Dan Brown's Inferno Not-So-Hot on Big Screen

Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon in the latest Dan Brown adaptation to hit the big screen. As with the past two Dan Brown books-turned-movies -- THE DAVINCI CODE and ANGELS & DEMONS -- Hanks’s Langdon is teamed up with a beautiful, much younger woman. In this movie that woman is Dr. Sienna Brooks (FELICITY JONES).  

The movie jumps right into things with the introduction of Langdon and Brooks. The introduction takes place in what is thought to be a hospital room, as Langdon is under Dr. Brooks care due to head trauma. The only problem is Langdon can’t remember what happened. He sees his bloody clothes lying on a chair and knows it must be serious. During the conversation with Brooks, it’s discovered that due to the head trauma, Langdon is suffering from mild amnesia and severe sensitivity to light and sound.

As the movie progresses, I realized Dan Brown’s books do not translate well to movies, in the sense that you only have a small amount of time to tell the story -- in this case only two hours. In the book, the reader has 461 pages and unlimited imagination. Because of the length of the movie, Langdon pieces clues together, like a genius solving a Rubik’s cube, in record time. It seems too easy, as Langdon finds himself entwined in these dark, deadly plots.

I will say, watching the movie, there were parts that were compelling, exciting entertainment. Irrfan Khan, (LIFE OF PI) did an exceptional job playing Harry Sims, the head of an ultra-secret security firm. I found myself twisting in my seat, wondering with anticipation what was going to happen next. There were a couple of good twists (not going to spoil them here) where I thought I knew what was going to happen, and was very surprised by the outcome.

Overall, the movie was the same story as the rest of Dan Brown’s novels made into movies. It had the opportunity to be so much more, to shed light on a serious issue the “real world” is facing: overpopulation. That cause seems to be brushed under the rug, so to speak, by beauty and puzzle solving.

As a side note: Dan Brown, why don’t you pitch making DIGITAL FORTRESS into a movie? That may be your winner!