Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is brought to the Vatican after it is revealed an old organization (known as the Illuminati) appears to be back and they have kidnapped four of the top candidates to be the next Pope after the last one dies.   The Illuminati threaten to kill one of the four candidates at one an hour and destroy the Vatican in light at midnight.   A small amount of anti-matter has been stolen from the CERN particle accelerator and the Illuminati plan to use it as a bomb that Langdon and other must find before the batteries holding the containment field run down.   Also along for the ride is a scientist from CERN, Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer).  Langdon must decipher the clues to the path of Light that shows where the four cardinals will be killed and the final destination leading hopefully to the anti-matter before time runs out.

ANGELS & DEMONS in some ways is a better adaptation of a Dan Brown novel than THE DA VINCI CODE ever was.   Director Ron Howard energizes the film more this time round and keeps the action following.  The script is leaner and cuts out parts from the novel including a little character development between Langdon and Vittoria.   The main plot is still there.  The name of the Pope gives me a chuckle when I come to think of who is playing the Camerlengo.   I don’t know why the Vatican is up in arms about this film and refused to let the filmmakers shoot there.   Then again the Vatican has been a little too slow to change and thinks they can just put the Catholic Church in a good light.   The plot of ANGELS & DEMONS is just fiction.   Still I do think the film respects science and the church at the same time.     I don’t see anything the church should be offended about.  Sometimes the lines about faith and god sometimes slant it more towards the pro-religion side.   Tom Hanks slips back into Langdon’s character with ease as some of the other seasoned actors slip into their roles and run with what material is given them (Skarsgard and Mueller-Stahl).   Ewan McGregor does seem like a little bit of a weak link here.   Above all, ANGELS & DEMONS is a thrill ride.

This movie review is (c)5-17-2009 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com