From ancient statues, ambigrams, old deserted churches to the most secretive underground chamber in the world, Angels & Demons, the much-awaited sequel to The Da Vinci Code will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat.

Directed by Ron Howard, this sequel based on the novel by Dan Brown, sees Tom Hanks back as Harvard University symbologist, Robert Langdon. In Angels & Demons, the Vatican is plunged into chaos with the sudden death of the Pope. Matters were made worse when the four Preferiti (cardinals most likely to be elected as the next pope) have been kidnapped and set to die– one every hour from 8:00pm before the Vatican is blown up by a canister of antimatter that was recently stolen.

With a time bomb set to blow and the selection of the next Pope going on in the Sistine Chapel, Langdon was immediately called upon to save the Vatican. Suspecting it was the Illuminati (an ancient brotherhood and long time enemy of the church) who’s behind all these, Langdon is joined by charming Italian scientist, Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), as they go about Rome following the 400-year-old “Path of Illumination”, in a desperate bid to save the cardinals and the Vatican.

In The Da Vinci Code, there was a whole contingent of American actors. However in Angels & Demons, a predominately European cast accompanies the evergreen Tom Hanks, giving the movie a greater sense of reality. Scottish actor/singer Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge!) was awesome in his role as Carmenlengo Patrick McKenna, a lowly priest who faces a struggle between the sudden power he possessed after the pope’s death and gaining the respect of Cardinal Strauss (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and the rest of the cardinals. Other notable names are Stellan Skarsgård (Mamma Mia) who appeared as Commander Richter, head of the Swiss Guard, and Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Dogville) as the guile assassin for the Illuminati.

Amazing special effects combined with the strong plot and stunning cast puts Angels & Demons a level above any other thrillers. Places such as St. Peter’s Square and Basilica looked so real that its hard to believe that most of those scenes were recreated and shot in Hollywood as the Vatican did not approve them filming on-site.  Suspense and drama paced at such electrifying speed, you’ll definitely be rooted to your seat throughout the whole 2 hours and 18 minutes.

However, for those who might not have read the novel, it might take you awhile to understand the jargon and terms used in the show. Whereas for those who love conspiracy theories, be prepared to be disappointed. Unlike its prequel, in order to avoid incurring the wrath of the Catholic Church, Ron Howard and scriptwriters David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman decided to remove chunks of Dan Brown’s conspiracy theories to make translation of the novel onto the big screen possible.
Nonetheless, Angels & Demons is a wonderful thriller for the neutrals and an acceptable adaptation of one of Dan Brown’s great works.

3.7/5

Opens: May 14
Duration: 138 min
Language: English, Italian, and Latin
Rating: PG for violence
Genre: Thriller
Cast:     Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard
Director: Ron Howard