Let’s face it: The 2006 adaptation of The Da Vinci Code was a slow, awkward and boring movie. Its billion-dollar box-office success was largely due to the popularity of Dan Brown’s unputdownable novel. Now the new adaptation of the novel’s prequel Angels & Demons is whole different animal altogether – it is fast-paced, well-scripted and skillfully-directed. In short, a bona fide hit.

Directed by Ron Howard again, Angels & Demons is a tightly-wound thriller that centers on Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) who tries to uncover the mysteries of a secret society called the Illuminati after it kidnaps four cardinals and threatens to blow up Rome. Using his knowledge of symbols, languages and history, Robert unravels the Illuminati’s plot to take over the Vatican City and replace the Pope with a nefarious leader…

Now Ron has obviously taken note of the criticisms hurled at The Da Vinci Code (“Dull! Plodding! Paris looks drab!”) to avoid repeating his mistakes. Not only does Angels & Demons move very swiftly, it bathes the movie’s locations (Rome and other Rome-like settings) with a golden aura that evokes the splendor of the city and its art.  

Cinematographer Salvatore Totino should be credited for the film’s romantic look, as should screenwriter David Koepp (Panic Room) and Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend) for the fine script.

For his not-particularly-challenging performance, Tom Hanks received the biggest salary in the history of Hollywood – reportedly in the region of US$35million plus a share of the profits. Now considering that Angels & Demons will probably do better than its plodding Da Vinci, that’ll come up to a very tidy sum indeed.