ANGELS AND DEMONS PROVIDES A TRAVELOG OF ROME
Following up the Da Vinci Code, the film Angels and Demons provides yet another treasure hunt for something important, but this time a bomb of several megatons in the form of a canister containing anti-matter stolen from an experimental CERN lab in Switzerland. The flask is supposed to explode at midnight somewhere in the Holy See after four Cardinals are executed in a plot hatched by members of the secret Illuminati, who seek revenge for their ostracism since the time of Galileo because they supported science while the church did not. Searching for clues in major landmarks of Rome and the Vatican are Harvard Professor Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks), who is summoned while swimming alone in the Crimson pool, and CERN scientist Vittoria Vetra (played by Ayelet Zureer). Amid the suspenseful mystery story, directed by Ron Howard, filmviewers learn about the hierarchical power structure of the church, the process of selecting a new pope, and the existence of a vast library to which the professor, an expert on the history of the Catholic Church, was hitherto barred because of his failure to believe in God. If the film indeed attracts tourists to see the landmarks this summer, the principal beneficiary will be the travel industry, as filmgoers did not sufficiently reward Hollywood for its efforts ($88 million in box office receipts thus far to defray a $150 million budget). MH