Movie Review: Inferno

I LOVE Dan Brown.  He has a way of getting me to Google everything he writes about.  I always finish one of his books knowing something new.  The movies made from his books all star Tom Hanks as Professor Langdon, the famous symbolist who uses history to solve a crime.  Inferno fits into his formula.  A billionaire madman uses the Malthusian theory of population control as a means of culling half the population in order to save the planet.  He develops a plague that will wipe out half of the people and then hides it.  Eventually the World Health Organization along with other governments who are interested in the weapon catch up with him and he kills himself, but leaves his weapon in a position to set itself in motion.  He has a legion of followers who believe that murdering half the world will save lives.  
Langdon to the rescue once again.  Without spoiling anything, he gets the job done using Dante and other artists/writers from Florence, Venice and Istanbul.

My Review: The movie followed the book for the most part.  I don't remember a character named Elizabeth (Hanks love interest) in the book.  I am going to guess she was a Hollywood add-in.  Tom Hanks is a poor choice to play the famous professor.  He is too old for the part.  Langdon is supposed to be in his late thirties/forties and Hanks is pushing sixty.  Despite the age, he does a decent job.  But then anyone can do a decent job because Dan Brown isn't known for his complex characters.  They are all two dimensional at best.  But that's not why I paid 13.50 for the ticket.  It's the mystery, action, and story line that keeps me glued to my seat.  And Hollywood delivered.  The beginning of the movie starts off with a bang and doesn't slow up until the end.  I was thoroughly entertained and engrossed in the film.  The settings are authentic and make me want to go on vacation to Italy and Turkey.  I would have liked to see more of a back story about the character Sienna, who had a fascinating life in the book, but Hollywood barely mentioned her genius status.  All in all, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves action.  5/5 Stars.