The Code

Well, I've seen the Da Vinci code at the second attempt. It's not as bad as all the reviewers make it out to be. It's pretty faithful to the book actually, which is rare enough in a film.

• Tom Hanks didn't do as badly in it as I thought, and Audrey Tatou isn't a bad Sophie (pretty cute too) but there were some unfortunate casting choices. Namely Alfred Milona as the cardinal - maybe it's me, but after Spiderman 2 I had trouble seeing him in this one as anyone but Doc Oc. Paul Bettany has defintely the best role in the film tho, as Silas. Genuinely creepy!


• People are complaining that the plot is very stop-start - of course it is, the book was like that, and they stuck to the book!


• I wonder how long Teabing was waiting for someone to come along and ask about the grail, so that he could show them that wonderful flashy presentation on the Last Supper he'd spent so long working on....


• There were a few gaps in it from the book - like they never bothered explaining why the guy from the bank bothered to drag them off and try to steal the codex. Who was he exactly?


• You'd hate to be in Sophie's shoes at the end of the film. "You're the last living descendant of Christ, you have to continue on the bloodline" - talk about pressure!


• Anyone who has their religious beliefs changed by this film is too weak-willed to deserve them anyway. Run little ones! Don't listen to Tom Cruise, he'll take your soul and give it to the aliens! And your wallet too!

As an aside, I was standing outside the theater waiting to go in, and I was wondering why the odd person going past me was throwing me dirty looks. When I turned around to goin, I realised why - I was standing beside a poster for the new film "United 93", and I happened to be wearing my New York t-shirt! Oops!