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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

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Released 9-Oct-2006

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Drama Main Menu Introduction
Main Menu Audio & Animation
Trailer-Marie Antoinette, Casino Royale, Ultraviolet, Monster House
Trailer-Open Season, Click, RV
Featurette-Behind The Scenes-The First Day On The Set With Ron Howard
Featurette-A Discussion With Dan Brown, A Portrait Of Langdon
Featurette-Who Is Sophie Nevau, Unusual Suspects, Magical Places
Featurette-Close Up On The Mona Lisa,
Featurette-Making Of-Filmmakers Journey Part 1 & 2
Featurette-The Codes Of The Da Vinci Code, The Music Of The Da Vinci
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2006
Running Time 167:27 (Case: 142)
RSDL / Flipper RSDL (86:22) Cast & Crew
Start Up Ads Then Menu
Region Coding 2,4 Directed By Ron Howard
Studio
Distributor
Imagine Entertainmnt
Sony Pictures Home Entertain
Starring Tom Hanks
Audrey Tautou
Ian McKellen
Jean Reno
Paul Bettany
Alfred Molina
Case ?
RPI $39.95 Music Hans Zimmer


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Dutch
Czech
Greek
Hungarian
Portuguese
Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    With The Da Vinci Code, Ron Howard has produced one of the all-time worst film adaptations of a best-seller. Howard's overly-serious and pompous adaptation is a great disappointment, and a missed opportunity. What should have been the most controversial and exciting thriller of the year, degenerates into a chatty and convoluted scavenger hunt, that has been watered down to the point that it is nowhere near as challenging, clever, or confrontational, as Dan Brown's well-written, cloak-and-dagger, page-turner. In a bizarre form of reverse-alchemy, Howard has managed to turn gold into lead.

    Surprisingly selected to open the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, the film adaptation has proven to be a commercial success, but a critical disaster. Despite, or more likely because of, all the hype and controversy, in its opening weekend the movie grossed over US$230 million worldwide - the second biggest box office opening of all time. The movie has also gone on to rake in over US$750 million at the box office so far, and counting.

    The story opens with renowned Louvre curator, Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle) running for his life, down the dimly lit corridors of the world's most famous museum. Sauniere is killed by a misguided monk named Silas (Paul Bettany), but before dying, Sauniere leaves an anagram clue as to why he was killed, and by whom.

    When Sauniere's body is found, he is nude and has been grotesquely posed on the floor in an imitation of Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, with a bloody pentagram scratched on to his chest, and arcane messages written around his body in ultraviolet pen.

    The Paris detective assigned to the case, Bézu Fache (Jean Reno), has visiting Harvard professor of religious symbology, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), summoned to the crime scene. Langdon is an internationally regarded scholar on a book tour in Paris, with his latest best-selling tome, "Symbols of the Lost Sacred Feminine." Strangely, it seems that amongst other things, the dying Sauniere scribbled Langdon's name on the floor.

    Langdon is stumped by Sauniere's cryptic clues, but help arrives in the shape of Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), a young, French police cryptographer. It turns out that Sophie is the estranged granddaughter of Sauniere, and a whiz at cracking codes.

    Soon, the two find themselves on the run, and not just from the police. Rival gangs of learned loonies, including Sauniere's murderer, Silas, are also on their trail.

    Once a social outcast because he is albino, the emotionally disturbed Silas was taken in by a young Spanish priest, Aringarosa (Alfred Molina). Now a bishop and an Opus Dei luminary, Aringarosa has asked Silas to assist a mysterious figure, known only as the Teacher, "in God's work."

    Langdon and Sophie escape the Louvre and head to a Swiss bank where the "keystone" to the Grail resides. They then escape (again) to the protection of snobby, British Grail expert, Sir Leigh Teabing's (Sir Ian McKellen) security-gated, sprawling country house. On cue, Teabing, a scholar who hobbles around on twin canes, promptly launches into the mysteries of the Grail, the Knights Templar, and the Priory.

    It transpires that Sauniere was a member of the clandestine Priory of Sion. An organization which boasts members such as Da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and Botticelli. The Priory of Sion is charged with keeping the secrets of the Holy Grail and the truth of Jesus Christ's life, which is . . .

(SPOILER ALERT: highlight with mouse to read)

    . . . that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, and the Holy Grail is not a cup, but rather refers to the fruit of Magdalene's womb. Magdalene was pregnant at the time of the crucifixion, and she and her baby fled to France. Furthermore, the Catholic Church violently suppressed these facts, and the Knights Templar and the Priory of Sion fought to safeguard the evidence of the Church's massive, and ongoing cover-up.

    The Da Vinci Code is the fourth Dan Brown novel, and the second to feature his Robert Langdon character following his successful (and very good) Angels and Demons, which was first published in 2000. The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are quite different to most other best-sellers, as their plot is not driven by its characters, but rather by their solving a series of puzzles and breaking codes. To do this, the characters must examine cryptic references in architecture, sculpture, and paintings, and draw upon their impressive and adroit historical and art knowledge.

The Da Vinci Code is one of the all-time best-selling books. To date, it has reportedly sold more than 60 million copies, and has been translated into over 50 languages. A publishing phenomenon, it has launched a wide range of international merchandising, including clothing, puzzles, video games, and even European tours of the book's main locations for eager tourists.

Furthermore, the novel now almost needs its own section in any bookstore, as a number of other books have been published about The Da Vinci Code. In addition to this, a few documentaries have also been produced, such as Cracking the Da Vinci Code and Exploring the Da Vinci Code, and most notably Tony Robinson's well-researched and presented, The Real Da Vinci Code (2005), which methodically explores and refutes most of the content of the book. Also, who could forget, the excellent Da Kath and Kim Code?

The Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction, but the novel has generated much criticism since it was first published in 2003, largely due to its controversial speculations and misrepresentations of core aspects of Christianity, the history of the Catholic Church, and even in its treatment of art, history, and architecture. Critics have repeatedly accused Brown of grossly distorting and fabricating history.

Understandably, due to its controversial interpretations of Christian and Catholic history, the novel has received very negative attention from some Catholic communities and organizations. Indeed, some Catholic Bishops urged Catholics to boycott the film, and some of the early screenings in the US and Europe were accompanied by protesters picketing outside the movie theaters.

    Opus Dei, the Catholic organization that is given a negative image in the novel and film, asked Sony for a disclaimer to be placed at the beginning of the movie. (Opus Dei's official response to the book and film can be found at http://www.opusdei.us/art.php?p=6437).

    Sony declined Opus Dei's request, and when the cast and crew were asked to comment on this at a press conference, the witty actor, Sir Ian McKellan replied, "I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying - 'This is fiction'".

    At one point in the film, Sophie asks if the sensational allegations are true. Langdon replies, 'It's not impossible." It is in that gulf, as with all urban myths and conspiracy theories, that this story lives and breathes.

    Brown's novel is expertly paced, and cleverly alternates action scenes with art-history exposition and religious speculation. The novel even has its own literary version of the Zapruder film - a piece of evidence that we can all see and evaluate with our own eyes - Leonardo Da Vinci's famous mural, The Last Supper. Is that feminine figure to Jesus' right not the apostle John but, in fact, Mary Magdalene?

    The best aspects of the novel are the puzzles, clues, anagrams, and riddles - all of which are grounded in tantalizing and sensational art and religious history. Indeed, it is, for lack of a better word, the trivia packed into the novel that makes it so fascinating, and not the central chase/treasure-hunt premise, which is fairly standard.

    The other winning aspect of the novel is the shocking and sensational (and sometimes true) revelations about religious history, mixed with wildly outrageous claims.

    Thus the movie already had a problem, even before the cameras started rolling - the script has to jettison all the enjoyable art, religious, and history 'trivia' and the shocking and sensational revelations have already all been revealed and discussed ad nauseam in the media for almost three years now.

    Generally speaking, Akiva Goldsman's script remains unswervingly loyal to the novel, with an obedience that even Silas would envy. While most of the major plot points are there, Goldsman's script is never more than an overly-talky, Dummies Guide to Brown's novel. On-screen, what's left of Brown's detailed and extensive art, religious, and historical explorations, become very dry and academic.

    Indeed the trouble with this kind of literary source material is that the characters must continually stop to explain it. What's Opus Dei? What's the Priory of Sion? And who are the Knights Templar?

    Langdon's character is far too reactive and contemplative for a movie action hero. And perhaps someone should tell Ron Howard that extensive scenes of people sitting around talking generally doesn't make for a great blockbuster either. Indeed, Howard often displays no concept of basic film narrative. For example, when the Police realise that Langdon is innocent, that deserves a scene in Act III for closure.

    Running for nearly two and a half hours, The Da Vinci Code certainly had every opportunity to establish itself as a quality thriller. After all, the movie relies on the well-worn, but effective thriller plot device of an innocent man and his female companion trying to uncover the real criminals, while running from the police. But Howard and Goldman have merely produced a dialogue-heavy drama, buried underneath a series of art history and religious lectures. Also, sadly, unlike the novel, the filmmakers often rely on gross plot contrivances, such as a white dove attacking a gun-man inside a church, so that our heroes can escape.

    In a PC world, where Danish political cartoons cause an eruption of riots globally, Sony, the film’s distributor, seems to have ensured that Goldsman and Howard are so nervous about offending anyone, that they have significantly watered the book down. For example, the extensive discussions of pagan sex rites have been removed. Most importantly, a crucial change from the novel is that Langdon has been made into a skeptic, and Langdon is called upon to shout out the occasional disclaimer throughout, such as: "That hasn't been proven!" and "That's just a theory". Furthermore, a number of changes have been made to the story, to downplay the role of Opus Dei and the Church. Indeed, the filmmakers end with the ultimate cop-out, "All that matters is what you believe."

    Interestingly, one has to ask then: why all the fuss? Is it really so shocking that the novel and movie refer to some of the skeletons in the Catholic Church's closet?

    The Catholic Church is one of the oldest continuously surviving organizations in the world, and I can't imagine anyone who does not already know that the Church has a tainted past, whether it be its cover up of child molestation by its clergy, or its involvement in historical mass torture and murder, ranging from the Crusades, to the Inquisition. Surely, the fact that the Church used to burn alive thousands of innocent women, it considered witches, should not surprise anyone?

    However, sadly Goldsman and Howard have chosen to ignore the core observation in Brown's novel. The Da Vinci Code notes the “early church deliberately repressed women and excluded them from roles of leadership.” Brown's discourse on the sacred feminine and the Catholic Church's historical, and continued attitude toward women, doesn't seem to appear anywhere in the film. But surely this is the central issue, and one worthy of debate? The Church's views on contraception, abortion, divorce, and it's continued choice to exclude women from its leadership roles, affect millions of women worldwide, especially those who live (and die from AIDS) in third world countries.

    Okay, so if the awful (and cowardly) script wasn't bad enough, let us now consider the performances: Howard's direction of the actors is dreadful. In the novel the police captain, Bézu Fache, is known as "the Bull", but Jean Reno is more like, the lamb. As with the book, Hanks' character has been given claustrophobia - a Hitchcock-style trick that offers Hanks a small hook to hang his performance on. But Hanks' performance (and hairstyle) is a bigger mystery than anything Dan Brown could tease us with. Hanks seems to sleepwalk through the part, and at best looks confused.

    As with Hanks, Audrey Tautou's character is also given a childhood trauma to cling to, but she too seems to wander through this movie completely lost. Tautou, of Amelie fame, also seems to be the only French leading lady who can manage to exude absolutely no sexuality or romantic interest. In the film, her character, Sophie, is merely a plot and exposition device. She's there to ask questions, so that Langdon or Teabing can provide us with lengthy lectures on various subjects.

    Finally, as often noted by critics and audiences alike, despite the promise - there is absolutely no romance. Langdon and Sophie barely hit it off, and they don't even seem to show any genuine interested in each other. I'm not even talking about romantic interest, but just the basic human chemistry of a couple of terrified strangers on the run, with no one to turn to but each other.

    To be honest, Hanks looks embarrassed by the dialogue, and who can blame him? As Langdon, Hanks has to exclaim completely silly lines such as "I've got to get to a library -- fast." Although, I think the biggest derisory laugh by the cinema audience was awarded to: “You’re the last living descendant of Jesus Christ!”

    However, some entertainment is provided along the way by Sir Ian McKellen, who obviously exudes the joy of playing such a theatrical character. While almost all of his saucy and cheeky dialogue that sizzles in the novel was cut from the script, McKellen arrives in the movie like a breath of fresh air. He is certainly the only one bringing any energy and enthusiasm to his role. His character, Teabing is left to carry most of the movie's most dense exposition, but McKellen pulls it off with vaudevillian ease. He seems to delight in the hammy material, and while he has his character hobbling around on two canes, I'm sure he would have used three if he could.

    I have an idea - perhaps the members of Opus Dei who practice mortification can try something new. No lashings, beatings, or spiked cuffs. They can rather buy a copy of The Da Vinci Code DVD, and endure two and a half hours of utter pain.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    The transfer is excellent. With Salvatore Totino's fluid cinematography, and Allan Cameron's detailed production design, it was a pleasure to watch this DVD on both my widescreen television, and projected with a DLP. Indeed, if you can watch this DVD with a projector, I encourage you to do so, as it really enhances the wonderful locations.

    The PAL transfer is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1. It is 16x9 Enhanced.

    The sharpness is excellent throughout, for example, consider the detail in the aerial shot of the airport at 105:07. The black level is also great, with deep, true blacks. The movie has many dark, shadowy scenes, and fortunately the shadow detail is excellent, such as the exterior night shot at 16:53 and the dimly lit interior at 69:51.

    The colour is beautifully saturated, and a rich colour palette is on display throughout. The skin tones are accurate. This is important with this film, as Howard uses colour and colour-themes throughout the film in his story-telling. For example, the flashbacks to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages are presented with de-saturated colour.

    There are no MPEG artefacts, such as pixelization or posterization marring the presentation of the film. However, some exterior scenes do display some excessive film-grain, but this is due to the source material, and not the transfer. I assume a different film stock was used.

    There are no problems with Film-To-Video Artefacts, such as aliasing or telecine wobble. Minuscule film artefacts, such as tiny black or white flecks do appear infrequently throughout the movie, but again this is due to the source material. I never found them distracting, and unless you're looking for them, they will go unnoticed. At times I did notice some slight edge enhancement, but it is very subtle. There is also a lot of green-screen work throughout, which I imagine contributes to the appearance of this effect.

    Only English for the Hearing Impaired and Dutch subtitles are present. The English subtitles are accurate.

    This is a Dual-Layered disc, with the layer change placed at 86:22. The feature is divided into 24 chapters.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The sound design of The Da Vinci Code is very good, and well presented on this DVD.

    Originally released theatrically in dts, SDDS, and Dolby Digital, the DVD's audio is presented solely in Dolby Digital. Fortunately the English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio has been encoded at the superior 448Kb/s, and not 384Kb/s.

    There is a lot of looped dialogue in The Da Vinci Code, yet the dialogue quality and audio sync are perfect throughout.

    The orchestral musical score is primarily credited to the great Hans Zimmer. It's not his best, nor most memorable work, but it gets the job done.

    The surround presence and activity is good for such a dialogue-heavy movie. The rear speakers are used effectively to help carry the score, and to provide ambience throughout, such as the plane landing at 104:58. There are a few rear directional effects, including panning between the speakers, for example the police cars passing at 90:13. The DVD boasts an immersive sound-field, which through the clever use of the rears, still keeps the viewer firmly focused on the screen.

    The subwoofer is also utilised to support both the score and the sound effects, but this is not a LFE-heavy movie.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    The Da Vinci Code has a collection of genuine, albeit very short, extras, spread across two discs.

Menu

    Animated menus and sub-menus, with audio.

Disc One

Trailers:

   Apart from that forced, overly loud and annoying anti-piracy trailer, there are trailers for the following movies:

Disc Two

On the second disc, there are a series of short behind-the-scenes featurettes. They can be watched separately, but there is also a "play all" option:

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    The Da Vinci Code is due for release on DVD in Region 1 on November 14, 2006. The only official details I can find, so far, is that there will be full-screen (pan & scan), widescreen, and widescreen "Special Edition Giftset" versions.

    I will update this section, when I can confirm the R1's content.

Summary

    At best, the movie serves as a kind of "live action" summary of the novel, and at worst, the film merely highlights some of the novel's deficiencies, such as the impracticality of having a self-flagellating, albino monk as your hit-man. But sadly, it's such a tedious, yawn-fest, that the movie has since been understandably renamed The Dull Vinci Code.

The video quality is excellent.

The audio quality is also excellent.

The extras are far too short, but genuine.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Brandon Robert Vogt (warning: bio hazard)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Review Equipment
DVDPioneer DV-535, using S-Video output
DisplayGrundig Elegance 82-2101 (82cm, 16x9). Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationSony STR DE-545
SpeakersSony SS-V315 x5; Sony SA-WMS315 subwoofer

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