Review: The Da Vinci Code

I wanted to love The Da Vinci Code, but instead I got a lukewarm feeling all throughout. It was well executed in parts, with very good cinematography, but mostly it plodded along like a heavy, weighted thing that would have benefited from some slimming. And that slimming should have come as Ron Howard taking out unnecessary scenes from the source, rather than giving us what may be the most literal and exact adaptation in recent years. In the hands of a more imaginative, daring director, we probably would have been given a better film. Then again, this made me think that the book probably wasn't meant to be made into a film in the first place. The pace works in the novel, but not in the movie.

Having said all that, thumbs up to Sir Ian McKellen (in fine form, as always), Paul Bettany (chilling), and the serenely beautiful Audrey Tautou. Grade: C+