For Dan Brown’s fans, this must be the most awaited movie of the year. Especially after a long wait since Angels & Demons a few years ago. Well, I do not know if it satisfies all the hardcore fans or not, but it’s definitely not a bad movie at all.
If there is one thing that never changes in all those movies, since Da Vinci Code, it’s Tom Hanks. The charismatic actor has been there since day one, and as long as Dan Brown still continues writing about Robert Langdon, and Ron Howard still directs those adapted movies, I don’t think he will be gone soon. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about him. He is still one of the finest actor nowadays, and he fits the role really well. Just that like Han Solo and Lady M, he may want to start thinking of passing his baton to someone else in the future. A long lost son, maybe? 🙂
While Tom Hanks was a constant, his companions have been changing, and this time it’s Felicity Jones. She has been around for a while, but she has not found her big break until The Theory of Everything, the movie that propelled Eddie Redmayne to super stardom and Oscar winner. She did not win, but she has been thrown into the spotlight, and the next mega project will be Star Wars: Rogue One, where she will be the lead.
Felicity Jones is quite a good fit for the role. She looks smart, she is European, though not necessarily Italian, but still much better choice than a brunette or blonde from the other continent. And she can act pretty well, even though there was not much room to shine for her beside Mr. Langdon.
Compared to Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, in Inferno, the canvas was much bigger, spanning from Florence, to Venice and finally Istanbul, and involved quite a lot of signature architectural masterpieces. However, due to the time constraint, those magnificent buildings could not really shine in the movie, and some even only appeared in a few seconds (did you remember the Gates of Paradise?) The real Florence is indeed much more magical, and the Duomo alone is worth a whole visit. Never mind, at least the movie has done its part to pique the interest of would be travellers 🙂
Back to the movie, as in Angels & Demons, there was a plot twist in the end. This time, it was not just a small twist, but a real change in the ending. Even though it might come as a surprise for those who have read the book, come to think of it, it actually made more sense. Also, it was a more well rounded, more humane, and more logical ending, so kudos to Ron Howard, his bold move has paid off.
Another plot twist is the inclusion of the romance between Langdon and Dr. Sinskey. It was not a major turn in the storyline, but it helped make the movie a tad sweeter, and a bittersweet ending. Moreover, a love story in the heart of the beautiful Florence, magical Venice and the mystical Istanbul, what else can be more appropriate than that?
The final twist is the role of the villains. Some characters were cut off due to the time limit, making the story simpler and also resulting in the remaing guys having to take on more roles to keep the flow going smoothly. Luckily the scriptwriters did quite an awesome job, creating a plot that is still logical and thrilling at the same time. And, they even managed to squeeze in some Hollywoods style fighting scenes, which were totally absent in the book. 🙂 Well done.
Overall, a decent adaptation and a good watch. I don’t know when the next Langdon movie will come, so until then, enjoy this and plan for an European holiday. There are much more to see in those cities that what the actors have been racing through.
Some photos of Felicity Jones. She is not stunningly beautiful, and her face is not perfect (too big front teeth, maybe), but she is very charming and superbly lovable 😉
My World 