The hyperspecific genre of symbolic historical scavenger hunts popularized by Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code has built up a legion of fans. And such fans are no doubt used to the familiar rhythms of these books as well as their subsequent movie adaptations. A puzzling riddle, a mysterious woman, and an ensuring worldwide jaunt through some of the most iconic landmarks of Europe. This formula has proven to be a huge success with both movie adaptations, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons along with a host of imitators (National Treasure, anyone?). And this formula continues to prove itself a winner with the latest Brown adaptation, Inferno.
Like its predecessors, Inferno stars Tom Hanks as renowned symbologist, Robert Langdon. He awakens to find himself in a hospital bed with no memory of the last few days or even where he is. His doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) informs him that he is in Florence, Italy, where he was recently brought in with a gunshot wound to the head and short term amnesia. The pair is quickly beset by an armed gunman who causes them to take flight from the hospital and head towards the relative safety of Sienna’s apartment.
Once there, they discover that Robert has in his possession a gadget that projects an image of Boticelli’s Map of Hell. Only the image has been carefully modified to provide clues to the whereabouts of a secret “treasure.” The treasure in question is, in typically Brownian fashion, actually a cataclysmic virus developed by eccentric billionaire Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) that can wipe 90% of humanity. Zobrist created the virus in order to save humanity from the plague of overpopulation, taking the pragmatic if horrifying view, that by reducing the human population on earth by 90%, he’ll be able to ensure its ultimate survival.
Sienna and Robert then follow the clues on the image in order to find the location of this virus and destroy it. Of course, nothing is as easy as it seems. The pair is followed by multiple groups with unknown agendas, including the previously mentioned gunman, the World Health Organization, and a shadow group that works for Zobrist. Without spoiling any of the myriad twists that are a staple in Brown’s movies, suffice to say that the film will keep you guessing on both the motives of these pursuers, as well as the ultimate location of the virus.
Directed by Ron Howard (who also directed the first two Langdon films), Inferno maintains a rapid pace as it jumps from locale to locale. Howard matches this brisk story with a frenetic style that utilizes quick cuts and loud hallucination sequences that put us in the mind of Robert. In fact, the movie plays much more like a straight action piece than the earlier two films, while still maintaining the core globetrotting scavenger hunt aesthetic that makes the series so compelling. Robert’s struggle to stay ahead of the bad guys, in addition to his struggle to make sense of his cloudy memories humanizes him in a way that is different from the self-assured academic of the first two films. Hanks dives into the role of this more vulnerable Langdon with the aplomb that comes with knowing a character through three movies. Jones is a delight as the unwitting accomplice Sienna, who has been dragged into this global conspiracy. What could have been a fairly uninteresting stock supporting female role is brought to life by the luminous Jones.
Inferno does not necessarily add anything that we haven’t seen before in the action/adventure genre. The gun battles, the car chases, the sinister villains, and the mysterious ingénue are all out in force. But it hits all of its well-worn marks perfectly. And in that context, the movie is an absolute treasure. And one that is in plain sight.
Rating: 4/5 atoms
from Nerd Reactor
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