It's a Mystery Why I Haven't Seen The Da Vinci Code Yet

Today on a bit of a whim I went out and bought a bunch of blurays, one of which was The Da Vinci Code, the extended cut to be precise. I've heard plenty about the movie, how could you not after it got so big in 2006, but I've yet to see it for myself. I didn't know the specifics of the mystery, but I knew they go around finding clues. This reminded me of a couple movies I'd seen and loved, National Treasure 1 & 2. This of course has that same formula but also has a much more serious tone with the help of lead actor Tom Hanks. The whole thing starts around a murder with the mystery simply to find his killer, but it quickly becomes much more than that with plenty of twists. Hit the jump for more of my thoughts on this.


I have to say right away with no hesitation that the acting in The Da Vinci Code is simply fantastic. Of course Tom Hanks, who plays Robert Langdon, is going to be great in whatever he's in, but all the other actors here are great too. Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen and Jean Reno all do a wonderful job. I was pleasantly surprised by Audrey Tautou who plays Sophia. She needed to give a 110% performance to be able to stand next to Tom Hanks for the whole movie, and I say she did. They had great chemistry together and made a great team solving the mysteries they come across. Also the effects to show off Robert Langdon's thought process and amazing memory were really smooth and done very effectively and it really helped you understand the character better.

It all starts with a mysterious murder!

I can't get much into the story other than what I mentioned in the intro for fear of spoiling something. I'm really not sure how much of the movie is already public knowledge already or what would really count as a spoiler since there's so many different reveals throughout the film. I will say though that I liked the story quite a lot and the mystery that went along with it was fun. It was really nice to see all the old churches and such they go to during their searches. I did manage to figure out the ending, but it didn't end up coming across as predictable when it was finally revealed, instead it seemed satisfying. The build-up to the end definitely seemed like it had been earned and all the pieces of the story lined-up perfectly.

It's a little odd though, I say that I guessed the ending, but really I only guessed one of the several endings The Da Vinci Code has. There are so many instances when you think "Yup, that's it. That's the end of the movie" and then it just keeps going until you think the same thing again. Only to realize, nope, still not done. I didn't find this annoying or anything though, instead every time it seemed like it was going to end, I was pleasantly relieved that I was going to get to spend even a little bit more time with Robert Langdon. And each time it extends it wraps up yet another piece of the mystery. When it finally did end, it all felt really well done.

Sophia and Langdon are on the case!

So do I recommend this movie? Yes I do. I should mention that I haven't read the book, and I've heard that can have quite an impact on the experience of the film. Namely that if you'd read the book the movie seems tripe in comparison. I suspect I liked it as much as I did because I had no idea where the story was really going. So take that as you will, maybe if you're an avid reader you should grab the book instead, or maybe see the movie first, and THEN read the book. Well do whichever you like, but I do recommend it as a good mystery.