Dan Brown, while criticized in many circles, has crafted some of the most popular novels of the millennium. With them packing intense thrills along with an ancient mystery, novels like The DaVinci Code and Angles and Demons. One would think that kind of formula would create some good films, but both Code and Demons were largely mediocre thrillers, despite the presence of star Tom Hanks.
After seven years since the last entry, we have another Brown novel adapted to film with Inferno. Similar to the previous entries, the film follows Robert Langdon, who starts the film in a hospital with a bad case of amnesia. He must recollect his memories to piece together a plot to re-create Dante’s Inferno with a dastardly plague.
Inferno is more of the same as far as it comes to Brown adaptations, although it’s not without its fun moments. Perhaps my favorite in the series so far, the film is often time dopey enough to entertain, but still bogged down by its bevy of issues.
It’s no shock why they continue to adapt Brown’s work, because the novels always feature a fairly engaging narrative to follow. Adapted to the screen by David Koepp, the narrative features its fair share of twists and turns, especially a third-act twist that actually is surprisingly effective. It does a good job of staying one step ahead of its audience, while keeping them guessing.
Bolstering the film even further is a solid veteran cast. Tom Hanks can essentially do this character in his sleep, dropping historically jargon and being incredibly earnest as always. Felicity Jones is one of Hollywood’s more underrated young actresses, proving to be a solid co-star along with Hanks. Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, and Ben Foster also add a great deal of presence and professionalism to their roles.
Most of the fun in Inferno comes from just how silly it can be. There is a certain level of ridiculousness to the story and events that happen where it feels like the filmmakers understand that. However, they nor the cast never brake character or take the action onscreen lightly, which makes what happens all the more entertaining. With director Ron Howard moving the film at a break-neck pace, the two hour running time flew by in a flash.
However, a lot of the time it seemed like I was laughing at the film’s expense. Director Ron Howard makes some stylistic choices early on that feel flat out strange, and it made it seem like Hanks was going on an acid trip. I support directors giving it all with their style, but Howard over-kills with his approach. There are several moments throughout that inspire unintentional comedy, which for me furthered the entertainment value.
Like the previous film’s Inferno may provide an interesting narrative, but will often times suffocate its audience with the details. All of the jargon and plot details never come together in a uniformed way, making a lot of the plot details feel convoluted. There will be several moments where the audience is questioning just what in the heck is going on.
Anytime Inferno tries to take itself too seriously, it stumbles severally. The film tries to give the Langdon character a bit more background, mostly by adding a romantic subplot. These shadings however feel like an afterthought, often times just mucking up the narrative even further.
Inferno is by no means a great movie, but it does pack quite a bit of entertainment value for what it is. This will make for a surprisingly decent rental or plane ride viewing in a few months.