On CLIPS In June, 2009
ANGELS & DEMONS

Symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) tries to stop a plot against the Vatican in director Ron Howard's latest thriller.

TRIVIA: Which 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks was directed by Ron Howard?

ROG'S VIEWPOINT
     (4 CAMS)       RATED PG-13

The threat of disaster after the Pope's death prompts the Vatican to call upon the services of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks). Four possible successors have been kidnapped and a destructive weapon has been stolen and hidden somewhere in Vatican City. With the implied return of old Catholic Church adversary The Illuminati, Langdon and physicist Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), who helped develop the missing weapon, must unravel the clues before it's too late. Based on Dan Brown's novel, "Angels & Demons" is an interesting popcorn thriller that's loaded with twists and turns. Anyone looking for strictly facts about science versus religion needs to look elsewhere. Ron Howard's direction is faster-paced than "The Da Vinci Code" - with little time to think about the plot holes. Howard's gift for assembling a great cast continues here. Besides the impeccable Tom Hanks and the beautiful Ayelet Zurer, the ensemble includes Ewan McGregor as Camerlengo Patrick McKenna, who is temporarily in charge until a new Pope is named. Stellan Skarsgard commands some screen time as the Vatican's chief of security Commander Richter and so does Armin Mueller-Stahl as Cardinal Strauss, who has his eyes on the Papal throne. There are many puzzles to solve before arriving at a moderately surprising conclusion. Some eye-popping special effects and spectacular Rome scenery fill in the gaps. "Angels & Demons" earns its wings as an intelligent action movie.