Angels & Demons (2009)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers (WGA):

David Koepp (screenplay) and
Akiva Goldsman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 May 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The holiest event of our time. Perfect for their return.

Plot:

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.

Plot Keywords:

Illuminati | Vatican | Pope | Conclave | Vatican City

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Robert Langdon
Ewan McGregor	...	Camerlengo Patrick McKenna
Ayelet Zurer	...	Vittoria Vetra
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Commander Richter
Pierfrancesco Favino	...	Inspector Olivetti
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Assassin
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Cardinal Strauss
Thure Lindhardt	...	Chartrand
David Pasquesi	...	Claudio Vincenzi
Cosimo Fusco	...	Father Simeon
Victor Alfieri	...	Lieutenant Valenti
Franklin Amobi	...	Cardinal Lamasse
Curt Lowens	...	Cardinal Ebner
Bob Yerkes	...	Cardinal Guidera
Marc Fiorini	...	Cardinal Baggia (as Marco Fiorini)

Also Known As:

Obelisk (USA) (fake working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material.

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Latin | French | German | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44269) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-13 | UK:12A (cut) | Hong Kong:IIB | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Germany:12 (f) | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:16 | Germany:12 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Iceland:14 | Mexico:B15 | Japan:G

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Clint Eastwood expressed interest in directing the film, but Ron Howard was contractually obligated to it because of his contract from The Da Vinci Code (2006).

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Helicopters take-off by means of collective pitch on the left hand side of the pilot, not using both the collective as well as the cyclic pitch. Here the padre is pulling the cyclic pitch which enables the chopper to move back, not upwards. However, this can be explained by the fact that by pulling the cyclic pitch will allow the helicopter to rise more quickly, used along with the collective to increase torque.

Quotes:

[the bomb that threatens to destroy St.Peter's is set to go off at midnight. The Camerlengo is discussing evacuation with his security chief]
Camerlengo Patrick McKenna: If we are still in peril at 11.45, remove the cardinals, but in a dignified manner. I want peoples' last memory of this church to be of them walking out with their heads held high, not of some old men sneaking out the back door.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Introitus

Should have been better

A few years ago there was The Davinci Code. In effect a fairy tale that played like an adventure through something that could have been reality. It sold well as a book and did fairly well as a film. Personally I liked the book a lot and the film a little. When I saw the trailers for this film I wanted to see this one too - even though I've not read its book. When the film started rolling I was regretting having made the choice of going to see this as this film is less than a shadow of the former one. Where Davinci Code keeps building on its backing story this one just jumps from one corner to the other and tosses its characters from the one to the other corner of unbelievable plot holes and standard twists and turns.

All too predictable this one is another fairy tale. It is a rather bad one though - a fairy tale where everyone is sitting together from the start, actually trying to find out what role one is supposed to play out. When it finally ends it has bored for at least a good 30 minutes and there's no sympathy left for anyone anymore. Not the way a film like this should be IMO.

4 out of 10 fractured stories