The Da Vinci Code DVD Review
The Da Vinci Code DVD Review
Duh-vinci.
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You knew it was coming. This dumbed-down cinematic version of Dan Brown's intricate novel of the same name, The Da Vinci Code was dubbed a comparative dud when it landed in theaters in 2006. So dark the con of man, indeed: With a megastar like Tom Hanks taking on lead character Robert Langdon, cryptographer Sophie (played by Audrey Tatou) was reduced to a sidekick (in the book, it's all about the "sacred feminine" and it's her ingenuity which leads Landgon to cracking the Code).
Basically, as you probably know, the rather bloated feature follows an American professor whose Parisian lecture tour on womanly symbolism gets disrupted when he's wrongly implicated in a savage slaying which took place at the Louvre museum. He joins forces with the granddaughter of the murdered curator, and they go on the lam to clear his name and, why not?, solve the mystery of the Holy Grail. It's really not the usual fodder for Horror.com, but the DVD is worth a look in anticipation of the sequel Angels & Demons, opening Friday (May 15). Angels & Demons not only tackles more suitably Satanic subject matter, but judging from the previews on The Da Vinci Code Blu-ray disc, it's going to be pretty bloody.
While I can't say The Da Vinci Code has gotten any sharper with age, the cast is quite impressive. Alongside the charismatic leads are Paul Bettany as a nasty zealot suffering from albinism and masochism; Sir Ian McKellen as a Grail groupie; a hyperbolic Jean Reno playing a dogged detective; and Alfred Molina as a not-so-holy Father. In spite of the fact lots of clues and codes are written in blood, there isn't actually a lot of it for fans… actually, there is more gore in the special scene from Angels & Demons, which affable director Ron Howard sets up and introduces.
The Blu-ray transfer is, er, faithful to its source: it wasn't a very sharp picture to begin with, thanks for all the diffusion filters and shadowy settings used by cinematographer Salvatore Totino. The sound is quite strident though, the dialogue clear and crisp, and the extras are fun and educational. Many of the additional release features can already be had if you've got the '06 DVD, but I downloaded the red carpet interviews from the Angels & Demons premiere in Rome (not very in-depth interviews — just a few "it's great to be here"-ish soundbites), and I watched the 7-minute Angels & Demons extended preview, in which at least one throat was rather cruelly cut.
Also on this 2-disc, extended cut:
Unlocking the Code - Interactive PiP Experience.
Select-Scenes Audio Commentary by Ron Howard.
Production Featurettes - 17 of them!
BD-Live Cinechat (get online and text with your friends, if they're also watching the movie).
MovieCash Code - log in to get your free ticket to see Angels & Demons.
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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson