Antara Malaikat dan Jin - a review

Note: Ini bukan review Siri Bercakap Dengan Jin.

If you loved the book so much, I beg you not to go and watch the movie. If you never read a page of the novel, you can always spend 2 precious hours sitting in the cold cinema for the much trimmed version of the story. Perhaps you should be able to enjoy it more because your expectation might be different.



However, I went to see the movie pretending that I haven't read the book. I realized the movie was made for the mass while the book was targeted to a specific group of readers (read: those who love things explained in great detail although the facts presented need not always be true....)

The supposedly pre-quel to Da Vinci Code turned out to be just as forgettable. The early scenes made me feel like watching a documentary at History Channel. When Ewan Mac Gregor appeared, I thought I was watching Star Wars because seeing him in a robe will always remind me of a Jedi Knight. If only the part was given to Antonio Banderas.... hmmmmmm....

Even though Tom Hanks' hairstyle looks so much better in this movie, the Professor aura is still missing. It's difficult to believe he's a Professor when the whole world has watched him as Forrest Gump. Hehehe. And his punch-lines and one-liners in this movie were missing the 'Ooooomph!'.

The heroine was far from what I imagined. I was hoping she had Jennifer Garner's body because if I'm not mistaken, she's been described as athletic, strong, hard headed and beautiful. The Ms. Vetra portrayed in this movie resembles one of the mafia wives in Godfather. In each scene I kept on imagining her in a kitchen, wearing a floral apron while preparing pasta.

Well having said all those, I know it's not easy to adapt such a novel into a 2-hour movie. Things happening at the CERN has been cut short although all the readers knew that those were the keys. In an effort to make it appear more action-packed, the movie focused mainly on the chase to find the kidnapped Preferitis.

My favorite scene in the movie (as well as in the book) has to be Prof Langdon's 2nd visit to the Vatican Archive, when the power supply was cut-off. I'm claustrophobic, so I hope I'll never be trapped in a small dark room with low oxygen supply - surrounded by ancient books.

If you can tolerate some scenes that are bland and dragging, you'll survive the movie. If you expect a lot more action, fast-paced story and humor, go watch Star Trek.