I guess “the critics” (who exactly are “the critics”?) didn’t care for Ron Howard’s The Da Vinci Code. It premiered at the 59th Cannes Film Festival yesterday (17 May 2006) and was panned by most critics according to Reuters. That makes Ron sad — again according to Reuters.
I enjoyed the book, though I would never say it is a literary masterpiece. I would have figured it would make an entertaining movie. Of course, historically and theologically it is a bunch of bunk… but it’s entertaining bunk nonetheless.
Of course, it will still make tonnes of money considering that most movie-goers don’t really pay much attention to what those “critics” say. And I think many people will see it just so they can see what all the controversy is about.
I will likely see it with my sister who will be in town for the weekend.
Ironically, I was more bothered by Dan Brown’s awful writing style than I was by the historical/theological bunk. I can usually mange willing suspension of disbelief, but this guy really couldn’t write his way out of a paper bag. I could tell it was bound to be made into a movie, though. a) He described his hero as ‘looking like Harrison Ford, b) it sells like gangbusters, and c) it’s action-flickish and would probably work better as a movie than as a book. Often bad books make good movies more often than vice versa.
I was exceedingly annoyed by his habit of ending every chapter with an artificial ‘cliffhanger.’ By the end of the book I was thinking, “Just kill off the main characters already, I don’t care! Just make this book end!”
I read it since everybody seemed to be talking about it and I wanted to have an informed opinion. That is also the only reason I read beyond the first page.