"The Da Vinci Code"

Directed by: Ron Howard

Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany

Rating: PG-13 (for some violence and scenes of self-mutilation, slight nudity, adult themes)

Running time: 149 minutes

Best suited for: Dan Brown fans, revisionist-theory advocates, the curious

Least suited for: The unflinchingly faithful, Opus Deists, those who haven't read the book

A religious-themed movie without controversy? Hardly likely. But in terms of faithshaking consequence, "The Da Vinci Code" is much ado about nothing. It's fictive speculation with a surprise ending that is, sadly, no longer a surprise to all but the most mediaphobic. I find it ironic that more than a few critics have glibly given away both premise and plot, and in the next breath conclude that the film is lacking in suspense. Well, duh. I suspect many of those flocking to see "Da Vinci" will go with a fair presumption of what to expect.

That's a pretty big cross to bear (so to speak) for any mystery thriller.

Is "Da Vinci" flock-worthy? Those Christians who are conservative in nature, fanatical in their faith, should probably skip this one. As my own personal litmus test, I dragged my AARPaged mother along to the viewing. A devout Irish Catholic, she declared the film innocuous, not offensive to those firm in their beliefs. She admitted that the movie, while a bit complicated in places, was indeed rather good.

The film is a faithful representation of Dan Brown's novel concerning a 2,000-year-old secret that could-if exposed-rock the foundations of the Catholic Church. Over the centuries, a clandestine society has routinely killed to ensure it's kept. Others have attempted to expose the secret, with both sides believing right-and, of course, God-to be on their side.

Once again, the secret is in jeopardy and battle lines are quietly formed. Caught in the middle of this perpetual struggle is Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), by chance lecturing in Paris when a Louvre curator is murdered. Near the Frenchman's corpse the authorities find a rather complicated cipher, apparently scribbled by the victim. The police want Langdon's help-but also suspect that he might be involved in the murder. Langdon is befriended by a French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), who believes that Langdon is the only man who can help her discover the truth behind the killing.

I confess I had trouble with "The Da Vinci Code," the novel. Not so much the premise as the delivery. I don't like my fiction filled with coincidence and improbabilities any more than my films. The film has inherited those problems-first and foremost being the ease at which Langdon deciphers the multitude of insidiously difficult clues.

The first 20 minutes of the film is rushed and scattered, with director Ron Howard seemingly possessed with doling out Dan Brown's scenario at breakneck speed. It takes a keen eye and an open mind to follow the setup, although once on the trail, the film settles down and delivers. I've heard talk of tedium but I found none myself. There are snippets of "reader-feeder," bits of historical importance bandied about in monologue and conversation-necessary information that Howard nicely accommodates with ethereal visuals of ages past-but the film, rather than dragging, too often hurries.

Tom Hanks plays a subdued, often skeptical Robert Langdon and I appreciated his understated performance. As Langdon, Hanks anchors a film that would otherwise too haphazardly swirl about an audience, precariously ungrounded. He is, in effect, the eye of the storm. Audrey Tautou, new to many Americans, aptly displays the talents that have made her the darling of European audiences ("Amelie," "A Very Long Engagement").

Ian McKellen plays a delightfully pretentious Sir Teabing, an English intellectual upon whom Langdon relies for assistance. Paul Bettany plays the creepy Silas, a zealous Opus Dei monk who isn't above killing people for God's sake. (I do side with those who think the author unfairly chose an actual faction of the Catholic Church as his antagonist. He could as easily have fabricated a sect.) There are really no bad guys in "The Da Vinci Code"-just maniacally focused fanatics willing to die and kill for their faith. It's nothing new in filmdom, nor in reality, for that matter.

Overall, "The Da Vinci Code" manages to spin Dan Brown's controversial tale with mostly fa

vorable results. I found intrigue and even plausibility. Believe the ending or not, consider it blasphemous or not-but at least you'll have something to chat about on the ride home. I seldom mind a film that makes me think.