ANGELS & DEMONS

rated PG13

Art--->**
Heart->*
Mind-->**
Fun--->**1/2

There is excitement and anticipation in Rome. The old Pope has died, and it is up to the Vatican leaders to appoint a new one. Four Preferiti (high priests) have been kidnapped. A vial of antimatter has been stolen from the CERN laboratory, and is being used as a bomb threat to Vatican City. Only one clue is left. ILLUMINATI.

The Vatican calls on the help of Robert Langdon to unravel the mystery, save the priests, and stop the bomb. Is this tied to the most ancient of conflicts, the divide between Science and Religion? And will the church leaders and Vatican security forces help with the investigation, or are they part of a bigger conspiracy? Think fast. Time is running out.

A much better cinematic experience than its predecessor, Angels & Demons (along with the well-received but not widely seen Frost/Nixon) marks a return to actual filmmaking from Ron Howard. Everything moves quickly in this reasonably substantive summer blockbuster. And there will be plenty to talk about after the credits roll.

Dan Brown’s original novel Angels and Demons, (the first Robert Langdon adventure, technically a prequel) has been adapted as a sequel to the filmed version of The Da Vinci Code. As with that book, this one continues to be plagued with historical inaccuracies, outright fiction, and hostility to Catholicism, all under the guise of a find-the-next-clue thriller.

There is actually one good line in the movie that co-screenwriter David Koepp added (he also used it in the last Indiana Jones movie). Asked if he believed in God, Robert Langdon eventually replies, “Faith is a gift that I have yet to receive.” No truer word in this film has been spoken.

So there you have it. Another movie treat from agnostic novelists and secular Hollywood, engineered to go down like hot buttered popcorn. Of course, like that popular movie snack, at the end of the night it might make your stomach sour. And if movies like this are all you consume, you’re bound to get sick. Enjoy!

MODERATELY RECOMMENDED (BUT STAY SHARP)