The pope is dead. And thousands have gathered at St Peter’s Square to witness the election of the new pope. In this period of uncertainty, a secret, underground anti-Catholic Church society, Illuminati, comes back to seek revenge. The Illuminati steals some potentially devastating antimatter from Geneva, leaving the world hapless and vulnerable, and kidnaps the four candidates for papacy, threatening to execute the cardinals publically. And so it is for our American symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) to fly down to Rome to trace the culprit and save the Church and humanity. He plunders the Vatican archives for clues to "the path of illumination" even as the Illuminati villain keeps bumping off his hostages one by one. Running along with Langdon is a fetching scientist, Vittorio Vetra (Zurer). Other significant players include commander Richter (Skarsgard), the head of the Swiss Guards who’s reluctant to take Langdon’s help, and Camerlengo Patrick McKenna (McGregor), the dead pope’s chief administrator.
Angels and Demons is far more accessible than Da Vinci Code and far more pacy too. It doesn’t want viewers to pause, and reflect. The spread of clues does seem confusing at times, the historical anecdotes might seem too obscure and lack of logic is written all over the plot. But no one really cares, least of all the director. Ultimately the film is all about a nice packaged tour through Rome with some thrills and chills thrown in. It’s the action that is far more significant than those meaningful signs and symbols. The scenes which draw attention are like the one where Langdon and a guard get trapped in the "oxygen-less" Vatican library and you wonder how they will get out.
Ron Howard takes care not to pitch it as a Church vs Science debate. Tom Hanks is wishy-washy and tired as Langdon. Only one of his lines makes you smile; when he tells the priests: "You guys don’t read your own history". It’s only Skarsgard and McGregor who keep the viewer glued by their sheer presence. The one who caught my eye is the shadowy villain, Nikolaj Lie Kaas. He seems like a potentially enigmatic actor, one wishes there was more of him in the film.
High Fives
Bollywood
1. 99
2. Raftar ka Junoon (dubbed)
3. 8x10 Tasveer
4. Detective Naani
5. Aa Dekhe Zara
Hollywood
1. Up
2. Night at the Museum
3. Terminator Salvation
4. Drag me to Hell
5. Star Trek
Hard Rock Album
1. Dark Horse (Nickelback)
2. The Sound of Madness (Shinedown)
3. Scars & Souvenirs (Theory of a Deadman)
4. Carver City (CKY)
5. Swan Song (Hollywood Undead)
Courtesy: Film Information
