Faith is a gift I have yet to receive. Angels and Demons is directed by Ron Howard and adapted to screenplay by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman from the Dan Brown novel of the same name. It stars Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Armin Mueller- Stahl. Music is scored by Hans Zimmer and cinematography by Salvatore Totino. Symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) is summoned to Rome and asked by the Vatican to help when four cardinals are kidnapped. Upon examining a tape recording that announces that the cardinals will be killed one at a time hourly, Langdon places the crime at the door of the ancient Illuminati. It's a race against time to not only try and save the lives of the cardinals, but also to avert the detonation of an anti-matter bomb which will destroy Vatican City. In spite of The Da Vinci Code making gargantuan amounts of cash, there were many who actively hated the movie. Yet this follow up from Howard and his makers still enticed just under $500 million's worth of worldwide paying punters into see it. Ultimately it's a very different movie to Da Vinci, where that film was sombre and talky, and had a great religious hook that caused tremors in Christianity, Angels and Demons is a pacey race against time serial killer thriller. Albeit one that is still religion based and additionally topped up with some…

Angels & Demons delivers a gripping follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, blending science, religion, and mystery with improved pacing and visual execution. Though fictional and controversial, the film presents its themes with cinematic flair, strong performances, and a more engaging narrative. A thrilling watch, as long as viewers remain critical of its historical liberties. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

With a Papal election looming, the Vatican is nervously suspicious that the ancient cult of the “Illuminati” are up to their old, destabilising, tricks again and so they have invited “Langdon” (Tom Tanks) - the religious equivalent of “Sherlock Holmes” to come and investigate some malevolent shenanigans that might even have resulted in the poisoning of the late Pope himself! Aided by sceptical scientist “Vittoria” (Ayelet Zurer) and local police inspector “Olivetti” (Pierfrancesco Olivetti) they soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that is seeing some of the cardinal electorate brutally murdered and is putting the wind up the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) who is charged with organising the conclave and his Swiss Guard police chief “Richter” (Stellan Skarsgård) who appears as much of an hindrance as an help to the sleuthing American. Now if this is to be taken as a theologically based crime thriller, then it does work well enough. Sadly, though, much of the political and ethical aspects of the original book have been thrown under the cinematic pope mobile and the thrusts of conflict between the scientific and the faithful are largely sidelined in favour of a more traditional killer thriller replete with secret passages. The shockingly wooden McGregor is nowhere near his best here; Hanks delivers really only adequately and I found the denouement frankly quite preposterous - e…

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