Angels & Demons (2009) review

Harvard professor - and skilled swimmer! - Tom Hanks, an expert in all things coded and obscure, gets hired by the Vatican to find out about a rogue organization called the Illuminati and their plan to assassinate four Cardinals, steal anti-matter and get on God's Bad Side (though at least they don't flail themselves in this one - you hear me, Paul Bettany). Drags the viewer along by Hanks' character's intellect alone, and there's little room for active involvement - the drama and action already come pre-solved, so just sit back and let the movie figure itself out. It blazes to its ludicrous conclusion and plays the fence on the science/faith debate - frankly, I'd rather not have Ron Howard or Dan Brown try to meld what should not be melded. We can all pray when no one's looking; let the men and women in lab coats try to get rid of cancer, fire protons at each other and manufacture the pills that try (and fail) to keep my friends sane.