MovieMantz Reviews: ‘Da Vinci Code,’ ‘Over The Hedge’

“Raiders of the Lost ‘Code'”

“The Da Vinci Code”
Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou
Directed by: Ron Howard

Lord, have mercy!  How is it possible that a book as entertaining and suspenseful as “The Da Vinci Code” could end up being made into such a dull and ponderous movie? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself ever since I saw director Ron Howard’s $125 million adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel.

Then again, “The Da Vinci Code” isn’t just a bestseller — it’s one of the best selling books of all time.  Since it’s release in 2003, it has become a pop cultural phenomenon, selling more than 60 million copies and inspiring heated debates about its controversial allegations — among them, that Jesus of Nazareth married Mary Magdalene, fathered a child and started a bloodline that, if made public, would destroy the very foundation of Christianity.

Despite being a work of pure fiction, these bold implications have incurred the wrath of just about every religious group under the sun.  But nothing sells books better than a little controversy, and that’s bound to translate into big sales at the box office as well.  Just ask Mel Gibson — his “Passion of the Christ” opened during a firestorm of controversy in 2004, only to gross more than $670 million worldwide.

But “The Passion” was based on a deeply religious tome, where “The Da Vinci Code” is not (like I said, its fiction, folks!).  And after all the hype, all the boycotts, all the analysis and all the talk about Tom Hanks’ weird hairdo, moviegoers can finally see what the fuss is all about and judge it for themselves.

Those moviegoers will be divided into two camps — obviously, those who read the book and those who didn’t.  The former will surely have the advantage, since they will already be familiar with the information-heavy Indiana Jones-style religious adventure, while the latter will have a tougher time putting all the details into perspective.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that readers will love the movie — it just means that they won’t be as confused as non-readers.

And therein lies the problem.  From day one, director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (who won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for Howard’s Oscar-winning “A Beautiful Mind”) have been under constant scrutiny to stay true to the book.  For the most part, they succeeded.  There are a few minor changes (especially towards the end), and some of the events are out of sequence, but all the historical flashbacks that are explained in the book are up there on the big screen to the point of overkill.

And that’s not a good thing, as the movie caves in under the pressure to preach to the choir.  There’s way too much talky exposition, the pacing feels rushed in an effort to squeeze everything in and the movie goes on far too long (it runs 2 hours and 29 minutes).  In addition, what felt natural on the page feels strangely contrived and melodramatic on the big screen, and the music by Hans Zimmer swells to the point of being intrusive.

Even worse is the lack of chemistry between two-time Oscar-winner Tom Hanks, who is surprisingly stiff as symbologist Robert Langdon, and ?Amelie? star Audrey Tautou, who is just marginally effective as the police cryptologist who helps him crack the code.  Paul Bettany fares a bit better as Silas, the self-mutilating monk who takes his mission from Opus Dei a little too seriously, but Ian McKellen practically steals the movie when he shows up about halfway through as a Holy Grail enthusiast who puts Hanks and Tautou back on track.

Judging by movies like 1995’s “Apollo 13,” 2000’s “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and last year’s “Cinderella Man,” Ron Howard tends to make films that are more crowd-pleasing and entertaining than daring and challenging.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but unfortunately, his adaptation of “The Da Vinci Code” is far from being the cinematic gift from the gods that fans of the book have been praying for.

Verdict: Skip it!

———————————————————

“Looney Toons ‘Hedge’ Their Bets”

“Over the Hedge”
Starring:Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, Wanda Sykes
Directed by: Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick

The summer movie season may be officially under way, but you wouldn’t know it judging by the box office grosses for the past 2 weeks.

After disappointing openings for “M:i:III” ($48 million) and “Poseidon” ($22 million), industry pundits still have yet to see that big, headline-grabbing debut that usually coincides with the release of an expensive Hollywood blockbuster.  That will likely change this weekend, when the highly anticipated “The Da Vinci Code” opens.  Between the controversy surrounding its subject matter, the popularity of its star and the fact that just about everyone on the planet has already read the book, theater owners can finally count on getting that big opening weekend they’ve been waiting for.

And if “The Da Vinci Code” doesn’t do it for them, then “Over the Hedge” probably will.  That’s because the computer-animated big screen adaptation of the popular comic strip series created by Michael Fry and T Lewis is a clever, charming and often funny movie that the whole family can enjoy.

When Verne the turtle (Garry Shandling) and his woodland friends awaken from their long winter’s nap, they are shocked to discover that a large green hedge has been erected right in the middle of their native habitat.  That means food will be hard to come by, but a mysterious raccoon named RJ (Bruce Willis) shows up with a solution — all the food they will ever need is right over the hedge in suburbia, where the humans live and possess more than they can possibly need.  RJ convinces everyone to sneak over and grab as much food as they can, but Verne is suspicious that RJ has more selfish intentions up his sleeve.

Compared to other DreamWorks computer-animated movies, “Over the Hedge” is closer to “Madagascar” and “Shark Tale” than it is to either of the “Shrek” films, which is to say that it is simply an entertaining family movie that doesn’t break any new ground — visually or structurally.  There’s not much of a story, and even with a super-short running time of 75 minutes (without ending credits), it feels a bit padded.  But it is still very funny, and it tends to get better as it goes along.  (It’s also preceded by a touching dialogue-free 7-minute short called “First Flight,” in which an accident-prone businessman helps a little bird take flight for the first time.)

But what really puts the film over the top is its terrific voiceover cast.  Standouts include Bruce Willis as the manipulative RJ, while Garry Shandling is effectively self-deprecating as the more practical Verne.  Two-time Emmy-winner William Shatner hams it up as Ozzie, a possum who shares some of Shatner’s own melodramatic mannerisms.  Wanda Sykes has some of the best lines in the movie as a sassy skunk named Stella, but Steve Carell practically steals the show as Hammy, a hyperactive squirrel who would be rich beyond his wildest dreams if he could bottle up his energy and sell it.

Speaking of selling, “Over the Hedge” is bound to do just that with lots of tickets over the May 19 weekend, and it should — kids will love it, and so will their parents.  And it’s not like kids will want to see “The Da Vinci Code” anyway, so who knows — maybe “Over the Hedge” will wind up being that big summer movie that theater owners have been waiting for.

Verdict: See it!