Angels & Demons ....what's all the fuss about?

[humble_in_doubt]

I just saw Angels & Demons … first the movie hardly lives up to its name. There were no angels and demons, just an irate 30 something Irish priest who murders a sitting pope in a wild conspiracy to become pope himself (and move the church back to its zealous roots).

Get this one for amusing irony … it has Tom Hanks (a secular professor) saving the church from destruction (he uncovered the plot of the wayward priest, which moved the Cardinals to elect a proper pope). The movie sort of ends with the twist that religion can be compatible with science (I guess if they just leave science to scientists … I don’t know). The new pope names himself the first Pope Luke (because Luke was a physician).

Typical of these types of movies … they make for good books but not the greatest movies?

 

[7_Sorrows]

i saw the movie this evening also. i had read the book several years ago, so i couldn’t remember too well what it was about. it was entertaining, but forgettable. yes, the book was more thrilling than the movie although i did like seeing some of the sights of rome.

i guess the church forbid them from filming around some of the sites around rome so i wondered how they filmed the scenes in St. Peter’s Square.

more conspiracy theories! the curiosity around the knights templar, illuminati, free masons, will probably not fade for a long time. so we should expect these books or movies every now and then. i think the art bell radio show brought an interest in these topics to light through the years and books and movies have been made. maybe people will get tired of them after awhile.

 

[The_Fool]

The movie sort of ends with the twist that religion can be compatible with science (I guess if they just leave science to scientists … I don’t know). The new pope names himself the first Pope Luke (because Luke was a physician).

Well, the idea of religion existing peacefully alongside science isn’t exactly a new idea, although I don’t know what it says about scientists who want to dominate religion or religious who want to dominate science.

Anyway, does anyone know if Pope John XXI would count as a physician? I know he knew, taught, and wrote about medicine, I just wonder if calling someone could call themse… Oh, I get it, sort of. Well, at least he doesn’t name himself Peter.

Ah, the fuss might be the fact that some people don’t like using holy places as the setting for a secular film. I know I would get miffed if someone used a chemistry lab for anything other than the study of chemistry, so maybe it’s the same thing. Who cares about money, it’s the principle of the matter!

 

[RebeccaJ]

I read the book a few years ago. It was an ok novel. I was an atheist at the time, and didn’t really see the “Catholic stuff” as anything but material for the plot. I’ve seen the trailers and it looks like more Catholic stuff! I told my husband, who is atheist, that those dang Catholics are always up to no good.

 

[humble_in_doubt]

I read the book a few years ago. It was an ok novel. I was an atheist at the time, and didn’t really see the “Catholic stuff” as anything but material for the plot. I’ve seen the trailers and it looks like more Catholic stuff! I told my husband, who is atheist, that those dang Catholics are always up to no good.

I didn’t pull an anti-Catholic theme out of the movie to be honest. Yes Hanks plays an atheist professor who has an honest objection to religion, yet he’s always gracious though unapologetic. I suspect any movie that touches on these themes will be viewed as wayward by religious zealots … but objectively speaking I don’t think it was anti-Catholic (although it was sort of boring). My take … the movie is overrated (the theater was packed by I assume people who wound up feeling like they wasted eight bucks).

The new Star Trek, on the other hand, is awesome. I’ve never been a Treky, but I didn’t know the show time & arrived at the theater like 45 minutes early (so I slipped in the Star Trek movie while I was waiting). I give it the triple thumbs up! Action packed …

 

[Curious]

The book wasn’t too bad. I read it about 4 years ago and I think I enjoyed it more than the DaVinci code. It’s fiction plain and simple. I was listening to the Catholic Channel on XM and it was being discussed. I don’t remember if it was a radio host or a call in person saying that if you can appreciate that’s it’s just fiction and go about your life than by all means, go see the movie if you want to. Some people felt strongly about it though: said we shouldn’t waste our money on anti-catholic films, and said that some Catholics who are not very firmly grounded may actually be swayed by such a book/ movie.

 

[humble_in_doubt]

I would agree that it’s slightly less boring than DiVinci Code … but it didn’t have enough action to be a good action movie (though it did have some action at the end) & it was too predictable to make for an intriguing mystery. On balance I’d suggest Star Trek (unless you’re really old & you don’t like action movies).

 

[7_Sorrows]

I didn’t pull an anti-Catholic theme out of the movie to be honest. Yes Hanks plays an atheist professor who has an honest objection to religion, yet he’s always gracious though unapologetic. I suspect any movie that touches on these themes will be viewed as wayward by religious zealots … but objectively speaking I don’t think it was anti-Catholic (although it was sort of boring). My take … the movie is overrated (the theater was packed by I assume people who wound up feeling like they wasted eight bucks).

The new Star Trek, on the other hand, is awesome. I’ve never been a Treky, but I didn’t know the show time & arrived at the theater like 45 minutes early (so I slipped in the Star Trek movie while I was waiting). I give it the triple thumbs up! Action packed …

i didn’t really find anything anti-Catholic about it either other than it always shows the Catholic church as mysterious and secretive and that the Church in the past tried to prevent people from expressing their opinions if they were different from the Church. i was kind of bored sometimes too. tom hanks was gracious and honest about his lack of faith and unapologetic, but that is the character of robert langdon. i also liked this book better than the da vinci code. in the book, i liked inspector olivetti, but his character didn’t stand out in the movie like he did in the book.

i am not a star trek fan, but i did hear the movie was good.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I didn’t pull an anti-Catholic theme out of the movie at all to be honest. Yes Hanks plays an atheist professor who has an honest objection to religion, yet he’s always gracious though unapologetic. I suspect any movie that touches these themes will be viewed as wayward by real zealots … but objectively speaking I don’t think it was anti-Catholic (but I do think it was sort of boring).

The amount of advertising they put out…it screams to me, “trying to save a movie with marketing dollars”. I’ll rent it on DVD, as I do most films.

The anti-religion of Hollywood is a general swipe, at anyone who believes in God.

 

[humble_in_doubt]

i didn’t really find anything anti-Catholic about it either other than it always shows the Catholic church as mysterious and secretive and that the Church in the past tried to prevent people from expressing their opinions if they were different from the Church. i was kind of bored sometimes too. tom hanks was gracious and honest about his lack of faith and unapologetic, but that is the character of robert langdon. i also liked this book better than the da vinci code. in the book, i liked inspector olivetti, but his character didn’t stand out in the movie like he did in the book.

i am not a star trek fan, but i did hear the movie was good.

The only tid bit that Catholics will be offended by was when during a fire scene an “incorruptable” body began melting (inferring it was a wax duplicate).

 

[7_Sorrows]

The only tid bit that Catholics will be offended by was when during a fire scene an “incorruptable” body began melting (inferring it was a wax duplicate).

yes, that scene made me look twice and i think i heard something about the statue of st. theresa also.

 

[humble_in_doubt]

The amount of advertising they put out…it screams to me, “trying to save a movie with marketing dollars”. I’ll rent it on DVD, as I do most films.

The anti-religion of Hollywood is a general swipe, at anyone who believes in God.

Religion is something that plays a major role in American life … so naturally it will frequently be the subject of our theater entertainment. Artists do tend to be irreligious … so yes there probably is somewhat of a bias against religion in Hollywood.

America is the marketplace of ideas (as we would say in my law school days). I don’t know about anyone else but I love our freedom in this country. If there is a god then what greater gift could he give anyone besides freedom?

 

[humble_in_doubt]

yes, that scene made me look twice and i think i heard something about the statue of st. theresa also.

well, let’s be honest … they probably are wax duplicates? If they’re not then why not allow rigorous scientific scrutiny? It seems to me if there are to be any divine mysteries they should be left to god. Between men what one calls a mystery another will naturally call a lie.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Religion is something that plays a major role in American life … so naturally it will frequently be the subject of our theater entertainment. Artists do tend to be irreligious … so yes there probably is somewhat of a bias against religion in Hollywood.

America is the marketplace of ideas (as we would say in my law school days). I don’t know about anyone else but I love our freedom in this country. If there is a god then what greater gift could he give anyone besides freedom?

I work in the film industry. I know there is a bias, I am in it every day. Oh yeah, I enjoy the mix of people. I like the diversity. Some of the emails I get are colorful, to say the least. Dang creative people.

I don’t know how it would be so hard to actually portray faith in film as how those who have it actually believe. Rather than a caricature, such as Dan Brown creates. But, that’s Hollywood!

 

[RebeccaJ]

well, let’s be honest … they probably are wax duplicates? If they’re not then why not allow rigorous scientific scrutiny? It seems to me if there are to be any divine mysteries they should be left to god. Between men what one calls a mystery another will naturally call a lie.

I don’t think it is a secret that St. Bernadette is covered in a wax mask and for her hands/fingers as well.

 

[Little_Dove]

Thank you for the reviews everyone! I wasn’t going to see the film, but I was thinking, “Not again!” when I heard that it had a distinctly anti-Catholic flavor. I’m glad that the observation seems to be more boredom than intrigue…
Actually, the older I get, I usually leave movie theaters thinking, “I just wasted 2 hours of the precious time that God has given me on Earth! I can’t believe that I did that!” So unless someone whom I trust tells me, “It is awesome! You’ll love it!” I’d just as soon as do some gardening! The Star Trek movie is tempting though…

Thank you!
God Bless!
To Jesus, through Mary

 

[RebeccaJ]

Thank you for the reviews everyone! I wasn’t going to see the film, but I was thinking, “Not again!” when I heard that it had a distinctly anti-Catholic flavor. I’m glad that the observation seems to be more boredom than intrigue…
Actually, the older I get, I usually leave movie theaters thinking, “I just wasted 2 hours of the precious time that God has given me on Earth! I can’t believe that I did that!” So unless someone whom I trust tells me, “It is awesome! You’ll love it!” I’d just as soon as do some gardening! The Star Trek movie is tempting though…

Thank you!
God Bless!
To Jesus, through Mary

I’m with you. The time and money! I prefer a DVD, where if I don’t like it, I just shut it off and only a few dollars went into it. Movie prices are nuts, unless you go to a $1 theater.

The tempting Star Trek movie tempted me as well. I saw it at a theater last weekend. It was fun. I recommend seeing it on the big screen. While waiting for it to start I saw a dozen Angels and Demons ads, at least. Lots of Catholic stuff! But I’ll wait for the DVD.

 

[jevinslil]

My Mom asked me to go to this movie with her today. Perhaps I will have an opinion later. Right now all I know is that I enjoyed the book several years back, and they’ve been advertising the movie quite a bit.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

would and will not waste my time or money on anything by Mr. brown.

 

[Bill_Pick]

I just saw Angels & Demons … first the movie hardly lives up to its name. There were no angels and demons, just an irate 30 something Irish priest who murders a sitting pope in a wild conspiracy to become pope himself (and move the church back to its zealous roots).

Get this one for amusing irony … it has Tom Hanks (a secular professor) saving the church from destruction (he uncovered the plot of the wayward priest, which moved the Cardinals to elect a proper pope). The movie sort of ends with the twist that religion can be compatible with science (I guess if they just leave science to scientists … I don’t know). The new pope names himself the first Pope Luke (because Luke was a physician).

Typical of these types of movies … they make for good books but not the greatest movies?

It is just another Da Vinci Code