First American Review For Da Vinci Code: Yes, It's Good

Posted on May 17, 2006

One of the first reviews for The Da Vinci Code is in from Roger Friedman for Fox News. Friedman is in Cannes and saw the critics' screening on Tuesday evening: clearly he rushed to his laptop to impart the good news. He says only Opus Dei will be unhappy with it, which is a funny comment. He gives a lot of the credit to Sir Ian McKellen.

But right now you want to know is: Is "The Da Vinci Code" a good movie? The answer overall is yes.
*****
For most of its overlong two and a half hours, the film is enticing. And surprising in that it's not Tom Hanks - solid as usual - or French film star Audrey Tautou who make the movie tick. It's Sir Ian McKellen, who appears about a quarter to half way through the proceedings and very sublimely scores himself an Academy Award nomination.
*****
....it's a good movie, a solid entertainment with much to recommend it. The only people who could be unhappy with it are Opus Dei, which is fairly well attacked as represented in excellent performances by Paul Bettany, Jean Reno and Alfred Molina.
Mainstream audiences will take this for what it is: superb escapism, excellent summer entertainment and ambitious filmmaking.

Sounds good so far.