Angels and Demons (2009)

While superior to its predecessor 2006's The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons has the ludicrous plot of ‘the Illumaniti’ planning to blow up the Vatican with an anti-matter bomb during a papal conclave as revenge for 17th century Church persecution of scientists. This talky and at times obtuse adventure flick is better executed and more engaging story-wise then the first of Ron Howard’s adaptations of Dan Brown novels, and has at lest one generally memorable moment. Hanks is good but not stretching himself, and the best things about this series continue to be its villains and the lovely dark haired European girls who assist our ‘symbiologist’ hero. The film does have some generally intriguing things to say about the manufacture of religious myth, which I think are much more relevant then those made in The Da Vinci Code. Grade: C+ Look for director Howard’s father Rance as one of the Cardinals.