Inferno

By George M. Thomas

Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones in INFERNO.

The character of Robert Langdon and his adventures should be so much more on film.  Dan Brown’s literary creation (THE DA VINCI CODE, ANGELS & DEMONS) is the Indiana Jones for the intellectual set.

Keep in mind, acting everyman Tom Hanks portrays Langdon on the screen.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  The two-time Oscar winner is always the best aspect of any film that he’s in.

However, until now with INFERNO, the material has never been as intriguing as the character. Despite the gargantuan book sales from THE DA VINCI CODE, a sense of disappointment is accompanied when watching it. 

Keep in mind and in the interest of full disclosure, when there’s nothing much on television and I’m scanning through channels and either one of the prior Langdon films are on, I stop and watch.

INFERNO will become that as well because there are few high-minded notions with respect to this film.  Ron Howard, who directs from a script by David Koepp, keeps things relatively straight forward in Langdon’s latest adventure.