i loved the book. ok maybe the ending in the book was a bit convoluted, but i still loved the book. and i read it before all the hoopla about it too. so i'd like to think of myself as da vinci old school. In fact, its people like me who went and bought the book first who made it such a big deal. yes i'm that cool.

so needless to say, i was waiting eagerly to be wowed by the movie. after all, with tom hanks at the helm, maybe it won't be a serious art film but it would be a sure hit, right? WRONG. The Mighty Hanks may have been a great Robert Langdon but his co-stars struggled to carry the weight of the movie. especially the over-hyped Audrey Tautou of Amelie fame. The problem, i suspect, is that many french actors have such a misconception about hollywood that they try to act hollywood-esque and their performances end up being contrived and over the top. think Vincent Cassel in Oceans Twelve.

Jean Renu has a bit more Tinseltown experience under his belt so he escapes unscathed but doesn't quite form a remarkable impression. Nor does Ian McKellen but then it might be because i'm reluctant to let go of how wowed i am by his Magneto. (so good that they're spinning off a film all about his Magneto, due next year).

Opus Dei and the Vatican have nothing to worry about. The movie could likely kill the buzz created by the book and save them the hassle. In fact, I say they skip the Da Vinci Code movie altogether and go watch MI3. That one also got Vatican. and more fun some more.