Angels & Demons

Submitted by DVD Queen on Fri, 01/01/2010 - 03:10.

DVD Reviews

Rating:

By Kim Parobek: Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) returns to the Vatican to solve a string of murders in Angels & Demons, the well-crafted follow-up to The Da Vinci Code.

Director Ron Howard delivers a solidly entertaining film in Angels & Demons. The script is filled with Vatican information and history leaving me curious as to how much artistic license has been taken here. There are also enough twists and red herrings to satisfy even the most finicky mystery fan. Yet Angels & Demons doesn't need the constant explanation monologues like The Da Vinci Code, the story unfolds naturally and at a pace most viewers can follow as long as they are paying attention. Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, and Stellan Skarsgard all give solid performances in the film. I really appreciated the absence of a romantic attraction between the male and female leads. It's rewarding when the mystery is center stage instead of a forced romance. The Vatican setting provides such amazing architecture it has the feel of being a supporting character in the film. The cinematography, the special effects, the set decoration, everything associated with this film is quality. Howard spared no expense making Angels & Demons not only a good sequel to The Da Vinci Code but excellent as a stand alone film.

The DVD presentation is flawless. The 2.40:1 aspect ratio preserves the theater experience. The warm tones of the Vatican shine through beautifully while the brilliant red of the cardinals' robes pops against the impressive backdrops. Much of this film takes place at night, that is where so many DVDs fail, but not this one. The detail level in the shadows is excellent. The Vatican has so many nooks and crannies this could have been a disaster but instead all the action in the shadows is preserved. The Dolby Digital 5.1 has plenty of material to work with. The beautiful score delivers the proper level of tension for the story, and the ambient noise level immerses the viewer in the action. None of the dialogue is lost in the shuffle including the crowd scenes. There is no room for improvement here.

The extras are decent for a single edition release especially when the 2 disc edition was released at the same time. There are four featurettes on various aspects of the film. "Rome Was Not Built in a Day" is the usual "making of" while "Writing Angels & Demons" concentrates on Dan Brown and the screenwriters as they recall the task of crafting the script from the novel. Most interesting is "CERN: Pushing the Frontiers of Knowledge" a look at the particle physics laboratory that is the subject of the beginning of the film.

Angels & Demons is a quality release from top to bottom. This is a worthy addition to any collection and a must have if you already own The Da Vinci Code.