The Da Vinci Code arrives on Blu-ray looking great, but still suffering from pacing issues. The Blu-ray adds 28 minutes into the film (mostly more character development), but they do little to correct some of the theatrical cuts’ problems.
Based on the international bestselling novel from Dan Brown, the film benefits from the steady direction of Ron Howard, and solid performances from Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, and Alfred Molina (who gets the most of the new screen time which helps explain more about his Bishop Manuel Aringarosa character).
Akiva Goldsman (Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and I, Robot) pens the adaptation of the book, and keeps the film grounded in what Brown did in the book. Goldman did make a handful of changes to Brown’s novel, but it was nothing that would ruin the story for fans of the book.
The film (which cost an estimated $125 million to make) was a huge success taking in more than $750 million. By now the plot is well known, but I will try not to give away any massive spoilers in the review.
The story kicks off at a rocket pace with Professor Langdon (Hanks) in Paris for a lecture on his new book, and being thrust into a mystery and conspiracy that could shake the foundations of Christianity.
Langdon is accused of murdering the Louvre chief curator, and for the rest of the movie he is on the run with dead curator’s “granddaughter” Sophie Neveu. Hot on his heels is Captain Bezu Fache and the French police – who believe he killed the curator and three other men. Langdon is also being pursued by the real killer, Silas (Bettany) – who is also an albino and a devout follower of the Opus Dei sect of the Catholic faith.
Silas works for Bishop Manuel Aringarosa (Molina), and believes he is doing God’s work. Aringarosa also believes he is doing what is best for the Catholic faith and the church, but both will discover the truth of their actions before the film is finished.
On the run, Langdon and Sophie are forced to follow the clues her grandfather left that will lead to the location of The Holy Grail. These clues are centuries old and are hidden in symbols and riddles spread through works of art (including that of Da Vinci).
Langdon also gets help from his old friend Sir Leigh Teabing (McKellen) – who is obsessed with finding the Grail and revealing its truth to the world. This obsession brings a twist into the movie towards the ending, but I won’t give it away in the review.
Watching the film on Blu-ray reminded me why I enjoyed it the first time, and it really looks incredible in 1080p high definition. The colors really pop in the movie, and the filming is crisp and sharp. It looked good on DVD, but Blu-ray helps reveal more details that might have been overlooked the first time (some of the art seems more textured and layered).
Even with the extra footage, the film is still a bit hard to follow at the beginning with Howard and company moving straight into the murder, conspiracy and Grail hunt. This isn’t a great problem if you have read the book (which I have), but you might be lost without the background information (my wife hasn’t read the book and was lost in the first 15 minutes). Everything was explained in detail, but it moves at such a fast pace that if you miss one detail you could be lost for a while.
The film then drops to a crawling pace so that Langdon and Teabing can explain in detail all the information that has been glossed over so far, and the history of the “true” Holy Grail.
These scenes feature great performances from Hanks and McKellen, and the two actors have great chemistry playing off of each other’s position in the Grail debate. It makes the history lesson feel like entertainment, but also feels like a bathroom break in the film’s pacing.
As soon as the break is over, Howard and company put the plot back on full throttle as our characters rush into the film’s closing act, discover the “truth” about the Grail, and the secrets behind who has been responsible for the murders.
Even with pacing issues, The Da Vinci Code is still a solid thriller that benefits from its great casting. Everyone in the film is perfect in their roles, and Howard seems like the right director to condense this thick story into a film format.
Hanks (even with the crazy hair) is comfortable as Langdon, and seems at home playing such an intelligent character that is thrust into a conspiracy that is well over his head. He isn’t Indiana Jones, but he does know how to throw a punch and save the girl. I also liked the way Hanks worked through the puzzles making it seem believable that his character to could process the mystery so swiftly.
Bettany is also great as the classic villain (even though he has a questionable accent and is being misled). Silas is extremely deadly, believes he is doing God’s work, and is willing to give his life for his beliefs. The fact his character is being mislead makes you almost feel sorry for what is happening to him.
Watching it on Blu-ray, I also appreciated McKellen’s performance as Teabing more, and picked up more on some of the character’s ticks. McKellen seems to really enjoy playing the character and seems to be having a good time on screen. His character has been on the Grail hunt for most of his life, and seems to be having the adventure of a lifetime as he moves closer and closer to the Grail.
The Blu-ray comes with some of the expected special features which take you into the making of the film and explores in detail how it was brought to the screen. The features also include interviews with Brown, a look at the Langdon character, and how the filmmakers adapted the codes and imagery into the movie.
The big feature is the five minute look at the next Langdon adventure Angels and Demons (which Brown actually wrote before The Da Vinci Code). The preview looks like the film will be another solid thriller, and match the pace of the first film.
Even with its faults, I still enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, and liked the extended cut better than the theatrical cut of the film. The extra footage doesn’t make any groundbreaking changes, but does explain a few of the characters’ motivations (mostly Molina’s Bishop Manuel Aringarosa) and answer some of the plot holes.
If you hated the film the first time you saw it, the new extended cut won’t change your opinion, but it does seem to be a smoother version of the story. The new cut does helps answers some of the question those unfamiliar with the book might have in the opening minutes of the film.
The Da Vinci Code (Two-Disc Extended Cut) is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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