Review of “Angels and Demons” movie

Posted by admin

July 4, 2009

I hesitated to review the movie Angels and Demons for Guideposts.com. I hadn’t read the book; I hadn’t even read author Dan Brown’s wildly popular The Da Vinci Code, nor seen the film based on it. Given this lack of background, I wondered if it would be unwise to review the new Angels and Demons movie, with no real frame of reference.

On the other hand, that could be an advantage: My mind would be a complete blank (nothing surprising there!) and I would have no preconceived notions. I went to the movies.

As far as action films go, Angels and Demons did not disappoint. It’s quick-paced (on the order of the Indiana Jones series), with an implausible but interesting storyline and plenty of mystery. Unlike many movies in this genre, its twists and turns were relatively easy to follow. Although fans have complained
about plot changes—director Ron Howard appears to have skipped or revised a great deal of the book—none of that bothered me.

The film is beautifully crafted, almost like a travelogue. The musical score is incredible, so appropriate in every scene. The majesty of Rome, the Vatican, the sweeping aerial views of St. Peter’s Square—they thrill the senses and make you feel right there. The Vatican did not allow filming inside, so in addition to sets, producers used animation to fill in the gaps, and that was accomplished perfectly.

However, I did note a subtle but definite anti-Catholic position here. Negative comments about the church are simply tossed around without any challenge to their truthfulness. I was also offended by the typical Hollywood manipulation of a “good guy” expressing moral beliefs early in the story, then—in an all-too-familiar device—being revealed as the “bad guy” at the end. What does this imply about faith? Yes, I know it’s fiction, but still…

The Vatican newspaper recently dismissed the film as “harmless entertainment,” while commenting that it “has little to do with the genius and mystery of Christianity.” And I think that’s where the movie really disappointed me.

As a devotee of angels and their positions in the heavenly kingdom, I had hoped to see them in a real role here, perhaps interacting with the characters, announcing a miracle or gracing us with some significant truth. Instead, unless I missed it, they only appeared in the form of statues at Rome monuments chosen as dumping grounds for murder victims—an undignified and pointless function. The “Angels” and “Demons” of the title really didn’t have anything to do with the movie at all.

Angels and Demons opened to lackluster reviews, and although it will likely be a financial success, revenue has already started to slide downhill. I believe that with a bit of mysticism, much more could have been accomplished.

One major note: The murder scenes are grisly and not acceptable for grade-schoolers or sensitive teens. This is most certainly not a family movie.