Inferno (2016)

When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot. (IMDb)

Pretty damn grim at some points, both to its detriment (Langdon’s hellish and nausea-inducing opening nightmare sequence was a poor choice to have at the beginning of the film) and to its benefit (the unflinching camera during the plot’s moments of violence helped highlight the high stakes–see the two falls to death). The rest of it is a mixed bag as well: the clue-hopping remains fun but cheesy, the third-act character twists feel arbitrary but keep you engaged until the suspenseful climax.

6.5/10 (Alright)

 

Angels & Demons (2009)

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works with a nuclear physicist to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican during one of the significant events within the church. (IMDb)

I thought this film was going to be terrible after it began with yet another enormous pile of pretentious exposition (this time about anti-matter and the Illuminati of all things) but it actually turns into a pretty decent crime thriller after the eye-rolling set-up finishes. Gruesome violence, a quick pace, and interesting underlying political intrigue in the Vatican make the stakes feel high and keep you interested in spite of relatively unengaging characters. Not sure about that twist though.

6.5/10 (Alright)

 

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years — which could shake the foundations of Christianity. (IMDb)

Everyone likes a good treasure hunt, and the one here intrigues from the beginning (a murdered man’s cryptic last words), with a fugitive plot adding extra urgency and excitement, even if Hanks and Tautou don’t wow. But as the clues and twists pile up and the pivotal secret is elaborated upon ad nauseum (the exposition gets excruciating) it all starts to just “sound so stupid”, to quote the film’s Sophie. What began as a decent adventure thriller becomes bloated and self-important schlock.

6.5/10 (Alright)