Angels and Demons - A Review

I was already familiar with the Templars and the concept of Jesus Christ marrying Mary Magdalene so I was no longer surprise when I read the Da Vinci Code. It is a mystery novel that successfully mixed fact with fiction that, soon, it became a bestselling novel. It was a much talked about novel but encountered little or no controversy at all. It was so successful that it was soon adapted as a film feature.

I understood the furor and criticisms that the movie encountered before, during and after its showing. While the book did not cause much stir in the literary word, it being preceded by numerous books about the Templars and the Jesus/Mary Magdalene alleged union, it was expected that the readers will not take a fiction as the bible truth. It may spur some curious research for verification as I did, but it was expected that most readers will be able to separate fact from fiction. But movies are different. Since they are made to be easily understood, some of those shown are being or might be accepted as true accounts, hence, the movie was heavily criticized by the Vatican. It did not help that the movie, which attack the very core of our Christian belief cannot and will not be able to tell the story of our faith in two hours, did nothing to say that it was just a work of fiction.

Now on with Angel and Demons. Angels and Demons is actually a prequel of Da Vinci Code. Angel and Demons is actually a better mystery novel. It was fast-paced and chilling that you wish you can read fast enough so you'd know how the story ends. Unfortunately, the movie failed to captured this ambience. The movie was slow and failed to capture the intensity and the suspenseful nature of the novel. It was so boring you'd wished they had all four cardinals dead in a matter of minutes and all the polices fired for they ineptitude and allowing a foreigner to run their investigation.

Angel and Demons is your usual who-done-it suspense thriller with the Vatican as the background. It failed to keep me sitting on the edge of my seat as I could not feel the danger that will keep me glued to the screen. I could not symphatize with the victim so there was not the excitement or the adrenalin rush that I felt while watching Da Vinci Code. One reason why the movie failed miserably was that it was not able to establish clearly the relationship of the Papacy to the Carmelengo which is the key element of the story. Had that been made clear, then people will be in for a big surprise.

Another reason why the movie sucks big time is the wrong choice of actor who played the Carmelengo. The reason that we all became enamored with the Da Vinci movie even if most of the viewers already knew what will happen, is that Sir Ian Mckellen, the actor who was the main villain in the movie (he was also the kontra-bulate in X-Men movies)was able to convince us that he was your BFF. A person na pwede mong pagsabihan ng iyong sekwet na nakakasigurado kang walang leakage kasi nga BFF. At kahit na me leakage, hindi mo siya pagdududahan. Ganyan kagaling si Sir Mckellen, nabola niya ang lahat na hindi siya ang kontra-bulate until a last minute stupidity got him in. Which was lacking in the actor who portrayed the Carmelengo. He lacked the charm, the innocence that would make us believe that he was incapable of killing the Pope. He was very explicit with his action, lacking the subtlety that is important to all those successful kontra-bulate. He was flat. He lacks the duality that would make his portrayal of an innocent man gone power hungry convincing.

So what made me stay for a little bit longer? ROME. Magnifico, its ancient facade a story itself. The place was so beautifully captured in the film it made we want to try and torture myself again with long flights so I can visit this place. No wonder the place is called the ETERNAL CITY.

But Eternal City aside, I can no longer keep the boredom and the misery from setting in. I was miserable thinking of the chances I took while I was stealing coins from Panget's purse. Paano kung nahuli ako, mababatukan ako just because of a boring movie? Hmm, simply not worth it. And with my eyes begging for a sound sleep, I hurriedly left the movie right into the second murdered cardinal.

Well, it was wise of the Vatican to keep their mouth shut this time. The movie simply simply ain't worth the trouble. Buti na lang nakita ko yung barkada kong nagtatarbaho sa SM, pinanood ko ulit ang Ded na si Lolo, buhay na ulit ang dugo ko.....