By Karen

May 30, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this

I went to see DaVinci Code for the 2nd time to make sure I was watching the same movie as all of those that panned it. It was even better the 2nd time, for me at least. Perhaps my reason for loving the movie is that I’m not hung up on religion, and the rest of you are judging based on your religious roots and take offense to the notion that Jesus was a mere man. Not to raise any religious hackles, but it’s not that far fetched a premise as one might think, but again, it is just a movie and it is based on a fictional novel. If you look at the movie as pure fiction and not get all offended by it’s message, then it’s a wonderful who-done-it thriller. I go to the movies to be entertained, not get religious or political views shoved down my throat. DaVinci Code was great thriller for the 2nd time!

By Ken

May 23, 2006 6:14 PM | Link to this

Jen, I didn’t mean to imply that all Christians who don’t see the movie choose to b/c they’re afraid. But where I live in Nashville, that’s one of the biggest sentiments I’ve observed.

By Karen

May 23, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this

Amber, I couldn’t agree with you more! Most people rate a movie on how many car crashes or sex scenes are in it. I prefer something a bit more thought provoking, and this movie delivered. It makes you take off your blinders to the possibility that there’s possibility! It did not offend nor change my mind about religion as a whole, it only made me ponder more about the what if’s of this world. Those who take offense to fiction have a bigger problem with life in general then this simple movie. And for those who enjoy mindless trivel, go see MI3 or Silent Hill.

By Jen

May 23, 2006 8:37 AM | Link to this

The movie was terrible!! I went to an early showing and it still wasn’t worth it. The book was a decent page turner, even though it was poorly researched. I can, however, thank Dan Brown for one thing. He made me do my homework, and I am thankful I did. Quick note for Ken, most Christians I know, don’t want to see the movie because they don’t want to put any more money into Dan Brown’s pocket, not because they are afraid. If I wasn’t teaching a class on TDVC, I wouldn’t have bothered with it myself.

By Ken

May 22, 2006 11:39 PM | Link to this

The Da Vinci Code is an entertaining summer thriller, but not as gripping or engaging as the novel (per usual). The movie moves faster than the book, spending less time on solving the puzzles and putting the pieces together. Comparatively, this makes for better pacing but lesser rewards and limited character development. To help us visualize the history that the movie explains, flashbacks are effectively interwoven through most scenes, but are overused in others. And of course, critics are contrarily blasting the film for its pacing and running time (2½ hours). You can’t have it both ways, guys. Externally, what bothers me the most about this movie are all the people who are too afraid to see it because of how it challenges their beliefs. How strong is your faith if you never allow it to be tested? And how do you know what’s true if you’re unwilling to see any other viewpoint but your own? For me personally, TDVC has made me ask the hard questions and understand why I believe what I believe other than just blindly accepting what I’ve been taught. A challenge can be a good thing. And besides, if Jesus really was married and had an ensuing bloodline, how would that really change things for us eternally? If somehow proven true, the only thing that would really change is our faith in the Catholic church and the gatekeepers of the Bible—not Jesus’s role as the Savior (the most important thing). If I had to choose, I’d say that the Bible’s version of events is probably more accurate than what TDVC presents, based on the apocryphal nature of the gnostic gospels, Jesus’s monumental task, and what God says about married people. But when dealing with religious documents and accounts that date as far back to the time of Jesus, how can anyone really know for sure? As with many things in life, the best thing to do is believe what you believe while remaining open to the possibilities. As Tom Hanks affirms in the film, “What matters is what you believe.”

By Allie D.

May 22, 2006 11:00 PM | Link to this

I would also like to clarify that a movie need not have endless action scenes to avoid being boring. There is a proper balance that must be struck, however. The movie was boring simply because Brown basically wrapped a pedestrian, uninspired fictional plot around some controversial historical matter. It wasn’t so much that it was uninteresting as it was bland and formulaic. I am typically one for bemoaning the fact that a movie often fails to live up to a book. But that is only when a book has a high standard to live up to. The Code did not (for me, anyway) and because the movie did not deviate from that, it translated into a dull film. I’m not a huge action fan. I enjoy it, but my attention span doesn’t require it. It’s just that the action has to be compelling. This, alas, was not compelling.

By Dayton Medic

May 22, 2006 7:58 PM | Link to this

I thought the book was really good. After about 4 chapters I couldn’t put it down. I am sure the movie won’t be as good since my imagination when reading runs wild. I will see the movie for sure. One just has to remember that just because it is written or made into a movie doesnt make it true. Look at the ratio of Fiction verses Non-Fiction.

By Amber

May 22, 2006 6:26 PM | Link to this

haha, I certainly can’t believe how quick people are to judge. The entire point of the movie was not to highlight loads of action sequences. If a movie is defined as “good” merely by having special effects and Matrix-esque style fighting, then I’m sad to see that this is the only thing people find entertaining nowadays. And for those that think this movie is blasphemy - then this movie was meant for you! C’mon! It is not saying that anything is 100% definite in the Bible (or NOT in the Bible, for that matter), but it’s saying to take a look at other possibilities. It is healthy to question something as deeply important as this, and The DaVinci Code teaches us to look around and ask as opposed to blindly accepting what others want us to think. The DaVinci Code was a good movie, but if you want to see NEED to see something that isn’t thought provoking and simply ‘entertainment,’ go see MI: 3

By Davinci

May 22, 2006 4:42 PM | Link to this

A great book, but I am not sure about the movie. Just remember it is FICTION. If you are unsure about what is fact and what is fiction go to www.catholic.com and there is a lot of info there.

By Dean

May 22, 2006 3:37 PM | Link to this

This movie is a bunch of junk and Dan Brown will do anything to make money. The bible says that itis easier for acamel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:24 I would hope the he would repent.

By TheGodfather007

May 22, 2006 3:35 PM | Link to this

I thought that the movie was great! I read the book , and the thing that made the movie great was the fact that it was just like the book. I felt that Ron Howard made it feel like i was reading the book while i watched the movie. It was great. Go See the movie for your self !!!!!

By Allie D.

May 22, 2006 12:58 PM | Link to this

I agreed with your review and even stated in mine that the film was so faithful to the book that it did nothing but highlight what made the book so ridiculous in the first place. Howard’s job was to make the story at least a little more believable and exciting, and he failed on both counts by refusing to budge from Dan Brown’s weak storyline. People will see it once and its business will die off, simply because the movie is hard to love, let alone like. I cannot imagine paying to see it a second time, and the sleepy-eyed people who were trudging out of the theater I was at would probably agree.

By amy

May 22, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this

I haven’t seen the movie, but I can’t say I’m shocked that it’s gotten bad reviews. Why? Because the book wasn’t that great! I think I’m the only person in America that thinks this, but the only thing that saved the book from being horribly written and painful to read was short chapters and quick pacing. It only stands to reason that a mediocre book would translate to a mediocre movie.

By Toi

May 22, 2006 12:27 PM | Link to this

TDVC disappoints. Outside of two action sequences, the movie was boring. Not even Tom Hanks saved this effort. Wait for the DVD.