Da Vinci Code Criticism, Controversy and Calamity continue

 Around the world, many leading movie critics have the same opinion - The Da Vinci Code is a disappointment. Dreary, slow and overblown.

But viewers have been flocking to it. Director Ron Howard’s adaptation of Dan Brown’s mega-selling novel took a near-record $US224 million ($297 million) in worldwide ticket sales on its opening weekend.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, only Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith was more successful in that time. It took a spectacular $US253.9 million.

In Australia, the opening of $8.6 million was stronger than expected, even with a record release in 561 cinemas.

The ticket sales seem to justify the distributor’s decision to hold back any screenings until the eve of the movie’s release, minimising the flak from religious leaders over the controversial claim that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and they produced a child.

Word of mouth will now determine whether The Da Vinci Code will become a $25 million or $30 million-plus movie in Australia. Judging from conversations in Sydney over the past few days, many people have a different take on the movie than the critics.

Feedback suggests many have been surprised by it - especially if they haven’t read the book. A lot enjoyed the storytelling and thought the problem-solving transferred well to the screen.

There has been a fair bit of discussion about Tom Hanks as Professor Robert Langdon. His casting takes any romantic spark with Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) out of the movie. That raises the question of whether someone else would have been a better choice.

Ian McKellen is being widely praised for his spirited performance as Sir Leigh Teabing. But not everyone is being won over by Paul Bettany as the zealous albino monk Silas.

A bigger question is whether the film-makers took the right approach in making The Da Vinci Code a big serious-minded movie instead of a helter-skelter thriller like the novel. The biggest crime turning the novel into a movie would have been making it dull.

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