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Da Vinci Code: Prophecy Fulfilled?
When we heard that Tom Hanks was cast as the lead Prof. Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code, LAist was worried. Then when we heard that Dan Brown's page turner would be directed by Ron Howard, we were totally bummed. Not to take anything away from Hanks or Howard, but really, why do the studios need to always take the safe (read: boring) route with the blockbusters?
We reserved comment until the film came out, and it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival today. The reviews are not good:
Here's the lede from an AP story:
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"The Da Vinci Code" drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world's toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival.
From an E! Online story:
There's no such thing as bad publicity, even when it comes to the The Da Vinci Code. But there is such a thing as a bad movie.
Ouch. If there are going to be protests in LA about the film, maybe they should protest the squandering of a really good popcorn flick and not religious controversy.
Now if you had a chance to cast Robert Langdon and choose a director, who would it be? Clive Owen, maybe? A younger Harrison Ford-type? Directors like Robert Rodriguez? Quentin Tarantino? Weigh in 'cause we're curious like that.
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Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
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