MOVIE REVIEW - Angels And Demons

It's always great to have Tom Hanks back in the theaters, as his new movie Angels And Demons opens this weekend. Trouble here is, the cast far outshines the movie. And it's a shame.

Hanks stars again as Robert Langdon, the lead character from it's predecessor The Da Vinci Code. He's the Harvard professor who investigates the many mysteries of the Catholic Church. Ewan McGregor gets pulled long for this ride, that takes far too long to complete. There was sharp criticism about the Da Vinci Code from 2006 being too slow and without enough forward movement. AAD tries hard to pick up the pace, but the problem is...it looks like it's trying to be faster. And what you've got now is a movie with action, where the story gets confusing.

In a nutshell, this is the fictional story of big trouble at the Vatican. The Pope has died, and the reverent process of choosing the new one is on. Strange circumstances surround the Pontiffs death, and it is feared that an ancient enemy of the church has somehow risen, and is declaring war on the church. This enemy can be traced back five hundred years or so, as it was once a part of the church. But this secret society has gone underground, and has now resurfaced and wants control of the Vatican. So the church calls in Langdon to figure it all out.

There are many spins, twists and turns, too many to mention and frankly too many to keep track of. AAD is a great example of a pretty good story at it's root, but this movie gets in its own way time after time. Slow at times, clunky at times, and entirely too long, AAD is disappointing. Hanks of course is great again, McGregor shines as well. Plus, meet a new face Ayelet Zurer. She is the young, beautiful scientist teamed up with Hanks on this scavenger hunt. She is fresh and new, and holds her own in the tracks of two of Hollywood's biggest stars.

AAD tries too hard to be really smart and challenging. I think this could have used another rewrite, and a tighter editing tool. At two hours and twenty minutes, it loses steam in the middle and again at its end. In fairness, it is an adult action movie that is fine for almost any adult audience. It will sort of remind you as National Treasure for adults in some regard, but without some of the silliness. But to be fair again, some of this movie is just plain silly.

Angels and Demons does have on huge thing going for it. Tom Hanks and Director Ronnie Howard. Americans have a tendency to love their movies together and separate. And if you're a fan, then Angels and Demons could be right for you.

But buyer beware, there is some trouble here. Angels And Demons. It is what it is. It's not what it should be.