Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Amazon.ca
Critics and controversy aside, The Da Vinci Code is a verifiable blockbuster. Combine the film's huge worldwide box-office take with over 100 million copies of Dan Brown's book sold, and The Da Vinci Code has clearly made the leap from pop-culture hit to a certifiable franchise. The leap for any story making the move from book to big screen, however, is always more perilous. In the case of The Da Vinci Code, the plot is concocted of such a preposterous formula of elements that you wouldn’t envy screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, the man tasked with making this story filmable. The script follows Dan Brown’s book as closely as possible while incorporating a few needed changes, including a better ending. And if you’re like most of the world, by now you’ve read the book and know how it goes: while lecturing in Paris, noted Harvard Professor of Symbology Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned to the Louvre by French police to help decipher a bizarre series of clues left at the scene of the murder of the chief curator. Enter Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), gifted cryptologist. Neveu and Langdon team up to solve the mystery, and from there the story is propelled across Europe, ballooning into a modern-day mini-quest for the Holy Grail, where secret societies are discovered, codes are broken, and murderous albino monks are thwarted… oh, and alternative theories about the life of Christ and the beginnings of Christianity are presented too, of course. It’s not the typical formula for a stock Hollywood thriller. In fact, taken solely as a mystery, the movie almost works--despite some gaping holes--mostly just because it keeps moving. Brown’s greatest trick was to have the entire story take place in one day, so the action is forced to keep moving, despite some necessary pauses for exposition. As a screen couple, Hanks and Tautou are just fine together but not exactly memorable; meanwhile Sir Ian McKellen’s scenery-chewing as pivotal character Sir Leigh Teabing is just what the film needed to keep it from taking itself too seriously. The whole thing is like a good roller-coaster ride: try not to think too much about it--just sit back and enjoy the trip. --Daniel Vancini
Product Description Dan Brown's international bestseller comes alive in the film The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman. Join symbologist Robert Langdon (Academy Award® Winner Tom Hanks, 1993 Best Actor, Philadelphia, and 1994 Best Actor, Forrest Gump) and cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) in their heart-racing quest to solve a bizarre murder mystery that will take them from France to England – and behind the veil of a mysterious ancient society, where they discover a secret protected since the time of Christ. With first-rate performances by Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina and Jean Reno, critics are calling The Da Vinci Code "involving" and "intriguing," "a first rate thriller."
Special Features
The DVD extras on a film as popular as The Da Vinci Code should be plentiful, and this version doesn’t skimp. With over 90 minutes of special features, including ten behind-the-scenes featurettes, there’s a lot here to explore beyond the film itself. The question is, is there anything new here that we haven’t heard before, in all the hype, pseudo-documentaries, and controversy surrounding the movie, to make it worthwhile? For most viewers, the answer will be "yes." Essentially, if you like the movie, if you enjoyed the book, you will get a lot out of them.
Just as the movie is intended to make the book come to life, the DVD extras should make the film come to life by pointing the audience into the world of the filmmakers, connecting the dots between print and film, and for the most part they do just that. The extras here range from the typical look behind-the-scenes to more in-depth features on the supporting characters, the locations, and the Mona Lisa herself. "First Day on the Set with Ron Howard" features the director gushing about the opportunity to film in the Louvre and work with Tom Hanks again (the two worked together before on Splash and Apollo 13). It’s a short piece that doesn’t reveal much beyond making an attempt to share Howard’s excitement (with the "Gee, I really loved working with him/her on this project" that you hear in every such featurette), but viewers might enjoy seeing how the stage was set up in the famous museum, down to the spike tape on the floor showing actors where to hit their marks. The Filmmaking Experience, Parts 1 and 2 further explores the creative and technical aspects of the filmmaking process. A Conversation with Dan Brown starts out feeling like a puff-piece (the man who wrote this book got started at age 5 with a story called The Giraffe, The Pig, and the Pants on Fire. "It was a thriller," he says.) and unfortunately it doesn’t go very deep into much of anything of interest. But on the other hand, this isn’t 60 Minutes here; it’s intended to give viewers a better sense of the man behind the franchise, which it does. Much of the footage from this interview is sprinkled throughout some of the other featurettes. Meanwhile, the character behind the franchise, Robert Langdon, is examined in his own featurette, as is Sophie Neveu. The cool thing here is getting under the skin of the actors to see how they approached the characters, knowing that most of the movie-going public already has formed their own ideas about the characters from the book.
The most interesting extras are the featurettes that focus on the history behind the mystery. Or is it the mystery behind the history? Either way, the first one on the Mona Lisa, and the second featurette on the many codes and symbols that are hidden throughout the movie balance out the remainder of the extras nicely by demonstrating the sense of intrigue, mystery, and game-playing adventure that made The Da Vinci Code so popular in the first place. --Daniel Vancini
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Greg Curtis
Format:DVD
In The Da Vinci Code, symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is implicated in a murder and plunged into a mystery with historic ramifications. Aided by French cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), they must decipher centuries-old puzzles and clues that will lead them to the truth. But their efforts are hampered by the Opus Dei (a clandestine, Vatican-sanctioned Catholic organization) and a tenacious Inspector.
Based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, the story challenges the very foundations of the Christian faith, asking whether Jesus was human or divine. Catholic organizations have, for the most part, been smart enough to lie low and not feed the fire...had Brown been Muslim, he would surely have been beheaded for such a blasphemy.
Akiva Goldsman's script requires a viewer's complete attention. Full of background details about theology, The Knights Templar, paganism and Renaissance art, it is both intellectual and philosophical. There are plenty of surprises, but some of them are so necessary to the plot they are obvious in coming, as is the denouement. Still, it is clever, fast-paced, and absorbing. While some readers of the book may find the moments of exposition tiresome, they are a crucial element to the parables.
Director Ron Howard, in his third collaboration with Hanks, gives the story plenty of atmosphere with Hitchcockian suspense. The aqueous flashbacks to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages propel the action and add to the sense of awe. However, his decision to light up the letters of the riddles on screen as Langdon mulls them over seems uninspired, having used that technique in 2001's A Beautiful Mind, also written by Goldsman.
Hanks is well-cast as the reluctant Indiana Jones, while the angelic Tautou is a delight to watch. Sadly, there is little chemistry between them. But Sir Ian McKellen gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Holy Grail scholar Leigh Teabing. Paul Bettany, whose leering grimace spoils everything he's in, has found his niche playing a murderous monk, the most villainous albino since 1978's Foul Play.
A true mystery in the tradition of old Hollywood, this "Greatest Story Never Told" is a fascinating scavenger hunt. Rating: 8 out of 10.
Based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, the story challenges the very foundations of the Christian faith, asking whether Jesus was human or divine. Catholic organizations have, for the most part, been smart enough to lie low and not feed the fire...had Brown been Muslim, he would surely have been beheaded for such a blasphemy.
Akiva Goldsman's script requires a viewer's complete attention. Full of background details about theology, The Knights Templar, paganism and Renaissance art, it is both intellectual and philosophical. There are plenty of surprises, but some of them are so necessary to the plot they are obvious in coming, as is the denouement. Still, it is clever, fast-paced, and absorbing. While some readers of the book may find the moments of exposition tiresome, they are a crucial element to the parables.
Director Ron Howard, in his third collaboration with Hanks, gives the story plenty of atmosphere with Hitchcockian suspense. The aqueous flashbacks to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages propel the action and add to the sense of awe. However, his decision to light up the letters of the riddles on screen as Langdon mulls them over seems uninspired, having used that technique in 2001's A Beautiful Mind, also written by Goldsman.
Hanks is well-cast as the reluctant Indiana Jones, while the angelic Tautou is a delight to watch. Sadly, there is little chemistry between them. But Sir Ian McKellen gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Holy Grail scholar Leigh Teabing. Paul Bettany, whose leering grimace spoils everything he's in, has found his niche playing a murderous monk, the most villainous albino since 1978's Foul Play.
A true mystery in the tradition of old Hollywood, this "Greatest Story Never Told" is a fascinating scavenger hunt. Rating: 8 out of 10.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Duchess
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
We saw this today and found it a very intriguing movie. We also like Tom Hanks and the many other excellent rolls he's played. It is a movie that has had a lot of controversy but I think that when you see it you just have to judge for yourself. The plot for this movie is excellent and to us just as well put together as all our other mysteries we have (eg; Midsomer Murders/Agatha Christie et al). This movie was always warning us 'viewer discretion advised' but we found that the 'violence' was not as bad as we thought it might be. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes a mystery and likes to try something other than the Midsomer Murders or Agatha Christie DVD's.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Robert Badgley
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Whether or not you believe in Dan Brown's mixture of historical facts mixed with a blend of hypotheses and extrapolations all bound up in a grand symbological mutli-million unit selling mystery novel(released in 2003)or not,is really of no consequence.The Roman Catholic Church whose foundation his novel questions was none too pleased at the time and(typical of the Church)issued memos to its' flock not to either read the book nor attend the subsequent movie's release.Of course,according to the Church,it was all bogus from beginning to end.Me thinks they did protest too much!
The movie takes Brown's writings and brings them to the screen in an intelligent and attractive manner all served up(and there is ALOT to serve up!)in a fast paced and unrelenting style that keeps you glued to the screen from the beginning to the very end.
The Da Vinci Code(released May/06) involves the story of a symbologist/cryptonalyst by the name of Robert Langdon(Tom Hanks).He is giving a lecture in Paris and attends a book signing after when he is approached by the police,one Capt.Fache(Jean Reno),to assist them in a murder that has just been committed in the Louvre.It turns out to be a friend of Langdon's by the name of Sauniere and the body has many mysterious symbols about it.Landon doesn't know it but the police captain suspects him of doing the dirty deed.A police cryptologist Sophie Neveu(Audrey Tautou)arrives and gets Langdon alone.He is in danger she says and must leave and moreover the man who was murdered was her grandfather.
They escape and head to a bank with a key her grandfather left to her.It is a key to a safety deposit box which contains a small wooden box,in which is a cryptex.It is a cylindrical container surrounded with letters that must be arranged in a certain way to open it successfully.If not done properly a vial inside releases a potion of vinegar which destroys the contents.From here the pair seek out a Holy Grail expert-friend of Langdon's ,a Mr Teabing(Ian McKellan).They discuss the ins and outs of the Grail and the Church's earliest days and beginnings,right back to Christ himself and whether he was supernatural or just a man,when the police track them down.They all escape to London with the French police captain still in pursuit.
In London Langdon(assisted throughout by Neveu) tracks down an important clue to locate the Grail but they are confronted by Teabing who wants the box and cryptex it contains.Langdon turns away to try and decode the cryptex but when he turns back he throws it into the air which cracks the inner vile and destroys the contents.At this moment the police enter and Teabing is arrested,not Landon nor Neveu.It seems the French captain has been played for a dupe by the dark shadows of the Church who also want the Grail's location and he has come to his senses.Well,it turns out Langdon did indeed crack the code and has the parchment paper from inside.In it the directions lead them both to a Church in the countryside of England where they find that the Grail they seek was indeed once there but has been moved.However they also find the guardians of the Grail,a group dedicated to preserving the Grail and its' location.We also find out the Grail was/is Neveu herself;as she is from a royal blood line descended from Christ himself through Mary Magdeline his wife.The movie ends with much of the clues that have inundated Langdon's mind throughout his arduous journey,coming together and him walking to the front of the Louvre museum in Paris and kneeling and praying over the spot where the bodily remains of Mary Magdeline secretly lay.
The movie moves along at breakneck speed and makes brief stops for the viewers to catch their collective breaths and try and take in much of what is going on before them.There are alot of clues and alot of information to digest here.But in the end the ultimate conflict here is again wrapped around a good guys-bad guys scenario.On the bad guy side is the Opus Dei depicted here as a shadowy form of the Vatican that is trying to keep hidden and even search out and destroy any vestige or hint of the Grail,i.e. the remains of Mary Magdeline and a possible bloodline.On the good side we have the keepers of the faith with the Priory of Scion and their more well known arm the Knights Templar.These guardians(and their many descendants)have fought the good fight for centuries in order to keep the truth alive,but hidden from harms way,i.e the Vatican.Brown's novel and the resultant movie never preach their story to us and let us make our own minds up.As I said before this story is based on old historical fact mixed with legends and the resultant extrapolations of the two.Near the end of the movie a conversation between Langdon and Neveu really says it all about the novel,movie and their goal.Langdon asks Neveu would revealing herself as a direct descendant of Christ bring about destruction of the Church or a new reconnaissance of it? Intriguing question to an intriguing....theory? Open minds is what it is all about.
This movie is one of Ron Howard's better efforts and deserves high praise for his deft handling of the complex material.The movie contains a solid roster of actors from Hanks,McKellan to French star Jean Reno and Germany's Jurgen Prochnow.Paul Bettany as Silas does a great turn as a conflicted and tortured puppet of the Opus Dei's bidding.
Technically the movie is presented in its original 2:40:1 aspect ratio and has been transferred wonderfully,sound included.Extras abound in this two disc set.We have featurettes "Filmmakers Journey Pt's 1 & 2",Music of the DC",a DC demo DVD game,"Portrait of Langdon","Who is Sophie Neveu?","The Usual Suspects","Magical Places","Close up of the Mona Lisa",a discussion with Dan Brown,first day on the set with the director and a look at many of the hidden codes placed smartly throughout the film itself.Everything you wanted to know about the DC but hadn't even thought to ask!
All in all a well done and intriguing thriller/novel brought deftly to the big screen by Ron Howard and now to DVD,in a fast 141 minutes.It's a solid cast and a highly recommended film worthy of repeated viewings to catch many of the clues that you may have missed the first time.Enjoy.
The movie takes Brown's writings and brings them to the screen in an intelligent and attractive manner all served up(and there is ALOT to serve up!)in a fast paced and unrelenting style that keeps you glued to the screen from the beginning to the very end.
The Da Vinci Code(released May/06) involves the story of a symbologist/cryptonalyst by the name of Robert Langdon(Tom Hanks).He is giving a lecture in Paris and attends a book signing after when he is approached by the police,one Capt.Fache(Jean Reno),to assist them in a murder that has just been committed in the Louvre.It turns out to be a friend of Langdon's by the name of Sauniere and the body has many mysterious symbols about it.Landon doesn't know it but the police captain suspects him of doing the dirty deed.A police cryptologist Sophie Neveu(Audrey Tautou)arrives and gets Langdon alone.He is in danger she says and must leave and moreover the man who was murdered was her grandfather.
They escape and head to a bank with a key her grandfather left to her.It is a key to a safety deposit box which contains a small wooden box,in which is a cryptex.It is a cylindrical container surrounded with letters that must be arranged in a certain way to open it successfully.If not done properly a vial inside releases a potion of vinegar which destroys the contents.From here the pair seek out a Holy Grail expert-friend of Langdon's ,a Mr Teabing(Ian McKellan).They discuss the ins and outs of the Grail and the Church's earliest days and beginnings,right back to Christ himself and whether he was supernatural or just a man,when the police track them down.They all escape to London with the French police captain still in pursuit.
In London Langdon(assisted throughout by Neveu) tracks down an important clue to locate the Grail but they are confronted by Teabing who wants the box and cryptex it contains.Langdon turns away to try and decode the cryptex but when he turns back he throws it into the air which cracks the inner vile and destroys the contents.At this moment the police enter and Teabing is arrested,not Landon nor Neveu.It seems the French captain has been played for a dupe by the dark shadows of the Church who also want the Grail's location and he has come to his senses.Well,it turns out Langdon did indeed crack the code and has the parchment paper from inside.In it the directions lead them both to a Church in the countryside of England where they find that the Grail they seek was indeed once there but has been moved.However they also find the guardians of the Grail,a group dedicated to preserving the Grail and its' location.We also find out the Grail was/is Neveu herself;as she is from a royal blood line descended from Christ himself through Mary Magdeline his wife.The movie ends with much of the clues that have inundated Langdon's mind throughout his arduous journey,coming together and him walking to the front of the Louvre museum in Paris and kneeling and praying over the spot where the bodily remains of Mary Magdeline secretly lay.
The movie moves along at breakneck speed and makes brief stops for the viewers to catch their collective breaths and try and take in much of what is going on before them.There are alot of clues and alot of information to digest here.But in the end the ultimate conflict here is again wrapped around a good guys-bad guys scenario.On the bad guy side is the Opus Dei depicted here as a shadowy form of the Vatican that is trying to keep hidden and even search out and destroy any vestige or hint of the Grail,i.e. the remains of Mary Magdeline and a possible bloodline.On the good side we have the keepers of the faith with the Priory of Scion and their more well known arm the Knights Templar.These guardians(and their many descendants)have fought the good fight for centuries in order to keep the truth alive,but hidden from harms way,i.e the Vatican.Brown's novel and the resultant movie never preach their story to us and let us make our own minds up.As I said before this story is based on old historical fact mixed with legends and the resultant extrapolations of the two.Near the end of the movie a conversation between Langdon and Neveu really says it all about the novel,movie and their goal.Langdon asks Neveu would revealing herself as a direct descendant of Christ bring about destruction of the Church or a new reconnaissance of it? Intriguing question to an intriguing....theory? Open minds is what it is all about.
This movie is one of Ron Howard's better efforts and deserves high praise for his deft handling of the complex material.The movie contains a solid roster of actors from Hanks,McKellan to French star Jean Reno and Germany's Jurgen Prochnow.Paul Bettany as Silas does a great turn as a conflicted and tortured puppet of the Opus Dei's bidding.
Technically the movie is presented in its original 2:40:1 aspect ratio and has been transferred wonderfully,sound included.Extras abound in this two disc set.We have featurettes "Filmmakers Journey Pt's 1 & 2",Music of the DC",a DC demo DVD game,"Portrait of Langdon","Who is Sophie Neveu?","The Usual Suspects","Magical Places","Close up of the Mona Lisa",a discussion with Dan Brown,first day on the set with the director and a look at many of the hidden codes placed smartly throughout the film itself.Everything you wanted to know about the DC but hadn't even thought to ask!
All in all a well done and intriguing thriller/novel brought deftly to the big screen by Ron Howard and now to DVD,in a fast 141 minutes.It's a solid cast and a highly recommended film worthy of repeated viewings to catch many of the clues that you may have missed the first time.Enjoy.
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 727 reviews
3.6 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bon film
Le film Da Vinci Code a été reçu en bon état et conforme à l'annonce du vendeur. Le DVD fonctionne très bien.
Published 16 days ago by Daniel Mérineau
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Worth It
I love the box it came in. My favorite was the Cryptex that came with it. You can choose your own code to open and lock it. The movies played beautifully. Highly recommended.
Published 1 month ago by potato_bug1001
5.0 out of 5 stars
code apres code
code après code ce qui nous place dans le mystère de découvertes en découverteset nous fait découvrir l'histoire même au travers de la fiction... Read more
Published 1 month ago by richard dufour
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Why does it have to be human or divine? Maybe human is divine"
XXXXX
Some of the negative reactions for this movie (and the book it's based on) came from The Vatican, American Catholic Bishops, Peru, People's Republic of China... Read more
Some of the negative reactions for this movie (and the book it's based on) came from The Vatican, American Catholic Bishops, Peru, People's Republic of China... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Stephen Pletko
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome film
Excellent film, very repeat watchable! Hanks is really good. And a most unusual twist at the end. May consider the follow up movie to it.
Published 3 months ago by Kwikkwakman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than you might imagine
Did you see The Hunger Games and read the books because everyone was talking about it this year? How about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo three years ago? Read more
Published 5 months ago by Steven Aldersley
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cryptex
Does anyone know if this set includes the cryptex or is just the 2 dvd set?
Looking forward to your comments
Looking forward to your comments
Published 6 months ago by Felipe
3.0 out of 5 stars
underwhelming (2.5/5)
after watching this movie,i have one overriding feeling.that of being
underwhelmed.there was lot of hype for this movie,but it just didn't
live up to it for me. Read more
underwhelmed.there was lot of hype for this movie,but it just didn't
live up to it for me. Read more
Published on Oct 29 2007 by falcon
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring from 15-th minute to the end of movie
Horribly boring movie, that was an object of many critics'. Really have no idea why people was so crazy about this movie, because scenario, acting and everything at all is absolute... Read more
Published on Aug 11 2007 by Lana
1.0 out of 5 stars
ABSOLUTLY TERRIBLE
The is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It is horribly boring, the characters are stupid, and the actors are wrongly cast. Don't waist your money on this hunk of trash.
Published on May 29 2007 by G_R_E_G
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Movies & TV > Action & Adventure
- Movies & TV > Blu-ray > General
- Movies & TV > Drama
- Movies & TV > En français > Action, Aventure, Policier et Thriller > Action
- Movies & TV > En français > Action, Aventure, Policier et Thriller > Policier et Thriller
- Movies & TV > En français > Drame
- Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
