The Film
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) can't catch a break. With none of the covert agent training of someone like 24's Jack Bauer, he finds himself once again in a race against time. This time the stakes are even higher, as some stolen anti-matter could send all of Vatican City to Kingdom Come just as a holy conclave is selecting a new pope. Seriously, if that wouldn't put your faith to the test I don't know what would.
While the film starts out as a typical on-the-edge-of-seat thriller, it soon requires a copious suspension of disbelief. For such an "exciting" film, the pacing slows to a crawl at times with plot holes becoming large enough to swallow all of St. Peter's Basilica and then some. In the end, the twists and turns should be enough to convince Hanks he should be a Doubting Thomas about making another Dan Brown story.
For another interpretation of Angels & Demons check out Joe Lozito's review.
The Picture
The 2.40:1 1080p presentation on Blu-ray offers a vivid tour of the Eternal City that is better than any Rick Steves' travelogue on PBS, and provides nearly endless eye candy for those looking beyond the story. The film's creators provide plenty of visual extras in the backgrounds, notably in the Vatican Archive sequences, and the Blu-ray is really best way to pick up on these. However, this presentation also shows the flaws as well - specifically how the use of CGI, models and scale sets had to fill for in the real Vatican City (which due to conflict with the real church wasn't used). Beyond that minor complaint, the picture could be described as divine, bringing out true to life colors and deep black levels during the second half of the film, which takes place at night.
This thriller really tests the bounds of the audio spectrum, and offers plenty of bang for the buck. The film's 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack immerses the viewer in the church intrigue as well as the complex/confusing story, bringing out the subtle sounds inside the hallowed halls, as well as the more vibrant noises of summertime Rome.
The Extras
There is no mystery about the extras, and this Blu-ray includes both the original theatrical version of the film, as well as an extended version that includes about 10 minutes of extra (but in the end needless) footage - it being mostly longer shots of some of the more gruesome scenes. More importantly this includes several bonus features, which clock in at more than an hour and a half of material including making of, backgrounds on the characters even a look at some of the technology and settings of the film. None of this actually helps make better sense of the film, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Final Thoughts
One outstanding question about The Da Vinci Code was why it had to be a race against time: Was it really that urgent to solve the "mystery" in a day and a half? With Angels & Demons there is a greater sense of urgency, but the irony is that at times the characters seem far less rushed, and given the complexity of the story it seems that divine intervention is the only way to explain how it came together! The Blu-ray offers penance for these shortcomings with a slew of extras, along with excellent audio and video, but in the end this one might have you feeling like you're in a sort of movie purgatory.
Product Details
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