Summary
Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is recruited by the Vatican to investigate the apparent return of the Illuminati - a secret, underground organization - after four cardinals are kidnapped on the night of the papal conclave.
Cast
Tom Hanks
Robert Langdon
Ewan McGregor
Camerlengo Patrick McKenna
Ayelet Zurer
Vittoria Vetra
Stellan Skarsgård
Commander Richter
Pierfrancesco Favino
Inspector Olivetti
Nikolaj Lie Kaas
Assassin
Armin Mueller-Stahl
Cardinal Strauss
Thure Lindhardt
Chartrand
David Pasquesi
Claudio Vincenzi
Cosimo Fusco
Father Simeon
Victor Alfieri
Lieutenant Valenti
Franklin Amobi
Cardinal Lamasse
Curt Lowens
Cardinal Ebner
Bob Yerkes
Cardinal Guidera
Marc Fiorini
Cardinal Baggia
Carmen Argenziano
Father Silvano Bentivoglio
Howard Mungo
Cardinal Yoruba
Rance Howard
Cardinal Beck
Steve Franken
Cardinal Colbert
Gino Conforti
Cardinal Pugini
Elya Baskin
Cardinal Petrov
Richard Rosetti
Conclave Cardinal
Silvano Marchetto
Conclave Cardinal
Thomas Morris
Urs Weber
Jonas Fisch
Adrian Bachman
August Wittgenstein
Swiss Guardsman
Ben Bela Böhm
Swiss Guardsman
Paul Schmitz
Swiss Guardsman
Jeffrey Boehm
Swiss Guard Blue
Xavier J. Nathan
Philippe
Steve Kehela
American Reporter
Ursula Brooks
BBC Reporter
Rashmi
British Reporter
Yan Cui
Chinese Reporter
Fritz Michel
French Reporter
Maria Cristina Heller
Italian Reporter
Rafael Petardi
Italian Reporter
Yesenia Adame
Mexican Reporter
Kristof Konrad
Polish Reporter
Masasa Moyo
South African Reporter
Ed Francis Martin
South American Reporter
Cheryl Howard
CERN Scientist
Endre Hules
CERN Scientist
Norbert Weisser
CERN Scientist
Shelby Zemanek
Little Girl in Square
Vanna Salviati
Protester
Raffi Di Blasio
Protester
Todd Schneider
Carabinieri
Roberto Donati
Carabinieri
Rocco Passafaro
Carabinieri
Emanuele Secci
Carabinieri
Anna Katarina
Docent
James Ritz
Tourist
Felipe Torres Urso
Tourist
Jose David Acevedo
Italian Police (uncredited)
Roy Allen III
Cardinal (uncredited)
Tibor Ambra
Carabinieri Captain (uncredited)
Victor of Aquitaine
Vatican Choir Member (uncredited)
Michael Ark
CNN Reporter (uncredited)
John Jason Bailey
Swiss Guard Blue (uncredited)
Jerred Berg
Stem Cell Protestor #2 (uncredited)
Sally Berman
Vatican Square Singer (uncredited)
Yuki Bird
Scientist (uncredited)
Anthony Bonaventura
Vatican Police (uncredited)
Robert Bradvica
Italian Boy (uncredited)
Ciara Bravo
Italian Girl (uncredited)
Michael Patrick Breen
Ukrainian General (uncredited)
Aidan Bristow
Conclave Priest #1 (uncredited)
Cheryl BryantBruce
Diplomat's Wife Vatican Mourner (uncredited)
Raúl Cardona
Piazza Navona Tourist (uncredited)
Christopher Casa
Tourist (uncredited)
Patrick Casa
Choirboy / Tourist (uncredited)
Pasquale Cassalia
Rai Reporter (uncredited)
Farouk Chakwa
Carabinieri (uncredited)
Bacha Chilaia
Carabinieri Sergeant (uncredited)
Jimmy Clabots
Vatican Choir Member (uncredited)
Mark E. Clason
Vatican Choir Member (uncredited)
Tammy Colbert
Vatican Square Gypsy (uncredited)
Austin Michael Coleman
Young Funeral Mourner (uncredited)
Robert Corvin
U.S. Army General (uncredited)
Luca Costa
Fireman (uncredited)
Gina D'Acciaro
Vatican Square Singer (uncredited)
John Dardenne
Swiss Guard Multicolor (uncredited)
William "Will" Daubert
Priest (uncredited)
Shervin Davatgar
Arab Reporter (uncredited)
Blake Dawson
Italian Girl (uncredited)
Vincent De Paul
Vatican Pall Bearer (uncredited)
David Dedinsky
Vatican Cardinal (uncredited)
Lea Deesing
Italian Mourner (uncredited)
Norman Deesing
Italian Mourner (uncredited)
Angelique Deuitch
Tourist (uncredited)
Paul DiVito
Priest (uncredited)
Brant Dorman
Swiss Guard Blue (uncredited)
Allen Dula
Vatican Police Officer (uncredited)
Liz Duran
Vatican Mouner (uncredited)
Matthew Earnest
Italian Mourner (uncredited)
Peter Ettinger
Tourist With Backpack (uncredited)
Jonn Faircrest
Papal Photographer (uncredited)
Les Feltmate
Priest (uncredited)
William Ferguson
Cardinal (uncredited)
Amanda Jane Fleming
Tourist (uncredited)
David Fletcher
Protestor #3 (uncredited)
Gregory George Frank
Protester (uncredited)
Harrison Freed
Tourist (uncredited)
Aaron Denius Garcia
Carabinieri (uncredited)
Nancy Gassner-Clayton
Vatican Square Singer (uncredited)
Justin Giddings
Vatican Choir Member (uncredited)
Phil Gold
Vatican Square Singer (uncredited)
Alan Gray
Greek Patriarch Priest (uncredited)
Marco Greco
Fireman (uncredited)
Roger Groh
Good Bishop (uncredited)
Nancy Guerriero
Vatican Nun (uncredited)
Andrew Hamilton
Swiss Gaurd Multicolored (uncredited)
Martin Harris
Polish Reporter (uncredited)
Miriam Harris
Mourner (uncredited)
Charlie Heydt
Swiss Guard (uncredited)
David Hill
Pantheon Tourist (uncredited)
Kei Hirayama
Scientist (uncredited)
Brett Hunt
Vatican Priest (uncredited)
Marco Infante
Italian Mourner (uncredited)
Clark James
Vatican Policeman (uncredited)
Christopher Karl Johnson
Cardinal (uncredited)
Dave Johnson
Press Photographer (uncredited)
Gina Juliet
Vatican Square Singer (uncredited)
Slim Khezri
Vatican Square Gypsy (uncredited)
Sophiah Koikas
Tourist (uncredited)
Michael Laren
Vatican Choir Singer (uncredited)
Robert W. Laur
Vatican Choir Singer (uncredited)
Adrian Lee
Vatican Square Soloist (uncredited)
David Michael Lewin
Mourner (uncredited)
Maynor Lopez
Carabinieri (uncredited)
Jon Lucero
Vatican Police Officer (uncredited)
Eder López
Italian Citizen (uncredited)
Julie Mabry
Protester in Vatican (uncredited)
Les Mahoney
Hip Priest (uncredited)
Gary Mandarino
Mourner (uncredited)
Albert Marrero Jr.
News Camerman (uncredited)
Stephen Marrero
Priest (uncredited)
Carina Aviles Marshall
Reporter (uncredited)
Debbie McAlister
Reporter (uncredited)
Sandra McCurdy
Italian Tourist (uncredited)
Anthony Molinari
Vatican Guard (uncredited)
Elsa Morales Myers
Tourist (uncredited)
Mary E. Morales
Vatican Square Soloist (uncredited)
Sauvion Morkunas
Flag-bearer (uncredited)
William Myers
Photographer (uncredited)
Manuel Nardi
Priest (Mr. Grey's Men) (uncredited)
Justin Orton
Tourist (uncredited)
Sarita Ospina
Reporter (uncredited)
Dale Pavinski
Carabinieri Captain (uncredited)
Amelia Pawlak
Italian Mourner / Nun (uncredited)
David Pearl
Priest (uncredited)
David Pryor
Mourner (uncredited)
Lawrence Ravettina
Vatican Cardinal (uncredited)
Paul Richard
Swissguard #4 (uncredited)
Jarrod Robbins
Swiss Guardsman (uncredited)
Bertrand Roberson Jr.
Tourist (uncredited)
John Robert
Tourist with Hat (uncredited)
Adriana Roze
Vatican Square Singer (uncredited)
Franklin Ruehl
Mourner (uncredited)
Kelly Ryan
Protestor #4 (uncredited)
Dylan Saccoccio
Carabinieri (uncredited)
Frank Scozzari
Vatican Police Officer (uncredited)
James Seaman
Costudi (uncredited)
Keith Shawn
Vatican Tourist (uncredited)
Jutta Speidel
Woman (uncredited)
Matthew Thane
Italian Visitor (uncredited)
GJ Tiari
The Cryer (uncredited)
Nico Toffoli
Carabieniere Riot (uncredited)
Devin Toft
Carabinieri (uncredited)
James Tumminia
Vatican Priest (uncredited)
Julian Vada
Carabinieri (uncredited)
Ryan Van de Kamp Buchanan
The Swiss Guard (uncredited)
Ernie Ventry
Gypsy in Square (uncredited)
Damon Viola
Mourner (uncredited)
Shannon Watson
Swiss Guard (uncredited)
Denise Winsor
Vatican Nun (uncredited)
Jon Morgan Woodward
The American with the Sign (uncredited)
Allan Yates
Swiss Guard (uncredited)
Alfred Molina
Narrator (voice)
Crew
Director
Ron Howard
Novel
Dan Brown
Screenplay
David Koepp
Screenplay
Akiva Goldsman
Reviews
John Chard
September 2, 2019
7
Faith is a gift I have yet to receive.
Angels and Demons is directed by Ron Howard and adapted to screenplay by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman from the Dan Brown novel of the same name. It stars Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Pierfrancesco Favino, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Armin Mueller- Stahl. Music is scored by Hans Zimmer and cinematography by Salvatore Totino.
Symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) is summoned to Rome and asked by the Vatican to help when four cardinals are kidnapped. Upon examining a tape recording that announces that the cardinals will be killed one at a time hourly, Langdon places the crime at the door of the ancient Illuminati. It's a race against time to not only try and save the lives of the cardinals, but also to avert the detonation of an anti-matter bomb which will destroy Vatican City.
In spite of The Da Vinci Code making gargantuan amounts of cash, there were many who actively hated the movie. Yet this follow up from Howard and his makers still enticed just under $500 million's worth of worldwide paying punters into see it. Ultimately it's a very different movie to Da Vinci, where that film was sombre and talky, and had a great religious hook that caused tremors in Christianity, Angels and Demons is a pacey race against time serial killer thriller. Albeit one that is still religion based and additionally topped up with some sci-fi gubbins.
The ticking time bomb format works well as a cliff hanger and the narrative allows Langdon and his latest lady investigator, CERN scientist Vittoria Vettra (Zurer), scope for no-nonsense detective work. There's a good solid mystery story at the heart, one which doesn't veer to being over complicated, and the production value is of a very high standard. Casting is first class, with McGregor and Skarsgard complimenting the reliable, and thankfully new haircut sporting, Hanks. It's a little draggy in the mid-section, as history comes crashing into the mix and the makers feel the need to be cerebral, and the finale is bizarre if wholly appropriate, but herein lies the problem
If you can judge it on its own terms, not as a Dan Brown novel recreation and a link to bad memories of Da Vinci Code (not me, I liked it well enough actually)? Then it's a film of simple pleasures. If not then it kind of goes without saying that you probably already dislike the movie! 7.5/10
Media
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9
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
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