Since The DaVinci Code became a publishing phenomenon in 2003, Dan Brown’s books have been best-sellers. Writer of commercially enticing action thrillers, Brown has amassed a fortune in a short space of time. The third film of his Robert Langdon series, Inferno, again sees Tom Hanks return as the central character. Wisely ignoring the previous Langdon book, the poorly written The Lost Symbol, the producers of Inferno have crafted a classic adventure sure to intrigue fans.
Professor of Symbology, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), is having a bad day. Waking up in a hospital bed in Florence with no memory of the previous few days, his life quickly unravels. Encountering Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), he discovers their lives are in grave peril. hrown into a manhunt with him as the target, Langdon has to solve how his dilemma occurred. He also has to uncover a mystery of global proportions with life and death literally hanging in the balance.
Directed by Ron Howard, Inferno is a solid thriller. When in blockbuster mode, Howard knows how to craft suspenseful sequences, of which there are plenty. He is effectively aided by Hanks who delivers a typically reliable performance. Both know the franchise well and ensure the story’s momentum is kept until the exciting finale. The rest of the cast capably enhance the script which follows the source novel closely. Fans of Brown’s work won’t find much to complain about with his historical attention to detail intact.
Making Inferno a delight are the visuals. Flitting from Florence to Venice, the European locations are gorgeous to view, while the scope of locations increases the threat level Langdon faces and the urgency in which he needs to stop the looming horror. Each new location is well used and not just there for eye candy. Unlike The third films in several movie series, Inferno doesn’t feel laboured, with Howard ensuring audiences are given enough bang for their dollars.
It isn’t churlish to say Inferno delivers what you expect. A globe-trotting adventure is what’s advertised and that’s exactly what you receive. It wouldn’t be remiss to wish for a fourth instalment as long as it’s as strongly realised as this intriguing instalment of a strong cinematic series.
Reviewed by Patrick Moore
Twitter: @PatrickMoore14
Rating out of 10: 7
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