Does the Da Vinci Code movie suck?

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slayerpower

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The studio has been really secrety about the movie, but that might be because it sucks. Critics are hating it. Thoughts?
 
People were laughing at it at the Cannes Film Festival. Most seem to think it simply takes the story too seriously. Dull, overly melodramatic, they say. It's still gonna be huge I bet.
 
P
polexia
so agree with that!
Here's my favourite review so far -

2/4 "For people who insist that the movie is never as good as the book, your case just got stronger.

-- Matt Pais, METROMIX.COM"
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Here's what review blurbs I could scavenge from Rotten Tomatoes at this point.

Reviews Counted: 7
Fresh: 0 Rotten: 7
Average Rating: 3.8/10


Hollywood Reporter

A jumble of historical myth, religious symbology and international thriller-action makes for an unwieldy, bloated melodrama.


(What is this?)


1.5/4 "A polished affair with moments of interest, but simply far too long, too talky and just not interesting or clever enough to engage let alone entertain."

-- Garth Franklin, DARK HORIZONS

2/5 "Part conspiracy thriller, part religious epic, part family melodrama, but not satisfying on any level, this vastly disappointing film will frustrate viewers who know the book and will bore those who don't due to the rambling and confusing storytelling."

-- Emanuel Levy, EMANUELLEVY.COM

"There might be a riveting adventure thriller to be made from Dan Brown's controversial bestseller, but this is not it. Melodramatic, overlong and dare I say occasionally boring, Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code gets lost in the maze of its puzzles and media"

-- Urban Cinefile Critics, URBAN CINEFILE

5/10 "...overblown so-so suspense flick..."

-- JoBlo, JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM

The Da Vinci Code
3/5 "Perhaps an interesting side-piece to those already fanatical about the book, but ultimately a lifeless adaptation that reveals the flaws of its source. So Dark, the Con of Dan Brown."

-- Joe Utichi, FILMFOCUS
The Da Vinci Code


"A jumble of historical myth, religious symbology and international thriller-action makes for an unwieldy, bloated melodrama."

-- Kirk Honeycutt, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"An oppressively talky film that isn't exactly dull, but comes as close to it as one could imagine with such provocative material."

-- Todd McCarthy, VARIETY

Strictly as a movie and ignoring the current swirl of controversy no amount of studio money could ever buy, the Ron Howard-directed film features one of Tom Hanks' more remote, even wooden performances in a role that admittedly demands all the wrong sorts of things from a thriller protagonist; an only slightly more animated performance from his French co-star, Audrey Tautou; and polished Hollywood production values where camera cranes sweep viewers up to God-like points of view and famous locations and deliciously sinister interiors heighten tension where the movie threatens to turn into a historical treatise. The movie really only catches fire after an hour, when Ian McKellen hobbles on the scene as the story's Sphinx-like Sir Leigh Teabing. Here is the one actor having fun with his role and playing a character rather than a piece to a puzzle.

Hollywood Reporter.com
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Yep I heard that critics had hissed at the end of the premiere in cannes...

I just saw it today...honestly I was kinda afraid that it might sucks...that wasn't that bad...but gotta say that one of the most positive points about the movie is the cast (jean reno,audrey tautou,tom hanks...)

I haven't read the book so I wasn't waiting for something specific...but my friends told me that there were loads of things missing that were really important to the story...

I reproach them for the fact that story was quite fast and that it's sometimes difficult to understand who the caracters are...it seems like the movie makers assumed that everybody had read the book so they didn't really take the time to present the caracters and all...

So I think I'll read the book and I'll make a comparison with the film...
 
Ah poo...

I was looking forward to this, Oh well I'll just read the book again!
 
Wow, the movie just sucks way more than the book?
Haha, screw the movie, I'll stick with the book.

Damn those movie people.
Ruined a perfectly, AWESOME book.
 
If the cast i the best thing about the movie then theres a problem already.

And how can they miss bits out? Its complicated enugh. If bits get missed out, it wont work.

Im even less sure about this movie than I was before.
 
Thats a load of crap! Just because you believe the things said aren't factual, doesnt mean the movie is going to be bad, It's the way in which the story is being told that people don't like, because it was already taken from an awesome book, and you can't argue with that because it was on the best seller for ages! It's the fact that the movie doesn't represent the greatness of the book, that people aren't happy about!
 
I like this bit from the review -

I know there are people who believe Brown's fantasies about the Holy Grail, the descendants of Jesus, the Knights Templar, Opus Dei and the true story of Mary Magdalene. This has the advantage of distracting them from the theory that the Pentagon was not hit by an airplane.
Click to expand...
 
G
goldenboy
I like Ebert's quips, heh
I think people are expecting it to be some revoluntionary look at christianity and when its not they are like...oh...now what? I think some people are taking this movie like its gonna be the word of god...its called fiction...its not real...i think people are forgetting that...the movie may not really be bad...i just think people are expecting way to much...however this is just my opinion and i havent even seen the movie yet...but from what im hearing ill wait til it comes out on DVD...
 
Angel's vision said:
Doesn't surprise me it appears awfull. The story just isn't factual at all.
Goes to show how you should never read too much into how people are depicted in paintings.
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Personally, as much as i dislike the book, and find the premise laughable, the reason the film is bombing, i fear, has not much to do with the contents being fact or fiction, but the basic idea that alot of the stuff within the book only has place in that medium and isnt translated well to the screen.

Thats a load of crap! Just because you believe the things said aren't factual, doesnt mean the movie is going to be bad, It's the way in which the story is being told that people don't like, because it was already taken from an awesome book, and you can't argue with that because it was on the best seller for ages! It's the fact that the movie doesn't represent the greatness of the book, that people aren't happy about!
Click to expand...

Actually you can argue with that. A book on the best seller list only means one thing, its sold alot of copies. This in no critical sense means the book is any good, just that enough people have bought it.
See i own the book, i bought it when it first came out, so in essence i contributed to it being on the list, in a very very small capacity, however i find the book appaling. Its not well written, the plot is laughable, the 'big' reveals are so obvious and the lead characters have very little in the way of making them enjoyable characters(all this is my opnion remember).

Personally, I was hoping that Howard, Hanks et al would manage to do something with this premise to make it enjoyable because the film on a truly basic level of fiction should be entertaining as a murder/mystery/thriller.
My biggest dislike of the book was not the plot, infact it was the way Dan Brown vehemently argued that things within the novel were documentable fact, even stating a disclosure at the books beginning claiming the Priory De Scion was a real institution, even though 10 years before it was a proven hoax........but this isnt the place to get into that argument.

Personally, i'm thinking that with all this negative press on such a huge scale, this movie will flop, and honestly, i planned to watch X-Men anyway🙂
 
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Angel's vision
yeah well put, upon re reading what i said that was what i failed to say!
Well I don't actually think it can flop, cuz no matter how many people say it's bad, Most people are still gonna go see it to judge for themselves!
 
P
polexia
so true!
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Schillaci
You insightful little scuttle monkey
well after watching the film..... I can say that the book is far better, and the movie did leave a lot out... i havent read the book for a while but they didnt show much of Silus in jail like they did in the book... like not much background.. and mentioning that just then didnt spoil anything... for those who havent seen it.. and in my opinion i thought it was an okay film... interesting... 🙂
 
i think this movie has a lot of pressue caus ethe book i so big... and personally i don't really expect it to be a LoTR kind of book made into movie...

lots of books made into films lose alot in the translation, cause the film can't really filmatise everything 😛

LOl some films based on books lose more than others(e.g. practical magic, is harldy anything like the book, and gilr,, interupted, which is more like thebook, but they have chaneged alot)

i'm gonna see the movie later today, together with my lil sis and my boyf. i'm kinda looking forward to it.. then again.. i haven't read the book





NOW i have seen the movie now and i must say i liked it! now i am speaking from a point of view(from a person who has not read the book ) so i don't know if it stands up to it, but as a action movie i liked it.. and a s aperson who likes movies that deals with the mysteies of christ etc.(i.e. that speculate in alternative ways of seeing things, e.g. lost souls, the gathering, dogma...) i really liked it :silly:
 
It's kinda weird. I started reading the book, and couldnt finish it. I saw the movie last night and thought it was great. I think not reading the book and watching the movie is better because you arent expecting anything. Any movie that follows a book is gonna leave out a lot. Look at the Harry Potter movies. They leave out Peeves the Poltergeist, and he's big with the comedy in the series. so, from my 15-going-on-16 point of view...i think it deserves 4 stars.
 
S
Schillaci
I agree! No wait I don't.
i have both read the book and seen the movie, and I quite liked them both. Obviously the book was better, and if you hated the book (and do like to read) you will probably not enjoy the movie either. If you hate reading and like movies, you'll probably be mildly amused, although it is more interesting if you are at least moderately into history (and that way you can at least be a proper filter) and like to look at pretty architecture. anyways, I liked it, but I like a lot of crappy movies.
 
S
Schillaci
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