Angels & Demons (2009)

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works with a nuclear physicist to solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican during one of the significant events within the church.

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

David Koepp (screenplay), Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Robert Langdon
Ewan McGregor	...	Camerlengo Patrick McKenna
Ayelet Zurer	...	Vittoria Vetra
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Commander Richter
Pierfrancesco Favino	...	Inspector Olivetti
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Assassin
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Cardinal Strauss
Thure Lindhardt	...	Chartrand
David Pasquesi	...	Claudio Vincenzi
Cosimo Fusco	...	Father Simeon
Victor Alfieri	...	Lieutenant Valenti
Franklin Amobi	...	Cardinal Lamasse
Curt Lowens	...	Cardinal Ebner
Bob Yerkes	...	Cardinal Guidera
Marc Fiorini	...	Cardinal Baggia (as Marco Fiorini)

Storyline

Following the murder of a physicist, Father Silvano Bentivoglio, a symbolist, Robert Langdon, and a scientist, Vittoria Vetra, are on an adventure involving a secret brotherhood, the Illuminati. Clues lead them all around the Vatican, including the four altars of science, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. An assassin, working for the Illuminati, has captured four cardinals, and murders each, painfully. Robert and Vittoria also are searching for a new very destructive weapon that could kill millions.

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Plot Keywords:

illuminati | reference to bernini | reference to raphael | murder of a priest | murder | 

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Taglines:

The holiest event of our time. Perfect for their return.

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English Italian Latin French Swiss German German Chinese Spanish Polish

Release Date:

15 May 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Obelisk

Filming Locations:

UCLA, Westwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$150,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$46,204,168, 17 May 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$133,375,846, 2 August 2009

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$485,930,816, 2 August 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Imagine Entertainment, Skylark Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 146 min (extended edition)

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several cameos can be seen in the movie. A photo of Sophie Neveu (played by Audrey Tautou in The Da Vinci Code (2006)) stands on a shelf at Langdon's house. Ron Howard's wife, Cheryl Howard, plays a CERN scientist and his father Rance Howard plays a Cardinal.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 35 mins) Just before the Assassin confronts Langdon and Vetra, she takes her cell phone out of her pocket. The Assassin then asks her to take it out. Her hand and phone are then back in her pocket.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: The Ring of the Fisherman, which bears the official papal seal, must be destroyed immediately following the Pope's death. The papal apartment is then sealed for nine days of mourning, a period known as "Sede Vacante", the time of the empty throne.

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Crazy Credits

At the very beginning, when the Columbia girl is standing holding aloft the torch, it flickers like the anti-matter.

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Alternate Versions

The cut UK theatrical version was also used for the DVD release in the UK. In addition, the same version was also released on DVD in Germany although the uncut version was shown theatrically.

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Connections

Featured in Angels & Demons: The Full Story (2009)

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Soundtracks

Immaculate Mary
(uncredited)
Traditional Lourdes hymn

User Reviews

Angels and Demons Premier in Rome! I was there!

I was at the premier of the movie last night in Rome. I am not an expert in the book, however there are a great deal of changes from the book to the movie. The pacing of this movie is much faster than the Davinci code. Many things were trimmed otherwise this would be a 4 hour movie. Many things were also changed to give the movie a fast pace. I think what matters is the feel of the movie and that works well for Hanks, Brown and company.

There are some things in the book that would appear very implausible in the movie form. I am not giving any spoilers, except to say the ending of the movie is handled in a slightly different way. How Leonardo Vetra was found is also different. Those who see the movie might be interested in reading the book to get the full details of the story. Some minor details are are also cut from the movie.

Although they did film in Rome, they had to recreate interior shots. Since I went on a walking tour of Rome the day before the movie I can say that the interior sites are authentic in look and feel. Kohler is not in the movie and not much is shown about CERN. Hanks does a good job and there are some interesting scenes involving the Vatican archives. Of course they had no access to that area and I am not sure if anyone actually knows what the Vatican archives look like. Eyelet Zurer has her break in this movie as Victoria Vetra and does a good job as eye candy for Hanks.

This movie should be received better by the critics and public, but you never know. Ron Howard mentioned several times in interviews and as we saw him and the cast before the movie, that this is just a movie.