Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons is a movie directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code) and based on Dan Brown’s novel with the same title. This two hours movie following Prof Robert Langdon, a symbologist who teach at Harvard, as he tried to solve the mystery of the path of illumination in order to save the preferiti who had been kidnapped just before the upcoming Conclave.

This movie involved two big infamous groups, CERN and The Vatican. The plot itself wants to show us that there are still some people who do not agree with Science’s involvement with the church. Just like the old days between the church and the illuminati, like Galileo who had been imprisoned for stating the truth, but the Church did not like it. Because at that time the church afraid that people will no longer believe in God. Just like what happened with The Carmelengo in this movie. He was afraid if science ruled the world then “What had left for God?” just like what he said in the movie. Based on his fear, the whole tragedy then happened…

The carmelengo character has some similarity with other antagonist in Prof Langdon series by Dan Brown. They’re like a lost child who had lost its way from their father. The carmelengo here just like Silas in The Da Vinci Code and Andros in The Lost Symbol.

The movie has some differences with the book. For people who have read the book first, I think this movie will be a little bit disappointing. Aside from some differences plot, character background also not explained much in the movie plot. We have to link what the connection between this and that. For example, the bespectacled man who kidnapped the preferiti with the main antagonist. What is his reason to kidnap and killed the preferiti? What’s their connection? Apparently, he is an assassin hired by Janus (codename for the Carmelengo, also not explained in the movie).

Despite the fact that this movie had received so many negative comments and even bad ratings, I still like this movie because its fresh genre. Thanks for Dan Brown, really. You could find the conspiracies everywhere. It will make you curious whether some things that stated in the movie/novel were the mind blowing fact or just some great mixed between this and that by Dan Brown.

The cast itself so promising with Tom Hanks as Professor Langdon, and Ewan McGregor as the not-so-innocent Carmelengo.

CAST

Tom Hanks as Prof. Robert Langdon

 He is a symbologist professor at Harvard and the main protagonist in this movie.  He is smart, but flawed, of course. He always wears his Mickey Mouse wristwatch just to remind himself to not being so serious in life. He is a little bit reluctant when people from The Vatican ask for his help but help them eventually.

Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria Vetra

She is a scientist who works on antimatter project at CERN. She is smart but sometimes also a deviant (for tearing one of Galileo’s Diaggrama pages). In The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol novel, Prof Robert thoughts express his romantic interest with her. It’s much to my surprise when I see Ayelet Zurer in Man of Steel (2013) as Lara Lor-Van or Superman’s biological mother.

Ewan McGregor as Camerlengo Patrick Mckenna (The Carmelengo)

He is the late Pope’s Camerlengo, and also his biological son. He doesn’t want science interfere with the Vatican church’s life, but the late Pope is not in the same vision with him so this whole tragedy happen. It’s a little bit surprising for me that Ewan McGregor played this role, but the character itself suits him very well. 

Armin Mueller-Stahl as Cardinal Strauss 

He is a wise old man. The carmelengo often disagree with him, because he thinks that Cardinal Strauss tried to take the next Pope’s chair.

Pierfrancesco Favino as Inspector Olivetti

He is the one who give the idea to ask Professor Langdon’s help for this case.

Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Assassin

From some of his dialogue, it is implied that he actually did not want to kidnap and killed the preferiti.  And it seems that he had worked before for some people who use God as the reason to kill people.

Stellan Skarsgard as Commander Richter

He is the Swiss Guard. The security within the Vatican walls is his responsible, so he did not like outsider. He did not like the American professor Langdon for being so well-known about everything in this case. He also likes using his power to do some things. He is not a likeable character, but apparently he (and Father Simeon) knows about the truth behind the whole story.