I had been meaning to watch Inferno when it first came out in the cinemas, but circumstance kept me from doing that for several weeks. If I had known then what I know now, I would have skipped the cinema altogether and waited until the movie is out on Netflix.
The Book
I listened to the book version earlier this year and it took me months to finish. It was just really not that good. Something about the story kept me from putting it aside and listen to something else in between several times. The story just drags on and on. Dan Brown really tries hard to recreate the success of the Da Vinci Code. But he doesn't quite get there. I think he needs to get away from the Robert Langdon stories and come up with something new.
I listened to Deception Point awhile back and that was brilliant. It is one of his earlier books, pre Langdon era. I reckon after The Da Vinci Code it was a logical step to keep the momentum going. Angels and Demons and The Lost Symbol where still okay, although already declining in that order. I may need to take a break from Dan Brown for a while. Maybe I start enjoying his books again in the future.
With all of that in mind I was wondering why I was so eager to watch the movie Inferno in the first place. I suppose the answer is I read the books and I saw the other movies. Might as well keep going.
Mixed Feelings
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the story. There is something intriguing about it. Why I had such a hard time finishing it I don't know. Maybe they're we're just too many twists and turns. The momentum got lost along the way. Movies are never as detailed as books; how could they be, and that partly appealed to me in this case. Plus I really do enjoy watching Tom Hanks. The previews for the movie looked halfway interesting and that settled it for me in the end. So, when I finally got the chance I went ahead and booked my ticket.
With all that in mind however, I didn't have very high expectations for the movie and thus I was not disappointed. It is by no means terrible, but it is definitely not the best movie ever made.
The Movie
Tom Hanks once again resumes to role of Robert Langdon, a Harvard university professor, who specialises in religious iconology and symbology. In this installment he finds himself waking up with a head wound in a hospital in Florence, Italy with no idea of what happened. He does not know why he even is in Florence nor does he remember how he got there.
From here on the story develops pretty close to the book for a while. The ending has been changed to conform more to a Hollywood style finish, which is a shame. It's a disease in the movie industry to change stories, sometimes almost beyond recognition. It didn't go quite that far with Inferno but still. I rather liked the book ending.
The Story
Robert Langton wakes up in the hospital in Florence Italy struck with a head wound and partial amnesia. He has no recall of the past two days and no idea how he got to Florence and why he is there. When a fake police officer attempts to show to him he is rescued by his doctor Sienna Brooks. They find a bio hazard tube in his belongings that turns out to be a projector for the scene of Dante's Inferno. Together Langdon and Brooks race to put the pieces of the puzzle together to find out who wants to kill him and what is behind those strange visions that Langdon has. In the end it come down to saving the world from a major catastrophe. We would not expected anything less.
It's fascinating how the movie incorporates the weird dreams and flashbacks that Langdon has. That part was very well done and is as disorienting to the viewer as it must have been for the character himself.
Overall, Inferno is not a terrible movie, but in my opinion its also nothing to get excited about. I guess that is why it has taken me quite a while to write the review.
The Book
I listened to the book version earlier this year and it took me months to finish. It was just really not that good. Something about the story kept me from putting it aside and listen to something else in between several times. The story just drags on and on. Dan Brown really tries hard to recreate the success of the Da Vinci Code. But he doesn't quite get there. I think he needs to get away from the Robert Langdon stories and come up with something new.
I listened to Deception Point awhile back and that was brilliant. It is one of his earlier books, pre Langdon era. I reckon after The Da Vinci Code it was a logical step to keep the momentum going. Angels and Demons and The Lost Symbol where still okay, although already declining in that order. I may need to take a break from Dan Brown for a while. Maybe I start enjoying his books again in the future.
With all of that in mind I was wondering why I was so eager to watch the movie Inferno in the first place. I suppose the answer is I read the books and I saw the other movies. Might as well keep going.
Mixed Feelings
Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of the story. There is something intriguing about it. Why I had such a hard time finishing it I don't know. Maybe they're we're just too many twists and turns. The momentum got lost along the way. Movies are never as detailed as books; how could they be, and that partly appealed to me in this case. Plus I really do enjoy watching Tom Hanks. The previews for the movie looked halfway interesting and that settled it for me in the end. So, when I finally got the chance I went ahead and booked my ticket.
With all that in mind however, I didn't have very high expectations for the movie and thus I was not disappointed. It is by no means terrible, but it is definitely not the best movie ever made.
The Movie
Tom Hanks once again resumes to role of Robert Langdon, a Harvard university professor, who specialises in religious iconology and symbology. In this installment he finds himself waking up with a head wound in a hospital in Florence, Italy with no idea of what happened. He does not know why he even is in Florence nor does he remember how he got there.
From here on the story develops pretty close to the book for a while. The ending has been changed to conform more to a Hollywood style finish, which is a shame. It's a disease in the movie industry to change stories, sometimes almost beyond recognition. It didn't go quite that far with Inferno but still. I rather liked the book ending.
The Story
Robert Langton wakes up in the hospital in Florence Italy struck with a head wound and partial amnesia. He has no recall of the past two days and no idea how he got to Florence and why he is there. When a fake police officer attempts to show to him he is rescued by his doctor Sienna Brooks. They find a bio hazard tube in his belongings that turns out to be a projector for the scene of Dante's Inferno. Together Langdon and Brooks race to put the pieces of the puzzle together to find out who wants to kill him and what is behind those strange visions that Langdon has. In the end it come down to saving the world from a major catastrophe. We would not expected anything less.
It's fascinating how the movie incorporates the weird dreams and flashbacks that Langdon has. That part was very well done and is as disorienting to the viewer as it must have been for the character himself.
Overall, Inferno is not a terrible movie, but in my opinion its also nothing to get excited about. I guess that is why it has taken me quite a while to write the review.