For 'Da Vinci' suspense, read the book

The most startling revelation in the movie version of The Da Vinci Code (two stars out of four) is the way it soft-pedals its provocative premise and borders on tedium. What emerges is a melodramatic, sometimes lifeless film that is missing the suspense of the popular novel. While it retains most of the complex twists and turns of Dan Brown's best seller, some of the elements that have sparked protests among devout Christians — questions about the divinity of Jesus Christ and his lineage — have had their edges smoothed. It doesn't help that the pacing is weighed down in exposition and talkiness. [More]