Three Things I Learned on Monday

1. A rotten tomato does not a bad salad make.
Saw DaVinci Code yesterday and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The big worry I had going in was Tom Hanks performance and his ability to bring Robert Langdon to life. Unfortunately I can report Hanks gives his standard wooden performance peppered with a dash of his once strong comedic instincts. The big surprise is that the movie works despite Hanks. As I noted last week, the press critics were very negative coming out of the Cannes premiere. While I enjoy reviews that contain quotes such as, “Hanks performance makes you long for Kevin Costner,” I got to be honest and say the critics missed the boat on this one. Ron Howard hits a high note in his inconsistent career by staying true to Dan Brown’s novel. The cast, other then Hanks, all put in good performances, especially Sir Ian who trades in Gandalf’s staff for Lord Tebring’s canes. The pacing is extremely strong and the movie is over before you can even think about looking at your watch. A lot of the negative reviews have complained about all the exposition and talking in the film. Guess what, this story needs a lot of explaining, and by utilizing various visual gimmicks Howard keeps it interesting. I’m not saying this is a great film or a perfect film. There are flaws such as the lack of chemistry Hanks has with, well, anyone and a score that’s way over the top. Yet in the end, it’s the perfect summer movie because it provides the viewer with a little substance to go with a lot of flash.

2. Sometimes you can dig yourself a hole that’s so deep you can never crawl out.
Monday also brought us the series finale of Alias. A show that, as previously noted, created so many contradictory plot lines and mythologies that the viewer was often left confused and in the dark. Teasers for the finale promised answers to the Rambaldi mysteries that have carried on throughout the show. I believe the producers had every intention of clearing that up last night before they realized that they too were in the dark. After trying so many different Rambaldi “endgames” over the life of the series I think they were just as lost as the audience. The attempts made to explain things only created more questions. While leaving much of the Rambaldi stuff in the shadows, they did provide some closure though for the characters. The flashbacks were a nice way to tie everything together and the final confrontation between Jack and Sloan was great. If anything it seemed rushed as if they crammed 3 hours of show into 2.

3. If you stick your head in a shark’s mouth enough times eventually it will bite your head off, but in the mean time enjoy the experience.
Last week I criticized 24 for their lackluster season but I held out hope that we’d get a strong season finale. I was rewarded with a twisty two hours that once again gives the show an opportunity to explore new territory next season. Of course the show has a history of not following up on these opportunities so I’ll probably be back in the same disposition next year. On a side note, am I the only one who’d like to see a sitcom with Chloe and her newly introduced ex-husband? That, Tom Hanks, is chemistry.