HOT: Angels & Demons

As I said in my Da Vinci Code review, I did not read this book. I really enjoyed seeing Da Vinci Code when I first saw it - so I was really looking forward to this sequel (prequel?).

But, when I first saw Angels & Demons in the theater I felt it as a bit of a let down. I was looking for more hidden clues like in Da Vinci Code and it just wasn't there. In fact, although I always wanted to re-check it out, it wasn't until this Hanks-O-Thon that I was finally able to.

On a second viewing, I must say I enjoyed it a lot more. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon, a symbologist that had helped solve Da Vinci's code to track down the final resting place of Mary Magdalene, and discover the last scion.

Although Angels & Demons was written before Da Vinci Code because of the popularity of the latter, it was turned into a film first by Ron Howard. And, when making Angels & Demons he decided to make it as a sequel instead of a prequel.

Here Langdon is summoned to the Vatican after the pope has died and a member of the CERN team is killed after creating three vials of antimatter, which one is stolen. The Vatican, while most of the cardinals are voting to to elect a new pope, someone has kidnapped four 'preferiti' - or the top options to become the new pope. It is sensed that this individual is part of a once thought extinct Illuminati.

Of course, clues are left - some many, many years ago - that can help lead Langdon to the four spots where the cardinals are being left to die.

This time, Langdon is helped by a member of CERN, Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), that helped create the missing antimatter that is being used to threaten to blow up the Vatican. Ewan McGregor also stars as the Pope's Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, a boy that was adopted by the pope and raised inside the Vatican.

Head of the Vatrican police is Commander Maximilian Richter (Stellan Skarsgård), who doesn't readily accept the help of Langdon and Vetra in tracking down the missing cardinals - especially after Langdon leads them to the wrong spot the first time.

So, this time around the pair aren't being chased by everyone as in Da Vinci Code - here it is a race against time to find the missing cardinals before they are all killed, and find the missing antimatter before it is used to blow up the Vatican.

As I said to start, I liked it when I first saw it - but I wasn't in love with it. What I fell in love with during Da Vinci Code and a lot of films like it is the clues and codes that are used to move onto the next code or clue. Here there just wasn't as many - there are still some good ones - but not as much as I would have liked.

On repeat viewing, though, I believe I enjoyed it much more. I still enjoy the first movie more, and I definitely enjoyed Audrey Tatou more than Zurer as Langdon's sidekick.

However, after watching both of these films a few weeks apart - definitely looking forward to them coming out with more. Lost Symbol has been out for over three years now, and it appears to be in development - can't wait to check that one out.

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36/50x2: The Ghost Writer

Well, it finally happened. Waiting way too long to write these reviews has finally caught up to me. I admit that on several occasions in writing these I had to look up certain things, but for the most part I still pretty much remembered and understood what had happened in the film.

But, The Ghost Writer is the first film where I believe there was just far too much going on in the movie for me to actually remember what it was about.

So, I will give you a very short, clift notes version of what I can remember. Ewan McGregor stars as the unnamed ghost writer. He has been tasked to help write the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) after the ghost writer before him, Mike McAra, died in an auto accident.

He travels to a small villa that Lang, his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) and his assistant Amelia (Kim Cattrall) are all staying at. He first stays in a hotel, but after Amelia forbids him from taking the memoirs with him to work with, he decides to take up a room there.

Like the ghost writer before him, he begins to dig up many things about the Lang administration - mostly about capturing terrorists and handing them over to the CIA for torture.

Many other things are uncovered, including a pretty large twist near the end that even I did not see coming - at least I don't think I did, but it has been far too long. Hence why I will never wait this long again or fall this far behind in writing the reviews.

Anyway, from what I do remember about the film it was - decent. I really do enjoy a film about cover-ups and uncovering secrets, but here even the uncovering was done rather - boring I guess may be the word.

I really enjoy McGregor in almost anything he has been doing, and here he was pretty darn good as well. Brosnan is also pretty top notch in the role as the Prime Minister. I guess it was just the writing - and it was just so dark and bleak all of the time. Too many clouds and too much grey.

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Theater Review: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D

It's pretty much a known fact that I am a huge Star Wars fan, and although I do feel the prequel trilogy is a bit subpar compared to the original trilogy, I still find the need for them and have learned to enjoy what they do have to offer.

That being said, I know I am not going to chance anyone's feelings about the films. If you are like me and have learned to enjoy them, then you already enjoy them. But, if you like to pick things apart and truly hate the film, there is no way that I am changing your mind.

So, I was able to take my family to see Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D in the theater. Say what you want, but being able to experience a Star Wars film on the large screen is truly spectacular. The first time I heard John Williams' epic score as the crawl came on the screen always gives me goosebumps. And, it did again when I heard it this time.

My son has really started to enjoy the Star Wars franchise, much like I have. This was his first experience seeing one of the films on the big screen - and I am very excited that he was able to get that experience.

I guess I will just talk about a few parts of the film. The Phantom Menace, although needed in my opinion, is probably the worst of the six films.

There are two things, however, that The Phantom Menace has that may be superior to some of the other films.

First, the pod race. That is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the entire franchise. And, seeing it on the big screen - and in 3D - was spectacular.

Second, Darth Maul. I have said it before, but it is worth repeating, Darth Maul (Ray Park) is one of the best villains ever created. And, he hardly gets any screen time - and even gets killed off (though if you follow the Clone Wars this may not be true) near the end of the film. Maul was experienced in the Force, had martial arts training, and carried a double-bladed light saber - how cool is that?

Plus, he took on two of the most powerful Jedis - killed one and was surprised by the other. That is a great villain - and I am sad that we got saddled with Count Dooku over two films while Maul was limited to part of this one.

Now, the 3D portion of the film. If you are expecting crazy 3D like light sabers coming out of the screen at you, don't bother. This is the type of 3D that I enjoy - it shows the depth of the images and I felt it worked amazingly well.

I am truly excited to see each and every film in this franchise, and it is only going to get better as the movies progress. I wasn't expecting for these releases to take six years to finish, but I guess they are trying to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the original Star Wars when Return of the Jedi is finally released.

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