also seems to be amazing. Out of nowhere, he gets these genius ideas, which seem to stem from nothing. For example, when examining the cryptex with Sophie and Teabing, he gets the idea to suddenly open the wooden box and poke something through the cover to release the rose. No where did he even look for a hole, or notice it, yet he just opens the box and *pop* goes the weasel. I mean rose.
Still. Nicely done.
Quotes
Langdon: It's an old wives' tale.
Teabing: The original one, in fact!
Teabing: If it's that important to stop us, you'll have to shoot us.
*Pointing at Remy*
Teabing: You can start with him.
Bloopers as told by IMBd, The Internet Movie database
When Teabing is pointing his gun at Sophie and he wants her to open the cryptex, we see a close up of Robert Langdon who says "one moment". He has his left hand raised. In the next shot, when we see Langdon and Teabing, Langdon's hands are down.
In the final sequence of the movie, when Langdon is on the top of Louvre's inverted glass pyramid, the traveling movement of the camera operator and his assistant are seen by the glass reflection.
When Langdon and Neveu are on their knees at gunpoint, the position of the cryptex changes while on the floor in front of them.
When Teabing is holding the gun up to Langdon's head, the hammer on his pistol is back. When Langdon gets up to solve the key, Teabing then points the pistol at Neveu, and cocks the hammer back.
At Sir Leigh Teabing's house in the morning - the time of day changes many times. (As seen by the sky and sun rise.)
Factual errors: Alexander Pope never delivered a eulogy or did anything for Sir Isaac Newton's funereal. He did at one point write a poem about him.
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Talking in Latin language with Silas, Aringarosa bishop call "Paris" as "Parisi": Latin name for Paris was Lutetia, "Parisi" was the name of its inhabitants.
When Silas has been shot, he first lies down near the wall. In the shot with both himself and the Bishop, he is closer to the Bishop than the wall.
When Sophie poises her black pump over the pond, her shoe is already spotted with green algae.
Right after Silas turns and shoots at Aringarosa he goes up to him. The pistol's slide is open (gun empty)/closed (gun loaded) between shots. Then when he turns to the police, the slide is closed again.
As they are discovering Magdalena's crypt, Langdon pulls a carpet away to reveal a Fleur de lis. As the carpet is pulled away it is quite clean, however when the camera closes in it is covered in dirt and dust.
Pre-1999 stock footage has been used for the River Thames fly-over by the Houses of Parliament, County Hall and the London Assembly. This which means that the London Eye is missing as it was built in 1999. However, later in the Sir Isaac Newton funeral dream sequence, it is correctly superimposed into the frame.
In the scene where Sophie is talking to Langdon and they find out she really is the descendant, there is wind blowing her hair. Every time the angle changes her hair is completely groomed again.
Factual errors: Silas threatens Langdon and Neveu with a pistol which appears to be a Glock. To give more drama to the scene he pulls back the hammer with his thumb. The sound (typical clicks) are added. A pistol doesn't have a hammer. One loads a pistol by pulling back the slide mechanism that covers the barrel.
When Sophie is being held at knife-point by Silas, you see blood trickling from the cut the knife point makes. When the scene shifts back, there is no blood or cut. When it shifts again, the cut and blood are back, and she has the cut/healing wound for the rest of the film.
When Robert and Sophie are in the armored vehicle and handing the Cryptex over to the driver, Robert is pushing a bullet shell with his foot. It falls in the middle of the door frame, yet when the driver tries to shut the door the shell is in the corner of the door.
In the end when Langdon cuts himself with the razor, there is a clear cut, but when he walks from the hotel there is neither cut nor scar.
All New!
Mov!e Rev!ew
The Da Vinci Code
Decided to see what the hype was all about.
Directed by Ron Howard, and based on the highly popular and controversion novel of the same name by Dan Brown.
Pretty interesting, so lets break it up into parts.
Actors
Tom Hanks as Dr. Robert Langdon
Tom Hanks has always been one of my favourite actors. Sadly, he didn't really pull off the part of Robert Langdon quite so well. Perhaps its because of the story line in the movie, as Langdon doesn't quite develop as well as the one in the book.
Still. Good acting on Hanks part, but Langdon could be better.
Audrey Tautou as Agent Sophie Neveu
Well. Not familiar with her, but she carries the role of the French Agent very well. Acting isn't that bad too.
Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing
After Magneto lost his power, he lost the use of his legs too. Ian McKellen comes in as weak Sir Leigh Teabing after playing all powerful Magneto. Not bad acting on his part, pretty flexible if you ask me in terms of roles. However, a few interesting things about the movie. No where is Teabing refered to as a knight. He is just Leigh Teabing. Also, the English Accent is totally missing. At least, its not that obvious. Somehow you expect him to have that accent. Still. Not bad.
Jean Reno as Bezu Fache
I have absolutely nothing to say. Bezu Fache is portrayed as a fanatical member of Opus Dei, who has no self control. Probably fits the title of The Bull more though.
Paul Bettany as Silas
Another way to spell scary. Silas just provides that ugh factor. The part where he beats himself and puts on the cilice is graphic, but the main part is the way he looks. Scary. Well done to the actor though.
Alfred Molina as Bishop Manuel Aringarosa
Doc Ock makes an appearance in the movie too. The Spiderman villain portrays the Opus Dei bishop in the movie, but doesn't quite stick to the story line. Molina doesn't really do well in the role, but he was sufficient.
Those are the main characters. Not really going to go into the others, but the actors did enough to bring out the life of the characters in the book. Acting was good too.
Storyline
Well. Its based on a book. What can I say.
They did not follow the book word for word, but they did well to bring out all the imagery. Certain parts were changed, perhaps not for the better, but there is no detrimental effect on the movie. Interesting parts include the part where Teabing illustrates the Last Supper for Agent Neveu. The graphical use of the Last Supper is amazing. Pointing out all the different things that can be seen. This is definitely better than the book, and fully brings out the effect. The best part is, when they switch the places of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the picture, you find that Mary Magdalene's head is resting on Jesus's shoulder. PERFECTLY. They din't say that in the book.
The ending was a bit weird though. The movie claims straightaway that Neveu is a descendent of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, and that Jacques Sauniere wasn't really her grandfather, just the Priory Grand Master who looked after her. Her brother is dead, and when they go into the Roslin Chapel, they find the star themselves. After they go underground and come out again, members of the Priory are around them, and Sophie's grandmother comes forward. If you go by the book, she talks to her brother, who brings her to her grandmother, who brings them to the star. Here, its opposite. Still, not that important.
Another thing they missed out though. The Cryptex. They jumped straight into the second one, bypassing the one with the SOFYA code. I guess they did it because of the movie, but if you didn't read the book, it looks fine, so its not that bad.
Robert Langdon also seems to be amazing. Out of nowhere, he gets these genius ideas, which seem to stem from nothing. For example, when examining the cryptex with Sophie and Teabing, he gets the idea to suddenly open the wooden box and poke something through the cover to release the rose. No where did he even look for a hole, or notice it, yet he just opens the box and *pop* goes the weasel. I mean rose.
Still. Nicely done.
Quotes
Langdon: It's an old wives' tale.
Teabing: The original one, in fact!
Teabing: If it's that important to stop us, you'll have to shoot us.
*Pointing at Remy*
Teabing: You can start with him.
Bloopers as told by IMBd, The Internet Movie database
When Teabing is pointing his gun at Sophie and he wants her to open the cryptex, we see a close up of Robert Langdon who says "one moment". He has his left hand raised. In the next shot, when we see Langdon and Teabing, Langdon's hands are down.
In the final sequence of the movie, when Langdon is on the top of Louvre's inverted glass pyramid, the traveling movement of the camera operator and his assistant are seen by the glass reflection.
When Langdon and Neveu are on their knees at gunpoint, the position of the cryptex changes while on the floor in front of them.
When Teabing is holding the gun up to Langdon's head, the hammer on his pistol is back. When Langdon gets up to solve the key, Teabing then points the pistol at Neveu, and cocks the hammer back.
At Sir Leigh Teabing's house in the morning - the time of day changes many times. (As seen by the sky and sun rise.)
Factual errors: Alexander Pope never delivered a eulogy or did anything for Sir Isaac Newton's funereal. He did at one point write a poem about him.
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Talking in Latin language with Silas, Aringarosa bishop call "Paris" as "Parisi": Latin name for Paris was Lutetia, "Parisi" was the name of its inhabitants.
When Silas has been shot, he first lies down near the wall. In the shot with both himself and the Bishop, he is closer to the Bishop than the wall.
When Sophie poises her black pump over the pond, her shoe is already spotted with green algae.
Right after Silas turns and shoots at Aringarosa he goes up to him. The pistol's slide is open (gun empty)/closed (gun loaded) between shots. Then when he turns to the police, the slide is closed again.
As they are discovering Magdalena's crypt, Langdon pulls a carpet away to reveal a Fleur de lis. As the carpet is pulled away it is quite clean, however when the camera closes in it is covered in dirt and dust.
Pre-1999 stock footage has been used for the River Thames fly-over by the Houses of Parliament, County Hall and the London Assembly. This which means that the London Eye is missing as it was built in 1999. However, later in the Sir Isaac Newton funeral dream sequence, it is correctly superimposed into the frame.
In the scene where Sophie is talking to Langdon and they find out she really is the descendant, there is wind blowing her hair. Every time the angle changes her hair is completely groomed again.
Factual errors: Silas threatens Langdon and Neveu with a pistol which appears to be a Glock. To give more drama to the scene he pulls back the hammer with his thumb. The sound (typical clicks) are added. A pistol doesn't have a hammer. One loads a pistol by pulling back the slide mechanism that covers the barrel.
When Sophie is being held at knife-point by Silas, you see blood trickling from the cut the knife point makes. When the scene shifts back, there is no blood or cut. When it shifts again, the cut and blood are back, and she has the cut/healing wound for the rest of the film.
When Robert and Sophie are in the armored vehicle and handing the Cryptex over to the driver, Robert is pushing a bullet shell with his foot. It falls in the middle of the door frame, yet when the driver tries to shut the door the shell is in the corner of the door.
In the end when Langdon cuts himself with the razor, there is a clear cut, but when he walks from the hotel there is neither cut nor scar.
Dragon_4eva rambled on and on at 9:59 pm
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