Dan Brown writes fiction, not theology. I saw Angels & Demons this weekend with friends and I was underwhelmed. The fact that we were three rows from the screen made me feel a part of things, but some of it was just too far fetched to really grasp. Our average score was 4.5 out of 10, so save it for a video rental rather than an expensive night out. The book was good. Another plug for reading!
Read more from Ben Witherington
"Yes, Tom Hanks is back, and yes the plot is still filled with historical hooey (to use Tom Hanks' words), but this movie is not as deadly dull as its predecessor, in fact it has some interesting moments in it.
This one is bound to offend less because :
1 ) it doesn't suggest there was a Mrs. Mary;
2) it involves a guild of mad scientists called Illuminati who must have been cowboys as well as they kept carrying around branding irons, an interesting juxtaposition; and
3) it gives one an inside glimpse at the Vatican, even though the Vatican in actuality would not allow Opie to film there. Still Rome and its churches come alive in this film, and that's worth seeing.
This film is briskly paced and whilst it appears to set up a science and religion clash, actually the message of the film seems to be that the two can make nice, even if they aren't yet kissing cousins. The ratings on this film are only at 37% so it appears the critics are in a 'once bitten twice shy' mode after the Da Vinci Code bomb. The difference is that this movie quite literally bombs at the end, but lest I spoil the plot I will simply say this film is better than the usual summer drivel, but don't expect any Oscars coming the way of this two hour thrill ride."
Read more from Ben Witherington
"Yes, Tom Hanks is back, and yes the plot is still filled with historical hooey (to use Tom Hanks' words), but this movie is not as deadly dull as its predecessor, in fact it has some interesting moments in it.
This one is bound to offend less because :
1 ) it doesn't suggest there was a Mrs. Mary;
2) it involves a guild of mad scientists called Illuminati who must have been cowboys as well as they kept carrying around branding irons, an interesting juxtaposition; and
3) it gives one an inside glimpse at the Vatican, even though the Vatican in actuality would not allow Opie to film there. Still Rome and its churches come alive in this film, and that's worth seeing.
This film is briskly paced and whilst it appears to set up a science and religion clash, actually the message of the film seems to be that the two can make nice, even if they aren't yet kissing cousins. The ratings on this film are only at 37% so it appears the critics are in a 'once bitten twice shy' mode after the Da Vinci Code bomb. The difference is that this movie quite literally bombs at the end, but lest I spoil the plot I will simply say this film is better than the usual summer drivel, but don't expect any Oscars coming the way of this two hour thrill ride."Click the link above for all of Ben's opinions on this one.
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